When the Cranes Fly South

I read this book with Methley Book Club and I thought it was absolutely wonderful. The experience of reading it was a rollercoaster of emotions and it was incredibly moving.
I very much related to the story which primarily focuses on Bo, an elderly gentleman, nearing the end of his life, still trying to live independently, despite his body’s frailties but now very much reliant on carers and on his son. Having looked after my own elderly parents, so many aspects of the story - dementia, carers, carers’ daily journal, difficult decisions needing to be made, etc - all felt very familiar.
Bo is the most wonderful character and I adore him. The story is told in his voice as he has “conversations” with his wife who now suffers from dementia and lives in a care home. He talks about his everyday struggles and reminisces about happenings in his life, from childhood. The author beautifully depicts the important relationships in Bo’s life… with his wife, his son, his granddaughter, his beloved dog, his main carer (Ingrid) and with his dear friend, Ture.
I really liked the inclusion of extracts from the daily carers’ journal at regular intervals in the book, giving another perspective on the things that Bo talks about.
There is a Swedish setting in this book but the story is universal and beautifully written. It really touched my heart and I loved it.
Thank you to the publisher and the Reading Agency for copies of the books.

A heartfelt (and slightly tearful!) thank you to Penguin Books and The Reading Agency for the 10 complimentary copies of When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén. What an extraordinary—beautifully written and deeply moving—debut novel.

These free copies gave us a wonderful opportunity to bring together reading groups at Caldicot Library for a shared discussion, which we expanded into a celebratory evening themed around Sweden. Members from three groups—Between the Covers, Bookends, and Novel Lovers—joined us. While the first two groups had already read the book, by the end of the evening the Novel Lovers were equally eager to experience it.

The discussion was incredibly emotional. The novel resonated deeply with so many of us, sparking heartfelt conversations about caring for ageing parents, navigating later life, and the complex relationships between adult children and their families. I can’t recall another book that has created such a strong sense of connection and bonding within a group.

I had some concerns that the subject matter might be too difficult for those who had been recently bereaved. However, the kindness and support within the group created a safe space where people felt able to share their own experiences.

I’ll admit I shed a few tears by the end of the novel —Boo’s story will stay with me for a long time.

For any reading groups looking for activity ideas, our evening also included:
• Book bingo featuring titles from our Reading Group Collection
• A Swedish-themed picture quiz
• Swedish refreshments, including a delicious homemade apple cake
We also had a lot of fun rating our favourite book club reads with a Swedish twist:
• 🍥 Cinnamon bun – a firm favourite
• 🧆 Meatballs – enjoyable, but not quite Dancing Queen standard
• 🐟 Herring – one that left a less pleasant aftertaste

Copy received from Penguin Random House / The Reading Agency in return for an honest evaluation.

When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzen can be read as a didactic tale with global resonance. We are all guilty of being so wrapped up in our own concerns, whether trivial or serious, that we have a tendency to neglect what is actually important. Unfortunately the older we get, the less opportunity we have to remedy this indiscretion by letting our nearest and dearest know how much we love them.

This is the predicament faced by senior citizen, Bo, as he adjusts to his advancing years, worsening physical health and associated loss of independence. The story is polished, persuasive and quite frankly unforgettable. One definitely for your ‘to be read’ shelf. It’s five stars from me. Utterly flawless.

Lucky enough to receive a copy thanks to The Reading Agency and Penguin Random House.

This is a magnificent book dealing with the final months of the life of Bo, the male protagonist. With his wife, a dementia sufferer, now settled in a care home, Bo is noticeably showing signs of increasing mental and physical fragility. In consequence he requires scheduled visits from a rotational group of care workers to lend a hand with even the simplest of his day to day tasks.

Bo ruminates on his present situation and nostalgically on his past with particular emphasis on family, friendship and his dog. Whilst he has many happy memories, Bo has an uneasy conscience and many regrets about missed opportunities to display affection along the way.

The author combines poignancy with lightheartedness in equal measures. She is both introspective and philosophical, scrupulously examining our shared humanity and trajectory towards our inevitable demise. So sad, but true.

