Published by Knopf Publishing Group, Vintage Genres: Contempory, Fiction, Literary Fiction
Format: ARC, eBook
“Death is not the opposite of life, but a part of it.” – Haruki Murakami
Stunning in its simplicity, beautiful in its message, heartbreaking in its ending. When the Cranes Fly South is a lovely, sad, and poignant look into an elderly man’s life. It is moving, powerful, heartbreaking, beautifully told, and moving.
Bo is an elderly man whose life is winding down. His wife has Alzheimer’s disease and is a nursing home. Bo spends his days fretting over his beloved dog, Sixten while thinking about his life. He leads a quiet life and his son Hans, has arranged careers for him. They come in daily, prepare his meals, and chart about the notable things which occurred during their shifts. Bo looks forward to his son’s visits but is also worried as Hans wants to find a new home for his dog, Sixten. Bo has difficulty caring for his own basic needs and Hans worries that he can no longer care for his dog as well. Whoever said growing old is not for the weak was not kidding.
Dying is like diving into a deep lake on a hot day. There’s the shock of that sharp, cold change, the pain of it for a second, and then accepting is a swim in reality. But after so many times, even the shock wears off. – Richard Bach
I enjoyed the storytelling in this book. I thought it was very well done. Bo misses his wife and thinks of her often. The author tenderly and compassionately shows how Bo is struggling with activates of daily living. He is a proud man who wants nothing more than to keep his dog, keep his dignity, and keep communicating with those in his life. As he begins to slow down, sleep more, and be able to do less, he reflects on his life and those in it.
“Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal.” -From an Irish headstone”
Such a beautiful book. This is a book that I know will stay with me. It is a book I want to talk through tears about, to share, to give, and to keep. It is a wonderfully written (and translated) book that is moving, heartbreaking, and beautiful. The author showed sensitivity in showing aging, the struggles, the frustrations, the moments of reflection and the letting go.
Highly Recommend.
Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Vintage and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
