My Friends, Fredrik Backman

I love Fredrik Backman, and his new novel “My Friends” reminded me exactly why.

This is a story about life and death, childhood and adulthood — and everything in between. A tribute to art, to life, and to friendship.

In My Friends, Backman once again gives us characters who are a little strange, a little broken — the kind of people most of us pass by without noticing. But somehow, they find each other. And over time, they find people they can proudly call “one of us.” The story begins with Louisa — a teenager who has grown up in foster homes and ends up in an orphanage. Her dream is simple, yet impossible: to see the famous painting “The One with the Sea” by renowned artist C. Jat, a piece sold for millions at auction.

I’ll admit — at the beginning, the stereotypical portrayal of wealthy collectors didn’t quite work for me. But just a few pages later, Backman returns to his familiar voice, and that initial discomfort completely fades.

Louisa doesn’t belong at the auction. She has no plan. But when she finally sees the painting up close, she notices something others don’t — three figures sitting on a pier.

And soon, she is given an unexpected chance to learn the story behind them.

At its core, this is a story about friendship — between Ted, Jat, Ali, and the people who shaped their lives. And also about the quiet, fragile friendship between Louisa and Fish.

“The most dangerous place is inside us.”

That line, written on the back cover, isn’t just a warning — it’s something you should take seriously if you choose to step into their story.

Prepare yourself for both quiet and explicit violence, for pain that lingers. I wouldn’t be surprised if you start drawing parallels with your own childhood, your own friendships. If your 15-year-old self suddenly finds a voice again — one you may not have heard in a long time.

But this is also a story about loss. About death. About the kind of absence that never truly leaves you whole again.

There’s no universal way to deal with grief. But one quote stayed with me:

“Art helps me. Because art is fragile magic, just like love — and those are the only defenses we have against death. The fact that we paint and dance and fall in love — that’s our rebellion against eternity.”

It’s also a story about loneliness. And about the comfort we find in books:

“…In libraries, you don’t have to obey reality. It’s as if thousands of strangers have left their imaginary friends there, and now they sit on the shelves, calling out to you as you pass by.”

I want to say so much more about “My Friends” and Backman, but it’s impossible without revealing too much. And this is a story that deserves to be discovered page by page.

This book is special to me — it came as a gift from a dear friend.

And maybe that’s exactly what it is:

A book you don’t explain.
You feel it.

Happy reading. And if you’ve read Backman — tell me which of his books stayed with you the most.