I thought this was a well written book.A very good debut novel. I was depressed by the realistic depiction of ageing both on the mind and body. Maybe because it made me reflect on my own ageing and mortality. However, I thought there was a lot of compassion in the book.
I warmed to the main characters in the book.Bo and his son, Ture and most of the carers.
I was impressed by the standard of Swedish home care but was saddened by the fact that such care is not generally available in this country.
The book also reminds us to make sure we tell those we care about that we love them.
Animal lovers will cry.
I cried too as I related to the losses and expression of grief.
This is a book I would recommend to others.
Reader
Methley book group.

Such a beautifully written examination of the end of a life. Another tough but cathartic read. It was so close to home so many times. Ridzen’s writing is honest and heartfelt, avoiding cliche and sentimentalism. An interesting and emotional depiction of male relationships and masculinity, of fathers and sons.

Grateful to The Reading Agency and Penguin Random House for supplying this book.

I was introduced at my Reading Group to ‘When the Cranes Fly South’ by Lisa Ridzen. It was the designated book for discussion at the subsequent meeting and, up to this point, I had neither come across it nor its author. Little did I know what I had been missing. As a dog lover, the sketch of a pooch on the front cover of my edition very much appealed to me, instantly enticing me to open the pages in anticipation of something good.

Bo, the male protagonist, is very elderly and physically not in the best of health. He is reliant predominantly on externally appointed carers, who pop in throughout the day to wash him, cook for him and occasionally exercise his dog. Son, Hans, witnessing his father struggling to cope as well as he used to, proposes finding a new home for Bo’s much cherished pet.

Aside from his care assistants and an old pal, Ture, with whom Bo chats regularly by phone, the dog is his only real companion. Bo is therefore disinclined to let Sixten go without putting up a fight. When not dozing, Bo reflects on his past: his youth, his marriage, his working life and the uncomfortable relationship he has developed with his son.

For me, ‘When the Cranes Fly South’ is a profoundly moving story and a gentle, yet sobering reminder that at the end of the day love is the essence of human existence.

It's been said before about this book but it has to be said again - this is a highly emotional read! Particularly for anyone who has experienced caring for older relatives, this will hit hard. It's nice to read something from a perspective that's not often written; from the person getting older - the main character, Bo, lives alone (with only his dog), with frequent visits from carers and his son. You feel the way he feels, being treated less and less like a human. But nothing is ever overstated or put into simple terms, and true to life, there aren't easy solutions to the deep rooted, complicated feelings and conflicts between family members.

My one (not really) critique would be that it can be quite slow in terms of action, especially at the start when it's really about getting to know Bo through his thoughts and memories. Some of these feelings get replayed maybe one too many times by the midway point of the book, and I was ready for something to change. But then again, this could be intentional, living as Bo lives - waiting for something without knowing quite what that is or when it's coming.

The final message is bittersweet, and ultimately hopeful, but if you - like me - have a tendency to cry, word of warning... you will be in floods by the end.

Copy provided by Penguin Random House supported by The Reading Agency.

When the Cranes Fly South is a novel in translation by Swedish author, Lisa Ridzen. I was initially curious to know the significance of the cranes in the title of the story. Online research led me to discover that, in Scandinavian folklore, cranes are associated with life and the onset of Spring, whilst their migratory departure during the winter months is indicative of darker days ahead and maybe death. It becomes immediately apparent that such symbolism is relevant to the primary character, Bo, a man in his twilight years, who is reminiscing about his own timeline.

Bo’s youth is considered in the family environment where he was cherished by his mother, but seemingly less so by his aloof, macho father. Paternal concerns revolved around the lumber mill where traits of resilience, fortitude and virility were valued in the workplace. Bo’s marriage and the childhoods of his son and granddaughter are also considered. Hans catching his first fish and his habit of pulling on his own earlobe are recalled affectionately. Ellinor liked dressing up as a bumblebee. There was joy in remembering his wife, Fredrika, collecting wild flowers. Sadly, Bo’s relationship with his son becomes distant and spiky in adulthood.

The premise of the story is the ageing process and its challenges for bodily and mental health. This is not only the case for Bo, but also his wife with dementia and his old friend, Ture. When Hans threatens to separate Bo from his pet dog, Sixten, Bo is faced with the bleak prospect of having nothing essentially to live for. His carers witness and record Bo’s limited diurnal activities and degeneration. To an aged person I would imagine this novel would not be the most pleasant of reads, but its format, content and pace are perfected by Ridzen. I would award it a comfortable five stars accordingly.

