Things My Son Needs to Know about the World is a heartfelt collection of essays by Fredrik Backman. Throughout the book the bestselling author offers fatherly advice and reflections on life, love, and parenthood.
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Book Blurb
Things My Son Needs to Know About the World collects the personal dispatches from the front lines of one of the most daunting experiences any man can experience: fatherhood.
As he conveys his profound awe at experiencing all the “firsts” that fill him with wonder and catch him completely unprepared, Fredrik Backman doesn’t shy away from revealing his own false steps and fatherly flaws, tackling issues both great and small, from masculinity and mid-life crises to practical jokes and poop.
In between the sleep-deprived lows and wonderful highs, Backman takes a step back to share the true story of falling in love with a woman who is his complete opposite, and learning to live a life that revolves around the people you care about unconditionally. Alternating between humorous side notes and longer essays offering his son advice as he grows up and ventures out into the world, Backman relays the big and small lessons in life.
Things My Son Needs to Know About the World Review
I’ve always loved Fredrik Backman’s writing and he’s up there as one of my favourite authors of all time. His fiction novels never fail to move me and while I don’t usually read nonfiction, I was keen to read this one.
This book was such a gorgeous read. It’s not often we get such an intimate glimpse into an author’s personal life, and the love Backman has for his son and wife was so heartwarming.
As a parent, I found so much to relate to, including his anxieties, his fears for the future and that deep hope that your child will be happy. It’s full of warmth and wit, balancing laugh-out-loud moments with moments that really highlight the emotions of parenthood.
Reading this book only reinforced why I love his fiction so much. Beyond being a brilliant writer, Backman comes across as a genuinely decent, kind-hearted person.
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