When the Cranes Fly South, Lisa Rizden
Any novel that has a dog on the cover always has my attention, so I wanted to see if When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzen would live up to my first impression.
What I didn’t expect was a novel that would echo my own lived experience at that time – or that it would articulate my personal situation and make me understand the importance of listening to those closest to you – in my case, my Dad, as he was about to pass away.
This novel is Bo’s story. He’s an elderly man who lives alone with his dog Sixten; his wife Fredrika is now in a care home and no longer recognises him or his son, Hans. Living alone, his days are filled with visits from the care team who look after him, occasional visits from Hans, phone calls from his best friend Ture and, in the silence, a chance to reminisce about the life he once had, and his relationship with family that he was proud to be part of.
As Bo struggles to maintain his independence and prove he doesn’t need constant interference from outsiders, what becomes obvious is that he is not coping, and Hans is worried. When Hans tries to persuade Bo to give up Sixten, Bo’s determination to keep hold of the life he knows becomes even more acute as the concern of those around him.
What resonated so deeply for me was how Lisa writes perfectly about Bo’s situation and his realisation that his world is coming to an end; and yet, above all else, he only wants to live at home with Sixten by his side. His dependence on others as his physical body no longer cooperates with what his brain wants him to do is challenging for both Bo and Hans; it’s hard seeing someone you love decline so deeply, as the person you have known for so long becomes a shadow of their former selves.
There are not many novels that I want to tell you that you should read, but this is one of them. It is a novel about family, how our history shapes our present, and the many different forms that love can take. This is a beautiful and gentle novel about an honest and relatable man who simply wants to live quietly with his dog, and I won’t ever forget it.
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