And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer

 

And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer – by Fredrik Backman

I confess that I’m never thrilled about the idea of a book publisher releasing a novella that’s about 75 pages in hardback form that costs the consumer around $16.  Take the illustrations out of this book, you’ve got about 50 pages of a story that can easily be read in about 30 minutes. Gripes aside, this was a very sweet, touching, and somewhat sad story. It packs a lot into those 50 pages.  I imagine that this would be a good book for people in book clubs to read and discuss.  I’m betting those discussions could take hours. There’s a lot to unpack in this brief, wonderful tale. In many ways, one wishes the story could have been fleshed out a bit more, but it works just fine as is.

This is a story about a grandfather and his young grandson, Noah.  They have a special relationship that many other grandparents have with their grandchildren if they’re lucky. “Grandpa” is getting old, and things aren’t as clear as they were before his brain started to wither. This makes our story a bit unusual since we’re reading the story from the point of view of someone who isn’t quite all there anymore.  Some have argued that this story is confusing, yet I didn’t feel that way at all. It should be a given that when one is losing some of his senses near the end of his life, “confusion” is more or less the norm.  So, yes, we’re viewing the world from Grandpa’s point of view, but I never once felt lost.

In many ways this book is a gentle reminder that we should never take our life, or the ones around us, for granted. We don’t really have much time here on Earth, and sadly, most of us don’t realize that until we’re in our twilight of life. We actually learn a lot about Grandpa’s life and those who he was closest with during his days.  Like most, Grandpa made some mistakes, yet managed to hold on to the people that he loved and who loved him in return.  I can’t help but wonder that when and if I’m in the same predicament as Grandpa, what will my memories be like?  Will I be able to look back at my years with comfort? Sadness? Shame? Happiness?

I think this is really the point of such a short, yet fascinating tale. Whether or not it was Fredrik Backman’s intention, he seems to imply somewhat subtlety that while we’re alive on Earth, we should make the best of what we have and love all of those around us because time is short. We shouldn’t be angered by silly things and be thankful in the areas where we truly have been blessed.  Grandpa, my guess, is probably average in terms of how he lived and loved during his life, and his current state of mind seems to be able to allow him to forgive himself for the times where he probably should have been a bit more kind and loving.

You just might shed a tear while reading this.  And, yes, find a group of friends to read and discuss; especially if you’re in the fourth quarter of your life.