Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

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This month’s book recommendation from Great Thoughts, Great Readers

Anxious People: A Novel by Fredrik Backman

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove comes a poignant, absorbing novel about a crime that never took place, a would-be bank robber that vanishes into thin air, and eight overly anxious strangers that find they are more alike than they ever imagined.

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When a failed bank robber bursts in and takes a group of strangers hostage, an open house for an apartment becomes a life-or-death situation. The captives are an interesting combination of people: A recently retired couple who obsessively hunt down fixer-uppers to ignore the painful truth that they can’t fix their own marriage. A wealthy bank director who’s too busy to care about anyone but himself. A young couple about to have their first child but can’t seem to agree on anything. An eighty-seven-year-old woman fearful of the bank robber who waves a gun in her face. A flustered but always ready-to-make-a-deal real estate agent. And finally, a man of mystery who locks himself in the apartment’s only bathroom. It’s the worst group of hostages ever.

Each of the hostages carries a lot of baggage and none of them are exactly who they appear to be. All of them—the bank robber included— crave some sort of rescue. These reluctant allies reveal surprising truths about themselves when the authorities and the media surround the premises – setting off an altogether unexpected chain of events.

Fredrik Backman’s “pitch-perfect dialogue and an unparalleled understanding of human nature” (Shelf Awareness) makes Anxious People a brilliantly constructed story about the power of friendship, forgiveness, and hope—the things that save us, even in the most difficult times.

About GREAT THOUGHTS, GREAT READERS founder, Andrea Peskind Katz

Andrea Peskind Katz runs Great Thoughts, Great Readers, a Book Salon presented via her private FB group where approximately 5000 prolific readers and authors interact. She also founded Greatthoughts.com, a lifestyle website blog focusing on Great Books and Great Travel. To quote Robert Frost, she created her “second act” career to “unite my avocation and my vocation”. After 20 years in high pressure sales, Andrea retired to spend time doing what she loves best: hanging with her family, reading good books