The Deal of a Lifetime

A Novella

By: Fredrik Backman

Narrated by: Santino Fontana

Length: 47 mins

Publisher's Summary

The number one New York Times best-selling author of A Man Called Ove and Beartown delivers an insightful and poignant holiday novella about a man who sacrificed his family in the single-minded pursuit of success and the courageous little girl fighting for her life who crosses his path.

It all begins with a father telling a story to his son on Christmas Eve. But this isn't your typical Christmas story. The father admits to his son that he's taken a life but he won't say whose - not yet.

One week earlier, in a hospital late at night, the man met a five-year-old girl with cancer. She's a smart kid - smart enough to know that she won't beat cancer by drawing with crayons all day, but it seems to make the adults happy, so she keeps doing it.

As the man tells his son about this plucky little girl, he slowly reveals more about himself: while he may be a successful businessman, idolized by the media and his peers, he knows he failed as a parent. Overwhelmed by the responsibility of fatherhood, he took the easy way out and left his wife and little boy 20 years ago to pursue professional success. Now he is left wondering if it's too late to forge a relationship with his son, who seems to be his opposite in every way - prizing happiness over money, surrounded by loving friends in a cozy town where he feels right at home.

Face to face with the idea that something is missing, the man is given the unexpected chance to do something selfless that could change the destiny of the little girl in the hospital bed. But before he can make the deal of a lifetime, he needs to find out what his own life has actually been worth in the eyes of his son. And so, he seeks him out and tells him this story....

Written with Fredrik Backman's signature humor, compassion, and "knack for weaving tales that are believable and fanciful" (St. Louis Post-Dispatch), The Deal of a Lifetime reminds us that life is a fleeting gift, and our only legacy is how we share that gift with those we love.

©2017 Fredrik Backman (P)2017 Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Novellas Are Horrible!!!!!

I never should have listened to this magically wonderful novella. I hate that it's over and I'll never hear anymore of this beautifully enchanting story. Fredrick Backman, please turn this into a full-length book!!!!!!

Emotional

Nicely written, emotional novella. The story was a bit convoluted initially, but it came together at the end. Loved the narration !

Short but enjoyable. Recommend

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Deal of a Lifetime?

The ending.

What about Santino Fontana’s performance did you like?

Very good performance. You could see what he was saying.

If you could take any character from The Deal of a Lifetime out to dinner, who would it be and why?

The son. I like his simplicity and easiness.

Any additional comments?

Short but really leaves you thinking. Very good

Reflection

Nice story, makes you think about your own life and what you would be willing to give up.

short and sweet

well written and narrated. It makes you think of what matters in life, and what we get caught up in life.

Warning:tear jerker ahead!

I love everything this man writes. He makes me laugh and cry at the same time. His stories leave my heart so full, it feels as if it will burst.

The only Fredrick Backman book I don’t like

I have been, and will continue to be, a huge fan of this author. Have now read four of his books, three of which I love. But not this one. This one felt contrived, and inelegant. It is essentially a twist on the movie It’s A Wonderful Life, and while I appreciate the sentiment expressed I don’t feel the author told the story as well as he could have.

The best part of the book is the introduction to the book in which the author speaks to the circumstances which inspired him to tell the story. That story, is better than the actual story.
The last few sentences of the book are quite moving, but up until then the story did not come close to measuring up to his other works.

F B

I love all of F Backmans books. A dream would be to meet him one day and tell him so. He takes you away but really makes you think about how you are or are NOT living your life.

Moving...tweaks those family heart strings

This short story grabs you and keeps a hold of you until those tears come and go and you feel that sad smile warm you all over before the tears begin again. The sweetness and inevitable love woven throughout the story will move any reader.-Audible 20 Review Sweepstakes Entry

It doesn't work like that . . .

Once again Backman has woven a story that slowly and subtlety opens doors of understanding in our hearts. Here, a man (the story teller) realizes how deeply two different children have captured his heart, and how in very different ways that heart has been changed by them. The question is, does he have the chance to return the favor to either of the children? This powerful little fable may serve as a wake-up call for all of us busy, outcomes oriented grown-ups to maybe have a chance to refocus our priorities before we see a lady in a grey sweater.