Quando os pássaros voam para o sul

by Lisa Ridzén, Guilherme da Silva Braga (Translator)

Bo mora em uma pequena cidade na Suécia cercada por florestas, neve e um silêncio que parece eterno. Aos 84 anos, sozinho desde que a esposa foi transferida para uma casa de repouso, ele depende das visitas de uma equipe de cuidadores e agarra-se aos pequenos gestos que o ajudam a conservar sua autonomia, principalmente passear com Sixten, seu cão fiel.
Até que seu filho, Hans, insiste que ele já não é capaz de cuidar do animal e decide levar o cachorro embora. É neste momento que Bo percebe que está prestes a perder algo essencial. O cão não é apenas companhia, mas seu último vínculo concreto com uma vida inteira de afetos, perdas e lutas.
A ameaça leva Bo a colocar em perspectiva todo o seu passado: o amor profundo por Fredrika, a amizade longeva com Turee a relação conflituosa com o próprio pai. Entre as memórias e um presente cada vez mais restrito, ele é levado a refletir sobre autonomia, dignidade e o direito de decidir até o fim.
Quando os pássaros voam para o sul é um romance comovente e preciso, que capta com sensibilidade a realidade do envelhecimento e da despedida. Lisa Ridzén constrói um delicado retrato humano, lembrando-nos de que vale lutar por aquilo que dá sentido à nossa existência até o último dia.

Genres: Fiction, Audiobook, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Book Club, Sweden, Family

256 pages, Paperback

First published August 5, 2024

About the author

Lisa Ridzén (b.1988) is a doctoral student in sociology, researching masculinity norms in the rural communities of the Swedish far north, where she herself was raised and now lives in a small village outside of Östersund. The idea for her heartrending debut When the Cranes Fly South came from the discovery of notes her Grandfather’s care team had left the family as he neared the end of his life. She began penning the novel whilst attending Långholmen Writer’s Academy.

Reviews

[Farda Hus · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

I ugly cried. Damn, this was so sad and felt so real.

This book made me feel so vulnerable as a human. It made me think about my parents getting older, about my future self if I grow old. Would I be like that? Wearing a nappy, unable to shower alone and would my kids still visit me? It made me so conscious of how fragile humans are, how much we depend on love and care.

It also made me think about all the things I should say to my parents, to my children, before it’s too late. How much I love them. How much they mean to me. Because someday, there won’t be time for those words.

The story was beautiful and bittersweet. I really felt Bo—his helplessness with age, unable to do anything without help, watching as everything he loved slipped away. But the way he loved his wife, it hit me so hard. The way he mentioned her as “you” made it so personal, so intimate, like she was still right there with him, even as everything else faded. It broke me.

And Hans... I understood him so well too. As a child, there’s always that gnawing feeling, worrying about your parents getting older, wanting to give them the best you can, yet knowing you can’t stop time. It all felt so real, so raw, like it was written straight from life.

This was my first read of the year, and what a beautiful way to start 2025.

Note: Thank you to the author and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor publishing for this ARC.

[JanB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eight years ago I spent a couple of years volunteering at hospice with my two sweet therapy dogs.

One exercise in my hospice training was when we wrote down 10-12 things that were important to us on slips of paper. One by one, we had to choose which one to remove.

The devastation I felt as each slip of paper was removed was visceral and heartbreaking. I was in tears. One by one everything I loved and cared for was removed.

This is what it’s like for many of our elderly and/or terminally ill. Slowly, they lose everything that is precious and important to them.

Bo is 89, living in Sweden. His wife has Alzheimer’s and is in a home. He needs carers to manage his activities of daily living.

He has his faithful dog, Sixten, who his son, Hans, is trying to take from him because he doesn’t think Bo can properly care for him. (He’s not wrong)

Bo struggles to find control over his life. He reminisces about his long life, growing up in the home he lived in as a child, his angry controlling father, his loving mother, his loving wife, his lifetime friendship with Ture, and his son Hans, who he’s had a complicated relationship with.

Bo wants nothing more than to have a measure of control over his life. The indignities of old age are very apparent as he struggles to maintain control while his son attempts to protect him.

Just as his relationship with his dad was complicated, so too is his relationship with his son. Bo has clarity over the mistakes he’s made with his son and wants to repair their relationship before it’s too late.

Each chapter ends with the carer’s note which give us, the reader, a glimpse into Bo’s reality.

I’ve navigated these years with my in-laws and my parents. This is a raw and realistic look at aging and watching someone you love struggle with what the mind wants vs their physical abilities.

Bo’s rich inner life doesn’t match what his carers and his son see. The dichotomy is poignant and heartbreaking, but also a reminder that while our human bodies may fail, our minds, our spirits remain young and we who are carers, need to honor that.

The ending requires many tissues. This is a poignant story with thought-provoking themes we should all keep in mind whether we are the carers or the ones declining.

* I received a digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own

[Canadian Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A man, a son, a dog.

The man is old. Likely won’t be long before he is gone. His mind is sharp but his body is failing. He sleeps a ton and has caregivers come in throughout the day. His son visits regularly but wants him to give up his dog, Sixten. But the dog is his lifeline.

As the days go by, he wants to talk to his son; open up with him about how much he cares; how proud he is of him. But he struggles with being honest and transparent. His own relationship with his father clouding the words he wants to say. The discussion in his head is with his wife. The memories of the past. His wife now in a nursing home without her memories.

This is not an uplifting story. This is the reality and fragility of life as we approach death. Identity disappearing; fear of dying and leaving words unspoken.

