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A Novel
by Lisa Ridzén
A profoundly moving debut novel that follows an elderly man's struggle to maintain autonomy over his own life: an emotional story of love, friendship, fatherhood, and atonement that is already an international sensation.
Bo is running out of time. Yet time is one of the few things he's got left. These days, his quiet existence is broken up only by daily visits from his home care team. Fortunately, he still has his beloved elkhound Sixten to keep him company … though now his son, with whom Bo has had a rocky relationship, insists upon taking the dog away, claiming that Bo has grown too old to properly care for him. The threat of losing Sixten stirs up a whirlwind of emotion, leading Bo to take stock of his life, his relationships, and the imperfect way he's expressed his love over the years.
What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? (10/09/2025)
I just finished the most wonderful story, When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén. This is the story of Bo, a Swedish man at the end of his life looking back at the people and pets who made him who he is. It's really lovely, but be...
-Evonne_Benedict
What are you reading this week? (8/21/2025)
Recently finished When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén. Wonderful!!
-Gail_K
What are you reading this week? (7/24/2025)
...a O'Connor – Hollywood historical fiction Circling the Sun by Paula McLain – beautiful writing but not what I expected (book club pick) Just started: When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén – loving it so far! The Witch's Orchard by Archer Sullivan – Appalachian atmospheric mystery, really enjoying this debut!
-Mitzi_K
"A powerful, sneakily emotional meditation on life and death, and the foundational relationships in our lives. This is a book that will echo in your soul." —Garth Stein, New York Times bestselling author of The Art of Racing in the Rain
"One of those 'you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll want to buy twenty copies and give them to everyone you love' books." —Fredrik Backman, bestselling author of A Man Called Ove, in The New Yorker
This information about When the Cranes Fly South was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Lisa Ridzén is a doctoral student in sociology, researching masculinity norms in the rural communities of the Swedish far north, where she herself was raised and now lives in a small village outside of Östersund. The idea for her debut novel came from the discovery of notes her grandfather's care team had left the family as he neared the end of his life.
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