My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry: A Novel

Written by Fredrik Backman

Narrated by Joan Walker

A charming, warmhearted novel from the author of the New York Times bestseller A Man Called Ove.

Elsa is seven years old and different. Her grandmother is seventy-seven years old and crazy—as in standing-on-the-balcony-firing-paintball-guns-at-strangers crazy. She is also Elsa’s best, and only, friend. At night Elsa takes refuge in her grandmother’s stories, in the Land-of-Almost-Awake and the Kingdom of Miamas, where everybody is different and nobody needs to be normal.

When Elsa’s grandmother dies and leaves behind a series of letters apologizing to people she has wronged, Elsa’s greatest adventure begins. Her grandmother’s instructions lead her to an apartment building full of drunks, monsters, attack dogs, and old crones but also to the truth about fairy tales and kingdoms and a grandmother like no other.

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry is told with the same comic accuracy and beating heart as Fredrik Backman’s bestselling debut novel, A Man Called Ove. It is a story about life and death and one of the most important human rights: the right to be different.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Jun 16, 2015
• ISBN: 9781442389557

Fredrik Backman

Fredrik Backman is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry, Britt-Marie Was Here, Beartown, Us Against You, Anxious People, The Winners, and My Friends, as well as two novellas and one work of nonfiction. His books are published in more than forty countries. He lives in Stockholm, Sweden, with his wife and two children. Connect with him on Facebook and X @BackmanLand and on Instagram @Backmansk.

Reviews for My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry

[asmbdr95 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An absolute beautiful and moving piece of art from the remarkable Fredrick Backman. Won’t regret reading it.

[CamilaRavagnani · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is brilliant! The story filled my heart and made me eager to get to know all the other characters.

[Shannon · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Incredible. Fredrik Backman has managed to do it again. This book is definitely one of the best ones I have ever read. It is full of sorrow, grief, happiness, laughter, anger and so many others. This book manages to show what it is like losing someone so dear to you. From the eyes of a little girl you get to feel the anger, hatred and sadness that she is feeling whilst watching her mother deal with loss and grief. You get to witness her path to forgiveness and see her start to love and move on. This book had me laughing, sobbing, and screaming and yelling. I highly recommend.

[Kim Featherstone · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Love this author! Builds great characters. Writes about serious subjects with a little laughter, humility and understanding of life.

[Gemi Brown · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book, but if it's possible, I loved the narration *even more*. This is the best job narrating I've ever heard! I can't recommend it enough. You'll laugh (a lot), but you'll cry some too.

[Becki Basley · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My grandmother asked me to tell you she’s sorry by Fredrik Backman
(Scribd)
I had hesitated to read this book because even though I loved Ove in a man called Ove. It took me a while to finish it. This book, however, got me hooked on the first paragraph! So many moments of laughing out loud and few moments of tears. And a beautiful tale of a Young Girl on a quest from her late Grandmother that introduces her more people who love her. I cant recommend this book highly enough! I absolutely loved it!

[Olivia Absher · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

i full on sobbed at the end of this book but it was absolutely worth the read as most fredrick bachman books tend to be. will make you laugh and cry and think about grief and new chapters in our lives.

[8subhendub · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The story is touching and funny at the same time. kudos to the narrator, for bringing in so much color in her narration with variation in voices and expressions. Eleven hours very well spent. Another lovely writing by the author after A man called Ove.

[Stephanie Douglass · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Too slow and too long of a story. Not what I had expected from Backman after the Beartown series or Ove or Anxious People.

[shiela s rozich · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is truly a 4 1/2 stars. A cathartic read (listen), had me chuckling and crying throughout.

[June Bergemann · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely love his writing. It's a thinking book. Gets to the heart of what matters!!!

[Alma Quillian · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I tried to get into it.I read about half way through and then had to admit I just wasn't enjoying it. I found it too depressing and dark to continue. I'm sure eventually there was a wonderful ending. I just wasn't willing to torture myself getting there. Frederick is a great writer...this just didn't appeal to me

[Mandi Skinner · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved everything about this book! I highly recommend it!

[Melissa Ellis · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

OK so I have a love-hate relationship with these books by this author. They are tedious at times with some annoying characters but I also end up crying with the poignancy he creates.

[Heather Lilly · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved this so much. Even by Backman standards I thought this was exceptional.

[Tanner Zimmerman · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wowsa!! So good. Sometimes a story sneaks up on you & you're hooked.

[hanneri_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is truly a gem. So thoughtfully told through the eyes of 'an almost eight year old'. I really enjoyed this book. Told through the eyes of Elsa. She and Granny are very close and when Granny dies, Elsa is devastated. Granny has left her letter to deliver which are Granny telling that person she is sorry. Slowly Elsa learns things about Granny, her family and everyone who lives in the house. This is beautifully written and well worth the read.

[Amy Fortin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fantastic! I loved all the characters. Elsa is a superhero too!

[Melinda Mckinsey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Magical and inspiring. I’m going to order the hard copy as I want these words in my house so I can share them.

[Alaska Kuntz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved this book. The characters all had their place and fit in in their own unique way. It obviously had a few sad moments, but it was well worth it. Such a cute story.

[Eric Sypes · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another charming story about a misfit. Thoughtful, deep and lol funny.

[Lourdine Skillin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It is a heartfelt story of with real emotion. I definitely recommend.

[Jean DiGiacomo · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely whimsical, delightful and profound. I loved every single thing about it. Can’t go wrong with this author. I also adored the narration!!

[Dawn Reinard · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A wonderful book and narrated with lots of love ?

[starla stokes · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This author and narrator are perfectly blended to make the characters come alive.

[Mariluz · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I read the whole book and was confused between the real and imaginary world all the time. It was hard to understand who was who and the things that happened (and when they happened).

[Nia Spencer · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the best he’s written. And he’s written some awesome books. This tugs your heartstrings, makes you laugh out loud and causes you to reconsider some aspects of your life. What else can you ask from a novel? Wholeheartedly recommend.

[Terresa Salter · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Charming and great fun! I read Beartown first and I enjoyed hearing Brit Marie’s back story in this book

[Hermes · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Delightful, smiled while listening.

Narration: 3.5/5, a mixed bag. The narrator is female, which fits the main three characters, but aesthetically I don't like most female voices. And she has a strong British accent which affects intelligibility on my laptop with its cheap built-in speaker. But worse, she consistently goes from loud to whispers. Yet, the emotional quality of her voice is brings to life the old lady.
Writing: 4/5, though I barely noticed (which is maybe a good thing)
Content: 5/5, thoroughly charming story
Conclusion: will read more from this author

[Cathy McDavid · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I loved A Man Called Ove by the same author. This book was different. I had trouble relating to the child protagonist, who didn't act much like a child, and all the fairy tales. I found the book, while we'll written, dragged at times.