This is a book review of the story of a group of teenagers whose friendship during the summer they were 14-years-old creates a bond so powerful that it changes the life of another teenager twenty-five years later. The book is called “My Friends” by Fredrik Backman.
Synopsis of My Friends
Eighteen-year-old Louisa is an aspiring artist raised in foster care who lacks a plan for her future, having never been provided with a stable foundation to build upon. As the story begins, Louisa’s immediate thoughts involve sneaking into an art exhibit and auction to take a close look at a famous painting she has always admired. For many years she has had a postcard picturing this painting and longs to see the work in person.
Most people think the painting is just a depiction of the sea. But Louisa, as an artist herself, knows otherwise. She has observed three tiny figures sitting at the end of a long pier and would dearly love to learn the story behind it.
As she approaches the painting for a close look, the beautifully dressed rich people attending the auction notice her shabby clothes and know she doesn’t belong. She is chased out and finds herself around at the back of the building where she meets a man who has been standing there. Unbeknown to Louisa, the man is the artist of that famous painting she has just been viewing. They end up talking about art and then start drawing artwork on the side of the building. The artist (who is dying) is soon taken off by a friend who came to find him, and Louisa leaves.
A few weeks later, the friend who escorted the artist back inside the art auction locates Louisa and gives her the painting left to her by the artist when he died. The artist told his friend why he wanted her to have the painting ~ “because she’s one of us”.
Louisa soon begins a journey cross-country that becomes full of surprises as she learns how the painting came to be. As she arrives at the site of the painting’s beginnings, she discovers how a complete stranger’s life 25 years ago has now changed her life forever.
The 'Before"....
The beginning those 25 years ago involved four teenagers who spent the summer of their 14th year in a distant seaside town taking refuge from their unhappy home lives. They spend the long summer days on an abandoned pier telling silly jokes, sharing secrets and finding reasons to dream, love and even get up each morning. The painting is born from the desire to find something better in their lives.
Summary
The story of the painting from its beginning 25 years ago to the end of its journey depicts the timeless power of friendship and art.
An unforgettable, funny, and deeply moving tale told by an author whose words continue to amaze anyone who has read any of his previous works. Fredrik Backman was already well known for his works of “The Man Called Ove” and “My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry”.
My Friends is a testament to cherished memories, hope, and the quiet miracle of how far a young person can go when fueled by the unwavering belief of another. This is a ‘Friendship Fiction' and 'Coming-of-Age' heartwarming story focusing on the bonds of friendship.
“The world is full of miracles, but none greater than how far a young person can be carried by someone else’s belief in them.”
~Fredrik Backman quote from ‘My Friends’
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*Book Review of “My Friends” was written by Wednesday Elf
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