Nothing has been last in translation as far as I can tell.
The emotions, sense of loneliness , loss and desperation still bleeds from the pages.
I was unsure as to whether this book was for me, I was concerned it would be too dark, too grim or just not my style, but I did not need to worry. It took a few pages but then I was hooked.

What a wonderful, beautiful, magical read. Like most readers, I’m sure, I was in tears at the end. I will be 75 this year, and this book made me think really hard about the things I should have done that I didn’t, the things I would change if I could, and the untold stories that will be lost when I am no longer here. I can’t say more, just read this and you’ll know. It was a privilege to read and I thank NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to do so. It is one of those books that I will go back to time and time again. The author deserves a medal.

Bo reminded me so much of my Bamp, he is grumpy, doesn’t like to do what he is told, refuses to believe he is getting old and can’t look after himself like he used to. Things become rocky with his son Hans when he doesn’t think Sixten (Bo’s very loyal doggy companion) should stay with Bo anymore.

We hear from Bo as he talks to his wife - now living separately due to old ages and health issues. She is never named and is simply referred to as “you” and considering we only get the POV from Bo the relationships are well established and you can feel the love and strength between him and his wife. The memories they have shared and how much they enjoyed life together.

One thing I will take away from this book is to never let things go unsaid, to make sure those around you know how much they mean and to enjoy life while you can. It without doubt tugged on my heart strings for many different reasons.

A gorgeous read that I think everyone could see some joy in 🧡

Bo is an elderly man receiving round-the-clock care in his home he shares with his dog Sixten, in a small rural village in northern Sweden. His life is made up of others telling him what’s best for him, and of Bo trying to communicate how he’s really feeling, when often his inner world doesn’t match what others see. When Bo’s son Hans tells him it’s time to rehome Sixten, Bo is heartbroken and takes a long look over his life and relationships to figure out what his remaining time means.

Told from Bo’s perspective while talking to the memory of his wife, punctuated by logbook-style entries from his caregivers, When the Cranes Fly South is a quietly crushing novel. Bo’s memories take you through his childhood and into his decision to move away and start anew, the time spent with his beloved wife of many years, the deep bond he shared with his longtime friend Ture, and now his last days in a deteriorating body. As a husband, a father, and a man who used to command respect but has lost his independence and, in turn, his voice, you are given a full and often heartbreaking picture of growing older.

Having cared for and lost elderly family members, this was hard to read, but also cathartic; I could see the gaps in Bo’s memory and clarity, while also empathising with how difficult it must be to lose parts of yourself. Bo’s pain at the thought of losing Sixten—and what that means for the rest of his life—is raw and tender. His desire to mend his relationship with his son Hans is also moving, even as you recognize that too much time has passed to ever heal old wounds, and how people need to live the life they want, even if you don’t agree.

Bo’s love for his wife and the life they built together is a testament to their mutual work and devotion that had its unspoken battles and its deep core. And his friendship with Ture, a gay man living in a time when his sexuality wasn’t always accepted and was often kept private, shows just how life and love endure despite what others say. Bo’s generational language and beliefs color his world, but his relationship with Ture shows his love and compassion for others.

The writing is simple and direct and doesn’t shy away from the realities of dying, even if Bo’s narration is sometimes unreliable. The logs show what truly happened that day on a physical level, while Bo fleshes out the emotional aspect. It’s a clever framing device that reminds you of how fragile life is and how it’s not always pretty and sanitized. As the narrative slips in and out of memory and time, the writing seamlessly transports you, reminding you just how tangled our lives are made up of everything we’ve experienced.

When the Cranes Fly South is not a Hollywood story or a fairytale; it is a profound story of life in all its foibles and bonds, and how those small moments become big ones when looking back in the rearview. It’s not a happy read, but it’s also not a constant misery parade; it’s real, and it takes you on Bo’s journey with a gentle and empathetic hand. It’s a must-read for anyone with ageing loved ones or for those contemplating the realities of growing older. The dichotomy of what is best for someone and what is right is striking, and When the Cranes Fly South explores why we could all use a little more understanding, no matter what stage we’re at in life.

Oh my goodness, what a privilege it was to read an ARC of ‘When the cranes fly south’, Lisa Ridzén’s incredible debut. I’ve just read the last few pages and I can’t recall another novel to result in my tears pouring quite so fast, I could barely read the final tender words.

This is a truly beautiful read, accounting Bo’s last experiences of life, being dutifully but lovingly cared for by his son, granddaughter and private carers, along with the companionship of his dear friend Ture and his faithful hound dog, Sixsten. It’s a story told entirely from Bo’s perspective and it’s an incredibly intimate portrait of his life, interspersed with memories of his family that read like they are in the present. He ‘talks’ to his dear wife whom is a nursing home with dementia, but Fredrika/‘you’ is intricately interwoven into all of his daily thoughts and memories.

