A Man Called Ove

The only time Ove was spontaneous was the day he met his wife.  He was finishing his shift on the train he worked on when he glanced out the window and saw her.  He stayed on that train and rode with her to her stop and he did that every day until there first date.

They were as different as night and day.  He was a rule follower.  He saw everything in black and white.  She saw everything in color.  He was quiet.  She was talkative and bubbly.  They say opposites attract.  This is definitely an example of that.

According to him, his life began on the day he met her.  Likewise, in his mind it ended when she died.  He figures the only way to move on is to join her so he meticulously plans his demise.  But fate does not allow this to happen. And so the reader is slowly introduced to Ove and his wife Sonja.

Lately I have been choosing books that have not necessarily appeared on the bestseller list.  I have really enjoyed them.  In all of them, I have loved how the author has developed the characters.  That for me is as important as a good story line.  Ove is on odd bird, an anti-social  curmudgeon and yet one can't help but become attached to him.

This book also strikes me on a personal level.  I met my husband on a train.  He was the outgoing friendly type and I was the reserved and quiet one.  We got on the train in New York City.  In Philadelphia he changed his seat to sit next to me and we were married four months later.  We are as different as night and day. But it works.

So give this book a try A Man Called Ove.  Add it to your reading list and add The Kitchens of the Great Midwest and The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend.