William Morrow Press
336 Pages
Sometimes you find a book that is so heartwarming that you want to read it a second time. I did exactly that with The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston. It’s just one of those books that make you feel good when you read it, rooting for the main character even in the most dire of circumstances. Johnston takes her character and leads him through a series of hardships to find his best self.
Frederick Fife is in his eighties and he’s down on his luck. Since the death of his beloved wife, he can barely function. He’s about to be evicted from his apartment. He has no idea where he’ll go, or how he’ll hold onto the precious items left behind by his wife. Out wandering the streets one day, he comes upon a man recently passed away while sitting in his wheelchair out at a park. As he attempts to take the deceased man to his nursing home, he trips, falls, and sends the dead man tumbling down an embankment into the river. As she struggles to his feet, he is rescued by people who believe he was the other man, Bernard Greer, with whom he shared an uncanny resemblance.
When he wakes up the next morning, he finds himself in Bernard’s room at the nursing home. The staff do not know he’s the wrong person. They firmly believe that he’s Bernard. He attempts several times to correct the mistake, but the people at the nursing home refuse to believe him. They believe it’s part of his dementia. Frustrated, Frederick settles into life as Bernard. His mannerisms are much different than the cantankerous Bernard. Some notice this, but enjoy the “new,” happier Bernard.
At the same time, a young girl’s story about her sick sister, her sad mother, and her absentee father is interspersed throughout Frederick’s time as Bernard. As a reader, you think you have that figured out as part of the story, but Johnston throws a curveball into that about halfway through the book. Her inclusion of the little girl’s story into Frederick’s story is simply fantastic. It was a great way to tie the whole story into a messy little bow.
Will Frederick’s real identity be discovered? What happens when it does? As we race towards the end of the book and the action picks up, we feel for all the characters who have been thrown into these circumstances. Anna Johnston writes biographies for these characters that are intense and complicated, just like real life. When the conflicts come to bear, how the characters traverse the craziness is very realistic. The empathy felt for all parties is palpable as we turn the pages, eager for more.
I loved The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston.The characters are rich and engaging. The plot is believable and fun to read. Johnston adds the little girl’s story almost as interlude in the beginning only to have it woven into a major thread in the fabric of the narrative. The humor, the angst, the anger, and the love are realistic emotions felt by all of us. They pull us deeper into the story to where we’re rooting for the characters as if they’re our old friends. It is a magnificent story.
If you get the chance, read The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston.This is Johnston’s first novel. Her debut is magical. I cannot wait for her to write more books. I will be eagerly awaiting her next masterpiece.
Craig Bacon never wants to live in a nursing home, but if he has to, he’ll make it a lot more fun than they’re used to.