And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer

A Novella

By: Fredrik Backman

Narrated by: David Morse

Length: 1 hr and 9 mins

Publisher's Summary

The New York Times best-selling author of A Man Called Ove, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry, and Britt-Marie Was Here offers an exquisitely moving portrait of an elderly man's struggle to hold on to his most precious memories and his family's efforts to care for him - even as they must find a way to let go.

"Isn't that the best of all life's ages, an old man thinks as he looks at his grandchild, when a boy is just big enough to know how the world works but still young enough to refuse to accept it?"

Grandpa and Noah are sitting on a bench in a square that keeps getting smaller every day. The square is strange but also familiar, full of the odds and ends that have made up their lives: Grandpa's work desk, the stuffed dragon that Grandpa once gave to Noah, the sweet-smelling hyacinths that Grandma loved to grow in her garden.

As they wait together on the bench, they tell jokes and discuss their shared love of mathematics. Grandpa recalls what it was like to fall in love with his wife, what it was like to lose her. She's as real to him now as the first day he met her, but he dreads the day when he won't remember her.

Sometimes Grandpa sits on the bench next to Ted, Noah's father - Ted who never liked math, prefers writing and playing guitar, and has waited his entire life for his father to have time for him, to accept him. But in their love of Noah, they have found a common bond.

Grandpa, Grandma, Ted, and Noah all meet here, in this peculiar space that is growing dimmer and more confusing all the time. And here is where they will learn to say good-bye, the scent of hyacinths in the air, nothing to fear.

This little book with a big message is certain to be treasured for generations to come.

©2016 Fredrik Backman. All rights reserved. (P)2016 Simon & Schuster

Comprehension:Compassion

This seems to me to be Backman's driving idea, and it infuses all his books with warmth. He always delivers the particular joy of finally understanding a conundrum.

More than all the many articles I've sought answers from, this short tale helped me grasp what dementia is and how I might respond to it in others, and eventually, perhaps. myself.

Heartbreakingly Perfect

Where does And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I can't rank it, because it didn't feel like an audiobook. It felt like a spirit and a prayer and a heartache. Depending on where you are in your life it will either be perfect, poignant, or possibly fearful as you think about the loss of a loved one.

What was one of the most memorable moments of And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer?

It was so brief they are all memorable. Equally powerful when the grandfather recounts how much he misses his wife, as well as when Noah is the one supporting his grandfather.

Which character – as performed by David Morse – was your favorite?

The narrator was perfect. I suppose the grandson Noah was my favorite, but it was because he embodied the spirit of his grandfather.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

The road home

Any additional comments?

It will be an hour of your life you that you will likely always remember. Highly recommend.

Gives so much in such a short time!

This story is so poignant, and in such a small amount of time conveys the confusion, pain, and hopefulness one goes through dealing with loved ones with dementia/Alzheimer's. It says in the forward that initially this wasn't meant to be a story. From my understanding, it was the author's way of writing out and dealing with aging and changes in loved ones, trying to make what sense of it if he could. That message makes the entire story so much more bittersweet. Such a huge and painful idea laid out in such a touching way was brilliant and cathartic for me (of course, I cried). This will especially touch those who have experienced anything close to this situation. This author shares at such depth in this and A Man Called Ove. I look forward to the other two books I haven't read yet. David Morse's narration was superb.

Wise, amazing story

I love Fredrik Backman's books in general, but this latest book, a novella, totally captured me. It's difficult to describe because it doesn't have a classic plot, but it's about aging and how we change as we age and how the people who love us continue to love us even when our memories fade and shift. It's a very short book, so I listened to it twice in one evening, and my husband read a Kindle copy in one sitting, and we were both totally drawn into it. I'll read it again later and recommend it to people I care for. It's truly a novel that helps the changes we'll all go through as we change. A wonderful book.

If you know anyone that is getting older.

This is a wonderful short story for anyone that is getting older or knows someone who is. The story is both happy and somewhat sad however the truth rings out. Love, life, loss and more love are life and they are all contained within. Smell the sunshine and the water.

Simply beautiful.

Loved it! I wish I could change so many things...... I hope I did some things right. But then again I did the best I knew how to do at the time. And so did you.

A heart breaking & beautiful novella ❤️

This is one of the select few books I listen to more than once. It will ALWAYS remain on "[my] device."

touching goodbye

I am never disappointed by this author. Every time I read one of his books, my faith in human kind is renewed.

Beautiful! Simply beautiful.

A story of love and remembering. Of joy and sadness. Of peace and of kindness. Beautiful explanation of the loss of Alzheimer's.

such a phenomenal writer

I love everything I've read from this auther, each story brings deep felt and varied emotion.