Us Against You

A Novel

By: Fredrik Backman

Narrated by: Marin Ireland

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove and Beartown returns with an unforgettable novel “about people—about strength and tribal loyalty and what we unwittingly do when trying to show our boys how to be men” (Jojo Moyes).

Have you ever seen a town fall? Ours did.
Have you ever seen a town rise? Ours did that, too.

A small community tucked deep in the forest, Beartown is home to tough, hardworking people who don’t expect life to be easy or fair. No matter how difficult times get, they’ve always been able to take pride in their local ice hockey team. So it’s a cruel blow when they hear that Beartown ice hockey might soon be disbanded. What makes it worse is the obvious satisfaction that all the former Beartown players, who now play for a rival team in the neighboring town of Hed, take in that fact. As the tension mounts between the two adversaries, a newcomer arrives who gives Beartown hockey a surprising new coach and a chance at a comeback.

Soon a team starts to take shape around Amat, the fastest player you’ll ever see; Benji, the intense lone wolf; always dutiful and eager-to-please Bobo; and Vidar, a born-to-be-bad troublemaker. But bringing this team together proves to be a challenge as old bonds are broken, new ones are formed, and the town’s enmity with Hed grows more and more acute.

As the big game approaches, the not-so-innocent pranks and incidents between the communities pile up and their mutual contempt intensifies. By the time the last goal is scored, a resident of Beartown will be dead, and the people of both towns will be forced to wonder if, after everything, the game they love can ever return to something as simple and innocent as a field of ice, two nets, and two teams. Us against you.

Here is a declaration of love for all the big and small, bright and dark stories that give form and color to our communities. With immense compassion and insight, Fredrik Backman—“the Dickens of our age” (Green Valley News)—reveals how loyalty, friendship, and kindness can carry a town through its most challenging days.

Excellent follow up

Such a good book! I loved Bear Town, and this was a perfect sequel. The characters are so well described, you truly feel you know them and can empathize with their lives. I’d 100% recommend this book. Love this narrator also. This is one of those books that I’m sad I finished it! I wanted it to keep going!

All I can say is thank you....

To an amazing author who continues to create amazing places for us to visit and people for us to meet. If you need a recommendation, don’t just read this book read all of his books. Thanks again and keep writing, as Beartown is as amazing as the Grandmother who remind us to apologize. So, Tack.

Oh, my heart!

I got there and didn't want it to end. I just want to move to the forests and go to a hockey game.

I love this series.

I love the second almost as much as the first. great narrator as well. The humanity in each character is absolutely breathtaking.

Not a hockey fan but loved it

First of all Backman writes beautifully—he puts simple words together with understatement and originality. This had more characters and sometimes I lost the “who’s who” of lesser characters but others were drawn deftly. I live in New England where hockey is a big sport that insulates the winter doldrums from unending cold. Whether you care at all about hockey it was a great winter read for me!