My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman

First off let me say that I love Fredrk Backman's writing style, and while this book isn't as dear to me as A Man Called Ove, I still enjoyed it. And if you haven't read A Man Called Ove, I highly recommend it.

The characters are quirky and real. Elsa is a seven year old genius, but at times the writing of Elsa is a bit off. Sometimes she is brilliant and knows all the grammar rules and sometimes she can't pronounce a word correctly. This was my only hang-up with this book, but I loved her gumption and how she noticed the superpowers of the people around her.

Elsa's grandmother was a woman before her time. She was a surgeon, and often did things to shock people. When she dies, she leaves behind a series of letters apologizing to those she has wronged. She gives the Elsa the task of delivering the letters and describes this as a treasure hunt that goes along with the fairy tales that she and Elsa have shared.

I loved the characters. Backman makes the characters nearly come off the page. I also loved the seven kingdoms of the fairy tales and what they stand for. I'll let you discover that part for yourself, but I made notes in the back of my book about them, and I hope to remember to have all seven kingdoms in my own life in order keep things balanced.

This is a tender story of learning to accept others, to forgive, and to understand self. If you've ever had a complicated relationship with someone you love, you will relate to this story.

Read to a child today even if that child is you.