Bo still lives alone. His team of carers visit him daily to support him with the daily tasks he often forgets. At the age of 89, Bo knows he is approaching the end of his life but with his beloved elkhound Sixten at his side he is determined to maintain his independence as long as he can.
We follow Bo through his days, learning about his child Hans and beloved granddaughter. We learn about his wife and her gradual decline as she lives with the effects of dementia. Bo shares with us details of his past and his own childhood. And through the little notes left by his carers we learn just how difficult things are for Bo.
This book was emotional. It’s hard not to feel for Bo as he struggles to accept the limitations placed on his body by his ageing. We only see his perspective so it’s easy to see his son as callous for wanting to place his dog with a family who can better cater to his needs.
As the book draws to its inevitable ending I couldn't help but feel this is such an important book for getting people to think about how we manage our ageing. Breaking down some of the stigma associated with caring for elderly relatives might result in a more compassionate approach. While it felt rather depressing, there was a stoic acceptance of the inevitable that I felt left Bo with the semblance of autonomy he craved as he grew less capable.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this.

Oh my goodness, I'm still recovering from this.! What a tender, beautiful book. Simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming, a book about life, about generations and about being... you.

"I don’t want to leave anything unsaid. That I don’t want it to be like it was with my old man. For some strange reason, I’m not angry any more. "

This is the story of Bo- at 89 years of age he relies on carers to visit and support him through his daily life. His wife Fredrika is in care home unable to recognise or remember him as she has alzheimers and he feels distance from his son Hans.

Bo takes us through his life as he remembers key events and his relationship with his parents, wife, best friend Ture and granddaughter Ellinor.
His daily life is interspersed with the visits from a team of carers who leave notes about how Bo is doing.

Bo lives quietly and has his dog Sixten for companionship - that is until his son feels the dog is too much for Bo as he can't safely walk him any distance.

This is a story of millions- a story that will connect to all of us in some way- the relationships and unspoken words between generations. The well- intentioned love and care which sometimes does not recognise the denial of another person's pleasure, security and desires.

Bo's reflections and his need to talk to his son in a way that he couldn't communicate with his father his incredibly moving. Hans' love for his father- his need to do the best and get his father's approval is so reminiscent of families. The damage and regret in the relationship between Bo and his father and the impact upon his mother is so heart breaking- a story we all know of from family and friends.

This is a powerful novel- simple in its premise but full of depth, love and life.

This should be read by everyone - a book that could help heal the divisions between men and fathers, the young and the old and hopefully peel back the suppression and pride to share love.

This could be viewed as a highly sentimental book - yes, sentiment is there but this is about an exploration of the generations ( in particular men in rural communities ) who were never encouraged to express emotions and the animosities and regrets that can foster

Lisa Ridzén has written a beautiful and life-affirming novel - a book that should make us all reflect .

Alice Menzies translation is pitch perfect.

And as an older male reader, I won't deny I was feeling tearful by the last page.

A must read of 2025

Quotes:

What I want to do is to scream that no one should treat their son the way he treats me, but I can’t move a muscle.

There’s nothing that compares to that, to raising a child. No one ever said a word about it before you got pregnant. That it would be this hard. How can something as natural as starting a family be so complicated?

I regret never thanking her ( my mother) for being her. For being so much better than my old man. I should have told her that, but I never did. I realise now that I let my anger towards him get in between us, and that meant I could never truly be happy when we spent time together.

A beautiful story of Bo an elderly, frail man. He reminisces of his past life, with his beloved wife, Frederik, now in a nursing home living with dementia.. Also his relationship with his father and his son, Hans. He tells exactly what is it to feel like as an old man reliant upon carers, having no say in his care, and includes their entries into a diary of his care. Every care giver must read this book, The most emotional book I have ever read .

This story is packed with feelings and reminds you how important a decent functioning care system is for people at the end of their lives. After his faithful hound Sixten is removed from him, Bo spends more and more time looking back at his own life and those of his family and best friend as he gradually fades away.

A beautiful empathetic tale of a complicated man and a tough life. I was really captured by the world of Bo and his carers.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book. Highly recommended

A 5 star read!

A moving story about an elderly man’s struggle to maintain autonomy over his life as his ages and can no longer look after himself.

Bo is running out of time - his wife is no longer living with him as her dementia progresses. His day is broken up by visits from his carers and his son. He has one friend, Ture, who he regularly speaks to and his dog.

He spends his time remembering his childhood, married life and his son. The same son who now wants to take his beloved dog away.