Thank you to Penguin Random House and The Reading Agency for supplying this insightful book to me.

When the Cranes Fly South has been firmly shelved in one of my most unforgettable books of all time category. It has also become my current word of mouth recommendation. Fans of realistic fiction who haven’t read this are really and truly missing out.

You are introduced to an octogenarian, Bo, who is grappling with a lack of control over his own life as his ageing body slowly deteriorates. Bo is an immediately likeable character for whom compassion is unavoidable as he endeavours to undertake physical tasks that were formerly second nature to him. He resents being prevented from thinking and acting independently as his son and team of visiting carers impose their decisions on his daily existence from the routine timing of taking a shower, the type of bed in which he should sleep to the contentious rehoming of his beloved dog. To Bo, it feels one-sided and inequitable.

In addition to his complex relationship with Hans, his son, Bo is trying to come to terms with his wife’s cognitive decline and placement in residential care. He reflects on their marriage and holds imaginary conversations with her as if she were still present. Aspects of the past are a constant source of regret for Bo. Whilst he loves his family intensely, his upbringing influenced and prevented him from expressing and demonstrating his inner feelings. With time ticking rapidly by, Bo is plagued by thoughts that perhaps it is too late to make amends.

Ridzen’s tale is engrossing and sentimental. It is hard not to consider simultaneously your own mortality and examine your conscience as we, too, inevitably age. To what extent can autonomy be maintained and yet comfortably aligned with social care and welfare? It is a thorny issue!

Courtesy of The Reading Agency and Penguin Random House.

Set in rural Sweden, this book recounts the story of an old man looked after in his own home by a succession of carers. Everyone has an opinion about his welfare and what he should and shouldn’t do, including what should happen to his dog, Sixten. Son, Hans, wants the dog to be rehomed irrespective of his father’s wishes and need for companionship.

This is a profoundly moving novel related by Bo in a one-sided, at times dreamlike conversation with his wife, Fredrika, in her pre-dementia era. Bo reminisces about his boyhood, his marriage and camaraderie with workmate, Ture. As Bo becomes weaker with age, his frustration is palpable as he grapples with his changed circumstances, dependency and ignominy.

Witnessing Bo’s cognitive decline is admittedly depressing as is his anguish at parting from his dog. He reconciles himself, however, to his progressive estrangement from Hans, who has forged ahead with his own path in life often against his father’s will, and embraces a spirit of forgiveness.

Ridzen’s prose is frank and sincere in its addressing of physical frailty and mortality. She manages to weave the highs and lows of family relationships into her narrative with consummate ease and is equipped to tackle the suggestion of Ture’s homosexuality sympathetically. Whilst acknowledging that “When the Cranes Fly South” is a heavy and sombre read, its intrinsic value is its credibility. It is a book that should be sought out for an insight into the biology of ageing. In my opinion, it is a remarkable read.

With thanks to The Reading Agency and publisher, Penguin Random House, for my copy.

Look no further for a tear-jerking read than Swedish author, Lisa Ridzen’s, finely crafted and exquisite novel ‘When the Cranes Fly South’.

Stuck at home mulling over his longstanding memories with only his steadfast buddy, Sixten, an elkhound, for company, Bo is approaching the final phase of his life. With wife, Fredrika, an Alzheimer’s patient, now in residential care, Bo’s paternal relationship with son, Hans, is becoming increasingly fraught. When Hans decides it is time for Sixten too to be rehoused, a conflict of interests arises and Bo fiercely resists this imposition despite his evident frailty.

Ridzen exposes compassionately the complications of the ageing process, the indignity of reliance on a third party social care system and the inevitable role reversal of parent and child responsibilities. This story is both powerful and memorable in the extreme. None of its bittersweet qualities appear to be lost in translation. I would rate it 4 stars out of 5.

Issued by Penguin Random House Publishers and promoted by The Reading Agency.

When you begin to read Lisa Ridzen’s novel, you had better strap yourself in for an emotional rollercoaster of a ride. It left me wrecked.