This is going to be HUGE hit, and Bo will stay with me for some time. Big thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.

This book left me feeling deeply exposed—reminded of just how fragile we are as human beings. It stirred thoughts I usually push aside: my parents aging, the person I might become in old age. Would I end up in adult diapers, needing help to bathe, waiting to see if my children would still come around? It confronted me with how much we rely on tenderness, on being cared for when we’re at our most vulnerable.

It also awakened a quiet urgency—the need to say the things that matter while I still can. To tell my parents, and my children, just how much they mean to me. Because one day, the chance to say those words will be gone.

The story itself was both tender and heartbreaking. I felt Bo’s decline so viscerally—how powerless he was in the face of aging, how he watched his world slowly dissolve. Yet the way he spoke about his wife—with such unwavering love, always addressing her as “you”—was devastatingly intimate. It felt like he was still speaking directly to her, even as everything else slipped away. That kind of devotion shattered me.

And then there was Hans. His perspective was painfully relatable. As children, we carry that quiet fear of watching our parents grow old, wanting to protect them, do right by them—while knowing we can’t hold back time. His experience rang so true, so unfiltered, it felt less like fiction and more like someone whispering their truth straight onto the page

This is such a tender, heartrending book, full of raw reflections on ageing, relationships, life and loss. It’s astute, empathetic, beautifully written, with gentle humour and clear-eyed observations, as it depicts the last few months in the life of 89 year old Bo.

His days are punctuated by a rotation of carers. Some are friendly, understanding and kind, others are brusque, allowing him little agency or dignity. Their brief daily notes add a fresh dimension to the storyline and a growing perspective on Bo’s gradual decline.

Bo’s beloved wife, Frederika, has dementia and lives in a care home. She doesn’t recognise him, or their son Hans, and is agitated by their visits. As he reflects on the past, he sniffs his wife’s scarf. It brings him comforting memories of their happy life together as he holds conversations with her in his head.

His major source of solace is the companionship of his dearly loved elkhound Sixten and the regular phone calls he has with his best friend. Visits from his granddaughter are welcome but he has a trickier relationship with his son. They clash when Hans decides that Sixten needs to be rehomed because neither Bo nor the carers can adequately look after him.

This news sends Bo into a spiral of anxiety and resentment as he seeks to hold onto Sixten for as long as possible. Hans has Bo and Sixten’s best welfare at heart, but Bo thinks Hans is oblivious to the hurt and pain it’s causing him to even think of letting Sixten go.

Bo goes through a lot of heart searching, remembering the past with his distant, curmudgeonly father and how he hates the thought of becoming like him with Hans.

Both father and son recall better times of relating to one another which suggest reconciliation might be achievable before it’s too late. A poignant, thoughtful, tear-jerking, superb debut novel I highly recommend. Grateful thanks to Lisa Ridzén, Transworld Publishers and NetGalley for the eARC.

When the Cranes Fly South is a thought provoking book written through the eyes of Bo, a nonagenarian and his carers, as he struggles with life in his 90's and his hopes of hanging onto his dog Sixten who he is having trouble looking after.
It is a beautiful, very well written, compelling read that will make you laugh and make you cry, but most of all it will stay with you for a long time after you turn the last page.
Highly recommended!
5 stars *****

Bo can’t bear the thought of his dog leaving him despite his son’s belief that it would be better for both him and the dog. This is a story told through his thoughts and reminiscences as well as notes left by his carers after each visit.

An extremely touching story and I have a feeling his character will remain with me for quite a while.

Bo lives an unassuming life in his small rural village, alone now his wife is in a care home with dementia. He does have his dog Sixten for company as well as phone calls with a friend. He is visited by a care team and his son who is questioning Bo’s ability to look after Sixten. Bo does not agree.
A poignant story of family relationships and decisions made on behalf of others. I could see the reasoning on both sides as there is simply no right nor wrong.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I had visions of this being similar to Where the Crawdads Sing and it was sort of similar but in a different way. Overall I enjoyed the story and the characters.

An utterly charming story of an old man, Bo, at the end of his life in Northern Sweden. The book is as though he's speaking and remembering the past with his wife who is in a care home with dementia interspersed with notes from his carers. He is devoted to his dog, Sixten, and battles to keep him. Poignant and quite emotional at times,sad but heartwarming. Although written originally in Swedish, the translation is excellent and the whole book just flows.

Where do I even start.
Every now and then a book comes along and you instantly know it's going to be special. This is that book. My attachment to Bo and Sixten felt so real, they became part of my family. I smiled, laughed and cried absolute buckets throughout. Truly wonderful

A "small" domestic novel which packs a huge punch by way of its telling.

Bo's beloved wife now lives in a dementia care home, his lifelong friend, old like him, is connected by planned phonecalls. Bo has only his dog and the entrance and exits of his son, grandaughter and carers. He reflects on his life and his connections/misconnections between these interruptions. The reader sees a slipstream of his life, his feistiness and trying to cling on to his decision making as he grows ever frailer.

