Swedish author Fredrick Backman sure struck a chord with his delightful novel 'A Man Called Ove.' I wondered how he could top the character of Ove, the elderly curmudgeon with a secret heart of gold. In 'Beartown,' the main character is not just one person but the town itself, a dying little outpost with not much going for it except for ice and snow and an extremely talented junior hockey team. As the team drives toward the national finals, conflict arises when one of the star players commits a serious crime, as some would see it, or an indiscretion or misunderstanding, as many wanted to see it. The team does its best to go forward but the town becomes divided. A few side with the victim, but most are pulling for the player and the team. At least, that's what it seems at first.
A few years back I reviewed a novel I loved called 'The Art of Fielding,' by Chad Harbach. It was about a college baseball team but not about baseball itself. The same can be written about Beartown. You don't need to know anything about hockey to enjoy the book. I certainly don't. Backman is such a good writer and humanist that you feel you know each of the many characters even though he is writing about a tiny town somewhere in Sweden. If you're like me, you will be on the internet looking for more information about the fate of the citizens even after finishing the book. They won't leave you that easily -- if at all.
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| Cordelia at the Fence |
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| Piggies at the Fence |
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| Cows at the Fence |
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| Cows and Piggies, oh my! |
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| Hail storm at the train station |
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| More hail! |
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| Blue flowers |
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| Pink flowers |