The main character of this story is the aged Bo, who more or less subsists, literally depending on home visit carers for his existence. With only his dog for companionship, Bo has little else to occupy him but his thoughts which inevitably dwell on the past. He focuses on his impersonal behaviour towards and the consequences of decisions he has made in respect of Hans, his son, with whom he now has a dysfunctional relationship. Bo’s mental distress and brooding heighten when he is coerced by Hans to relinquish Sixten, his precious dog.

Alternating Bo’s flashbacks of past events with the present day is a highly effective and impactful tool employed by the author. This is intensified by the carers’ routine documenting of Bo’s debilitation, meandering reasoning and conduct. Overall, this is a charming narrative that I would implore everyone to read.

Provided by Penguin Random House and The Reading Agency.

When the Cranes Fly South, a Swedish novel by Lisa Ridzen and translated into English by Alice Menzies, tackles a range of highly charged themes, all of which make a deep and lasting impression. Every issue raised is universally understandable and tragic in its scope.

Exposed to a first person stream of consciousness narrative of the central character, Bo, the reader is obliged to consider the implications of old age, the gradual loss of faculties and independent living. The challenges of an end of life social care package are also highlighed in the daily records of his support staff, who tussle with Bo over nutrition, bathing and personal safety.

A once capable and impassive man, Bo has buried his feelings for so long that he is unable to articulate affection for his son nor bridge the gulf that has divided them since adolescence.

What I liked most about this book was its authenticity: the comfortable companionship of a dog, the benevolence of an enduring friendship. Each snippet of Bo's life is drip fed in a way which provokes reader curiosity to learn more. It is an affecting diary of events which surreptitiously mesmerises you. Be warned, however, this is not a story for the fainthearted.

A beautifully written story which will touch your heart and probably make you cry.

Bo is an elderly man facing the end of his life with the support of his care team and his son Hans and his dog Sixten and phone calls with his friend Ture, his beloved wife Frederika is in a dementia care home and he misses her terribly. He is especially angry at his son because he wants to remove Sixten because Bo is unable to care for the dog appropriately.

Lisa Ridzen crafts the tension in the memories and in the present extremely well and the reader is drawn in by the scenes invoked of rural Sweden and the hard physical life of the working man at that time supported by the traditional stay at home wife. Bo’s father did not understand him and Bo does not understand his father and their relationship is marred by a streak of anger in them both. Bo has this anger towards Hans, especially because of Sixten, and although he wants to make peace with Hans the words get stuck in the anger and his inability to speak of feelings. The softer emotional sides were left to the women - they do it better.

The dilemma that many families have to cope with in caring for elderly parents and the angst that this causes for the elderly is sensitively handled by Ridzen and the reader feels for and understands all the protagonists point of view.

I also liked the chapters being interspersed with the comments from the carers some of whom are more emotionally empathetic than others and Bo responds accordingly but he doesn’t have the energy or strength to protest when he feels he should. The carers in rural Sweden must drive miles!

I loved it and I heartily recommend this book as it rich with sadness but also compassion and joy.

Thank you to the Reading Agency for providing copies to The Methley Book Group.

I loved the pace of this book. Gentle prose dealing with a sensitive subject. The writer has a no nonsense attitude to growing old and looks at the age old problem of dealing with family members at the end of their lives. Beautiful, calming novel.

Provided by Penguin Random House and The Reading Agency

It is challenging to know where to begin in reviewing such a poignant, multifaceted story. Each strand of the narrative is so carefully and sympathetically crafted that you cannot help but become more and more invested in the characters and the plights of the key individuals.

At first sight, this tale centres wholly around Bosse ‘Bo’ Andersson, a housebound old man who life is restricted by infirmity and whose daily interactions involve his loyal and constant companion, elkhound Sixten, a succession of carers who pop in and out at various intervals throughout the day and a friend from work, Ture Lindman, with whom Bo converses by phone and who is similarly now aged and fully dependent on the care of others.

Bo’s circumstances tug on the heartstrings of the reader as his son, Hans, with whom he has a strained relationship in adulthood, is seeking to rehome Sixten for the welfare and physical safety of his father. Such a step would leave an already vulnerable and lonely Bo even more emotionally bereft at a time when he is still trying to come to terms with residential separation from his mentally declining wife, Fredrika.