It reminded me so much of "Stone Angel" by Margaret Laurence which tells a similar story about a woman raging as she ages and decisions are made for her. Both books give a gravitas to the universal need for acknowledgement of identity and what is important to young and old alike.

Whilst the novel captures brilliantly a life getting smaller by the day, it also captures a real essence of family. What Bo has grown up with, how he led his life and how he relates and judges his son and grandaughter. The story is totally told by Bo yet the reader gains insight into the carers, Swedish society and his family by way of the novel's clever construction.

I loved it
With thanks to #NetGalley and #HarperCollinsUK for the opportunity to read and review

A really heartwarming story of family, friendship and growing old. A sons struggle with his dad to make him realise that there are just some things he can no longer do. Left me with a tear in my eye.

This compelling, beautiful and ultimately heartbreaking novel describes the final months of an elderly man’s life in Northern Sweden.
Living at home alone with his dog, and receiving Carer visits several times a day under the instructions of his son, this insightful book examines the lack of control you have over your own life as you get older and your children take over, acting in your best interest.
Octogenarian Bo increasingly relives flashbacks to his earlier life, with his wife and then young son. His beloved wife now lives in a home due to advanced dementia and he misses her with all his heart, and spend his days talking to her in his mind.
We learn of his own childhood with an abusive father, he examines relationships and thinks how he would’ve dealt better with it with hindsight. We learn about rural life in previous generations. His best friend is his lifeline in old age as he is experiencing the same helplessness and health challenges, but always manages to put a positive slant on it.
When Bo’s son suggests he can no longer look after his dog and safely take it for walks, Bo goes into panic as the dog is his lifeline and reason for living.
The carers act in his best interests, and part of the book is told through a logbook of comments left after each carer’s visit. It is an interesting, sentimental and compassionate read.
The book really drew me in, with fantastic character portrayals, and clearly illustrates from an old person’s point of view, how the well-meaning actions of their children may actually be misguided and take away any final autonomy of living your life at an advanced age. I have drawn insight from this, and will re-examine the needs of my own elderly mother. I’m not sure if the word “enjoyed“ is the right term to use, but I read this as a compelling page turner in a couple of days and would really recommend it.

This is a beautiful book. A story of a relationship between a husband and wife, a father and son and a man and his dog. Bo’s mind is failing and he is also dying but his memories are mixed up with present day and in this way he navigates his last days.

A gentle and charming read in which we spend a few months listening to Bo - a largely housebound 80 year old gentleman - reminiscing about his life as he lies abed in his rural home in Northern Sweden. Ridzen intersperses this narrative with the notes made in Bo's daybook by his carers which bring a whole new perspective to the reader. There may few words in these "notes" but they speak volumes.
We gradually gather the backstory of Bo's life which reveals a tough upbringing followed by a long and happy marriage. Tragically his wife of 60 years is now in a care home suffering from dementia and she no longer recognises him. Bo is therefore left broken-hearted and emotionally devastated. whenever he visits her. This has left him wary of displaying affection or talking openly with anyone lest it cause him further pain. A situation which causes constant heartache to his son, Hans, who is forced to make tough decisions as Bo's health declines.
This book is filled with characters, just like Bo, who never really opened up with each other and, the sadness of the things left unsaid is painful to read.
No review of this book could be complete without mentioning Bo's greatly loved and ever constant companion Sixten. Sixten is an elk hound who spends countless hours providing warmth and comfort lying alongside his master whilst luxuriating in being continually stroked. Unfortunately big dogs need lots of exercise and this requirement becomes a major source of conflict between Hans and his father.
So there we have it, a simple enough tale perhaps. But, "When the Cranes Fly South" is much more that that. Not only is it beautifully constructed but also every character is lovingly portrayed and so this is a book the reader won't just visit - it's a book they'll inhabit.
.

Heartbreaking does not do this book justice. Not only because it is so much sadder than that but also because it is about so much more. It’s about love, loss and raging against the dying of the light.

Beautifully written, funny in parts and entirely relatable for anyone who has lost, loved a pet or cared for a love one in their final days. Would appeal to fans of Fredrik Backman (although don’t expect his trademark humour) and Elizabeth Strout.

Sure to be a bestseller.

5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

The book charts Bo's final months as he tries to come to terms with his body's increasing frailty and the need to rely more and more on others. It cuts between the here and now and his reminiscences of his long life with his parents, wife, child, grandchild and best friend. It is beautifully written and captures the possible thoughts of the older man.
However, despite the skill of the writer, this was not a book for me. Maybe it was because I have lived through my parents' and in-laws' increasing frailty or my experience of those suffering from dementia, or maybe it's because I can see myself being in that situation in the future, but I did not enjoy the process of reading the book, preferring more uplifting literature.