Vacations are the perfect time to catch up on some reading. During our Italian trip I was able to finish this touching book, A Man Called Ove, by Fredrik Backman. He’s the first Swedish author I’ve read and I heard a lot about this book while living here in Sweden.

The story is about a seemingly old cranky man named Ove, who at first you think is just a grumpy old man complaining about everything in life, but as the story develops you learn the life lessons he’s had to endure, the love and the loss and all the things in between. He displays certain characteristics of someone with OCD as he is very much a routine type of person that doesn’t like change, but when a bubbly in-your-face pregnant Iranian neighbor moves in with her Swedish husband and 2 children, Ove’s life take a sudden and surprising turn. Other neighbors are involved in the story, but it’s this odd friendship that develops between 2 very different people that is really beautiful.

The only thing I wish happened more throughout the book was the brief moments that you connected with Ove’s softer side. When he would think about the memories of his wife, you wanted more stories and more feelings. A lot of times it would end short and abruptly. It left you wanting to understand more about the relationship and more about this man.

Overall, I give this book a solid 7 out of 10. It was a quick and easy read with some high points, but I really wanted some more emotion and feeling. I wanted to ball my eyes out crying and all it left me was misty eyed.