A True Work of Art

I was initially worried that I wouldn't be able to get into this one. The main reason for that worry was that a large component of the story revolved around a famous painting called The One by the Sea. I don't have much experience judging artwork, and I really don't have a strong desire to learn about works of art. So I was nervous that the book would be set in a world that I didn't quite understand.

But I was, thankfully, very wrong! While the artwork and art in general are discussed in the book, the main story revolves around a group of friends who lived in a poor seaside town and how they survived their childhoods that were wrought with abuse, death, and struggles.

The other part of the story, set in the present day, is about another struggling teenager, Louisa, who has spent most of her childhood in the system but is an accomplished artist herself. Louisa meets a man named Ted through some extenuating circumstances, and the pair set out, albeit reluctantly, on an adventure that revolves around the origin of the famous painting that Louisa clung to during her troubled childhood as a safe and entirely made-up space.

Fredrik Backman has an amazing talent as a writer for getting his readers to invest deeply in and relate to his characters. His book Anxious People is a great example of that, and this book was similar. There is a touch of mystery and a bit of shock at how the lives of his characters play out, but the real joy of this book is the journey that you get to go on with Louisa and Ted and the history of the famous painting, whose origin story involves Ted and his ragtag group of friends.

Grab a copy of this one and be ready to spend several afternoons lost in the world and the characters that Backman artfully created. Happy Reading!!