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The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife

A Novel

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The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife

Written by: Anna Johnston
Narrated by: Tim Carroll
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About this listen

A zany case of mistaken identity allows a lonely old man one last chance to be part of a family in this warm, life-affirming debut novel.

“A funny, heartfelt story about found family and seeing the silver lining in life. Fans of Fredrik Backman’s A Man Called Ove and Shelby Van Pelt’s Remarkably Bright Creatures will especially enjoy this new novel.”—Library Journal

“Would you mind terribly, old boy, if I borrowed the rest of your life? I promise I’ll take excellent care of it.”

Frederick Fife was born with an extra helping of kindness in his heart. If he borrowed your car, he’d return it washed with a full tank of gas. The problem is there’s nobody left in Fred’s life to borrow from. At eighty-two, he’s desperately lonely, broke, and on the brink of homelessness.

But Fred’s luck changes when, in a bizarre case of mistaken identity, he takes the place of grumpy Bernard Greer at the local nursing home. Now he has warm meals in his belly and a roof over his head—as long as his poker face is in better shape than his prostate and that his look-alike never turns up.

Denise Simms is stuck breathing the same disappointing air again and again. A middle-aged mom and caregiver at Bernard's facility, her crumbling marriage and daughter's health concerns are suffocating her joy for life. Wounded by her two-faced husband, she vows never to let a man deceive her again.

As Fred walks in Bernard’s shoes, he leaves a trail of kindness behind him, fueling Denise's suspicions about his true identity. When unexpected truths are revealed, Fred and Denise rediscover their sense of purpose and learn how to return a broken life to mint condition.

Bittersweet and remarkably perceptive, The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife is a hilarious, feel-good, clever novel about grief, forgiveness, redemption, and finding family.

©2024 Anna Johnston (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers
Friendship Genre Fiction Literature & Fiction Marriage Funny Witty Heartfelt Feel-Good
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Choose Joy

While doom scrolling my way through the Washington Post or the NYTimes, I came upon a list of feel good books that might serve to lighten a dark mood. I followed a harmless little sale book involving time travel with this 1 credit gem.
Living in Canadian ski country, I've heard the particular Aussie accent many times but the dizzying array of idioms and food was a bit challenging. The plot was contrived and predicable but lovely. Neither book is Booker or Pulitzer material but 2.99 and a credit are infinitely cheaper than a therapist and I feel better.

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