Welcome to Litsy!

I have to agree with @Suet624 that this was a five star read. Bo is determined to stay independent and do things for himself and his dog despite what his son and daily caregivers say. His beloved wife has already been put into a facility due to her dementia and Bo spends much of his time remembering the past with her, his father, and with his son. This book was so masterfully written that despite knowing what Bo would face I cried like a baby.

Bo is quite elderly and lives alone with caregivers coming and going. His wife lives in a home with other dementia patients. Over the months that we know him we experience his decline. We learn of his relationships with his father and his son as he struggles with memories of his father and anger at his son who is just trying his best to care for his father. His love for his wife is an ever present theme. I could not put this book down. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Folks may remember I‘m attempting to complete my Vermont Independent Bookstore Passport program. While there are a great deal of independent bookstores in Vermont only 20 are part of this program this year. Yesterday I drove 5 hours in total to visit 2 bookstores. One store was in a town I‘d never visited and I spent a good deal of time exploring. I‘ve now gone to 19 stores - one more to go to complete this fantastic adventure.

When the Cranes Fly South, by Lisa Ridzén (2024, transl. 2025)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Premise: A Swedish man struggles to adapt to the increasing humiliations and losses of old age and the well-intentioned meddling of his son.

Review: This is a beautiful book, in its empathetic treatment of elder care and aging with dignity and in its portrayal of masculinity. ⬇️