On another level, Ridzén explores the concept of masculinity. Bo’s father, a cruel man who was not inclined to outward displays of affection for his son, was also of sawmill employed stock. The working environment had been one of independence, manual labour and shows of strength. It comes as no surprise that Hans did not follow in his father’s footsteps post university, instead pursuing a white-collar career which disproportionately preoccupies him. Ture, a newcomer to the district, held a management position at the sawmill and has a closet history, which is never explicitly stated but is in all probability homosexual in nature. This is a tricky state of affairs for Ture’s assimilation and acceptance in such a testosterone-filled and conservative rural community.

The tale is presented in an almost journalesque format sandwiched between the official domestic reports of the carers on Bo’s quotidian mood, feeding and ablutions schedule and canine related incidents. In many respects Bo could be visualised as akin to a kept dog himself, which is very sad indeed. For anyone who has experienced operating in a caring capacity of an older person particularly at familial level, the accuracy of Ridzén’s description of resistance, resentment, temperamental swings and the realism of incontinence, hygiene and nutritional issues is remarkable and somewhat unsettling. Ridzén essentially creates pure pathos, succeeding in making Bo’s reactions entirely understandable and causing a pause for thought for the reader.

So, questions remain for the purposes of intrigue. Will Bo be reconciled with his son, Hans? If his beloved Sixten is removed, can Bo have a meaningful existence? Can Bo make sense of his past, present and future? As he frequently resorts to sentimentality by sniffing a jar containing his wife’s scarf for her associated scent and reflects longingly on family photos, it is hard not to love Bo. It is hoped, as the figure of the priest suggests, that everything will indeed be alright in the end. This is five star read, well worthy of the thorough endorsements of authors, Jacqueline Wilson, Richard Osman and Fredrik Backman, which appear on the front cover of my edition of the book. I would happily recommend to anyone too.

A book I was somewhat apprehensive about reading as I personally enter my 70th year. Was this all going to be too close to home? The prospect of ageing, illness, dementia, losing one’s independence and being left with only memories and perhaps regrets ?

However whilst undoubtedly a sad, emotional and accurate portrayal of the main character, 89 year old Bo’s, gradual deterioration and the indignities of ill health as one ages, the book is never mawkish or over sentimentalised but rather a gentle, caring and touching account written with sympathy, tenderness and insight.

The young Swedish author’s debut novel is written from her own personal experience of an ageing grandparent and based on notes left by carers and family members .The author was apparently also interested in exploring the experience of masculinity in families in Northern rural areas of Sweden and how the inability to express feelings and communicate honestly is often passed across the generations from grandfather, to father to son.

The action of the book takes place over a few short months, between May and October, at the end of the main protagonist, Bo’s, life. He speaks throughout to his wife Frederika who suffers from dementia and has been in a care home for some time past. He reflects on his childhood, his relationship with his parents, his working life in a local saw mill, his long lasting friendship with a gay friend Ture, his marriage, fatherhood and his current relationship with his team of daily carers and his son Hans. Throughout he is more or less confined to a daybed and the bathroom in his marital home although his love for his close companion, his dog Sixten, carries him through and comforts him but ultimately causes conflict as he becomes increasingly frail and unable to take his dog out for his daily walks in the surrounding woods. The decision of his son to re-home the dog is a bone of contention and one that causes distress to Bo as does his inability to fully express his love for his son. The book explores his troubled relationship with his own violent father as well his struggles to communicate with his son.

A friend who has worked professionally in end of life care recommended the book as one all of us should read perhaps in relation to the needs of our own ageing relatives.It is a book that will stay with me and I think will cause the reader to shed a tear or two it is written with such gentle sympathy and simplicity. It’s a remarkable and realistic insight into a stage of life which we will all inevitably come to experience at some point and it highlights the issues this presents to the ageing and ill individual and their families as physical and mental abilities may deteriorate. It demonstrates the need to offer dignity, love and respect for the inner life and personality of the individual as they approach death.

Many thanks to The Reading Agency for supplying our book group , The Hythe Remainers, with copies of the book.