The story was beautiful and bittersweet. Bo, helpless with age unable to do anything for himself, watching everything he loved slipping away. Hans, his son, worrying about his parents and trying to do his best in an impossible situation.

Hard to read but beautifully written.

Beautiful, hopeful, and reflective.
As Bo nears the end of his life, his story and recollections are interwoven with the notes from his daily caregivers.

This isn't a page-turning plot driven novel, but a gentle expose of the care of an elderly man as he nears the end of his life. I think it's a novel many will relate to and it was handled with great warmth and empathy.

Bo is an elderly man whose wife has dementia, and no longer recognises him. He is fond of his dog Sixten, and has a complicated relationship with his son.
We hear his life from his POV.
It is a touching and honest accounting of a life lived with regret, resentment, love and all the emotions we may share, and experience.
This was nearly a 5-star read for me, had there been more action, more incidents, a bit more plot, but this is out of personal taste and I highly recommend it.

When my Aunt Jean was in her 90s and in a nursing home, she would tell me that she spent her days thinking back over her life, remembering all of us as children and all the lovely times we had together. That is what fills Bo’s days in this beautifully written book about the slow ending of a long life.

Bo spends most of his days lying on his day bed in the kitchen with Sixten, his dog, lying by his side. Carers come in several times a day and his son, Hans, visits often. Fredrika, Bo’s wife, is in a nursing home with dementia and no longer recognises either of them. Theirs was a happy marriage and he misses her terribly. His relationship with his son is more complicated and takes a turn for the worse when Hans decides to re home Sixten as Bo can no longer look after him. That is a heartbreaking wrench for Bo who feels he has no control over anything in his life any more. The only person he can talk to about this is his best friend, Ture, but they can only speak on the phone now as neither is able to visit.

Bo is conflicted about so many things, especially his complicated relationship with his father when he was younger and later his relationship with Hans. Has he been a good father, he asks himself? He knows when he could have done better but struggled to show his emotions to Hans or to anyone else. He doesn’t know if Hans knows how much he loves him and is unable to tell him now.

The author is a doctoral student who is researching masculinity norms in small communities in the far north of Sweden. The idea for this novel came from reading the notes her grandfather’s carers left each day as he neared the end of his life. It does seem a very personal story despite the author being two generations younger than Bo.

5 stars - this is a beautiful first novel with an excellent translation.

With thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for a review copy.

This is a slow-moving story of a man in the final days of his life, told through his narration and the counterpoints of his carers’ notes to each other.

It mixes the petty troubles of elderly life with the memories of a life’s relationships, good and bad, and the current companionship of his four-legged friend.

It tells of Bo’s struggle to recall and relive those memories, all the while his body relentlessly stopping him from doing so.

When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén is a profoundly moving debut novel that delves into the emotional complexities of love, fatherhood, and the difficulty of atonement. The story revolves around Bo, an elderly man who is grappling with the declining years of his life and the emotional turmoil that accompanies them. Though his days are marked by quiet moments and the presence of his loyal elkhound, Sixten, Bo's world is disrupted when his estranged son, Hans, insists on taking the dog away. Hans believes Bo is no longer capable of properly caring for Sixten, and this looming threat forces Bo to confront the imperfections in his relationships and the love he has struggled to express over the years.

What makes this novel truly remarkable is the way it explores the universal themes of regret, the longing for resolution, and the difficulty of communicating feelings that are often left unspoken. Ridzén’s portrayal of Bo is heartbreakingly real, and readers will find themselves deeply connected to his journey of emotional reckoning. The tension between Bo's desire to reconcile with his son and his fear of losing his beloved dog is a poignant reflection of the complexities of ageing and the deep-seated need for connection that doesn’t fade with time.

Through Bo's eyes, we witness the struggle of living a life that feels incomplete and the quiet ache of wanting to say what matters before it’s too late. This is not just a story about a man and his dog; it’s a story of family, of relationships tested by time and distance, and the effort to find peace within the limits of one’s existence. The writing is tender and evocative, capturing the raw emotions that come with ageing, regret, and the pursuit of healing old wounds.

When the Cranes Fly South is a book that stays with you long after the final page. It’s a tale of reflection, love, and the intricacies of life that will resonate with anyone who has ever faced the challenge of making amends or grappling with time. Ridzén has crafted a story that not only touches the heart but also invites deep reflection on what it means to truly live and love. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a heartfelt and thought-provoking read.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

I wanted to love this book with all of my heart but found myself skipping parts of it. Perhaps I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to read something so character based. I did empathise with Bo and the ending was hopeful, I just wanted more to ‘happen’. Other readers will adore this book.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.