But there is beauty in this ending. An appreciation for family, friends and fur animals.
I'm sobbing.
5⭐️

[Terrie Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt the depth and emotional intensity of this story early in...

89-year-old Bo is our main character, and, except for caregivers scheduled periodically throughout the day, he lives alone with his elkhound, Sixten. Bo is constantly talking in his head to his wife, Fredrika, who lives in a care facility and he dearly misses. He shares his thoughts about their family life with their son Hans, growing up with his parents, and his friendship with longtime friend, Ture. But his narrative always returns to his beloved dog, Sixten, whom Hans threatens to take away, feeling Bo can no longer care for him...

I'm an emotional reader who easily gets entangled in a story and its characters, especially one such as Bo. My heart was breaking for him, but I also understood his plight: his loss of dignity and autonomy, and his hope to find common ground with Hans before it's too late.

When the Cranes Fly South is a treasure for gaining a realistic understanding of a loved one's struggles late in life when their body or mind, or both, are failing. It stirred memories of my mom's struggles with aging and dementia. Her struggles became mine, and I learned ways to join her journey.

And then there's that ending...

5⭐

Thank you to Vintage and Lisa Ridzén for the gifted DRC through NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

“A window opens, and I hear the cranes gathering to fly south.”

I am still weeping as I attempt to find words to share with you how I feel about what I just read here. So very grateful that this was a donation to my Little Free Library Shed. Now, I get to share it with the neighborhood.

This is a story that touches on end-of-life, healing relationships, and the love of a good dog. Definitely the love of a good dog. Any of us who have a pet, treasure our special connection, and the emotion we experience when their best interests are in our hands to consider.

So, what does one do when our life is now in the hand of caregivers, and we no longer have the strength or ability to give our special companion the best part of us? Let alone ourselves. This is Bo’s dilemma. An 89-year-old man whose body is failing him. Everyday use to be filled with daily walks in the woods, and everything that mattered for both him and his dog, Sixten.

What happens for Bo, if he is no longer able to do these daily events? Does he have to give in to his son, Hans, who says it is time to say goodbye to Sixten, because Bo is unable to care for him? The thought that Bo can’t have his dog next to him, at this last stage of life, is painful to consider. But shouldn’t he also be concerned about what is best for Sixten, his dog?

What will happen? (No spoilers from me.)

This is their journey. Bo and Sixten. Heart-felt. Compelling. Thought-full. Bittersweet. Dramatic. Lifelike. Realistic. Well-developed characters. Well-drawn plot.

A story about lives well-lived.

Kleenex necessary.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a best seller in Sweden.
A heartbreaking yet beautiful story of an elderly man, Bo..89..memory and mobility issues, living in northern rural Sweden…who just wants to spend his days with his dog Sixten.
Bo’s wife is in a home as she has dementia.
Bo has caregivers during the day but his son Hans insists that Sixten must be rehoused because Bo can’t take care of him, and it’s not the caregivers duty to do so.
Bo wants to still have a say about his life and he needs Sixten.
An emotional story, of Bo’s life as he is remembering parts of his life as a child, a young father, memories with his wife.. all the memories of his journey.

Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf for the Arc!

Available 8/19/25

[Angela M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartbreaking, beautiful, realistic - a story about life and death , about the struggles of aging and illness and the need for care , about family relationships, about the importance of friendship and all of the beautiful things on that journey. An emotional story for sure as Bo, 89 is losing control of his life, his capability to care for himself and his beloved dog. Missing his wife who is in a nursing home for dementia , feeling distanced from his son, it’s difficult to watch his faculties diminish before our eyes . We get to know the ups and downs of Bo’s life through his memories, dreams and daydreams and internal conversation he has with his wife . A reflection of life and death and one man’s the journey in between. Impossible not to cry at multiple times, especially the ending.

I was hesitant to read this, given how sad I expected it to be, but it seemed that everyday I kept seeing 5 star reviews from so many of trusted friends. This was not an easy book to read. After reading it, I found there was so much to think about for any reader - young or old. Those who are care givers for someone they love will be moved and others like myself perhaps will wonder what it will be like at the end for us.

I received a copy of this book from Vintage through NetGalley

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Death is not the opposite of life, but a part of it." - Haruki Murakami

Stunning in its simplicity, beautiful in its message, heartbreaking in its ending. When the Cranes Fly South is a lovely, sad, and poignant look into an elderly man's life. It is moving, powerful, heartbreaking, and beautifully told.

Bo is an elderly man whose life is winding down. His wife has Alzheimer’s disease and is a nursing home. Bo spends his days fretting over his beloved dog, Sixten while thinking about his life. He leads a quiet life and his son Hans, has arranged careers for him. They come in daily, prepare his meals, and chart about the notable things which occurred during their shifts. Bo looks forward to his son's visits but is also worried as Hans wants to find a new home for his dog, Sixten. Bo has difficulty caring for his own basic needs and Hans worries that he can no longer care for his dog as well. Whoever said growing old is not for the weak was not kidding.

Dying is like diving into a deep lake on a hot day. There's the shock of that sharp, cold change, the pain of it for a second, and then accepting is a swim in reality. But after so many times, even the shock wears off. - Richard Bach

I enjoyed the storytelling in this book. I thought it was very well done. Bo misses his wife and thinks of her often. The author tenderly and compassionately shows how Bo is struggling with activates of daily living. He is a proud man who wants nothing more than to keep his dog, keep his dignity, and keep communicating with those in his life. As he begins to slow down, sleep more, and be able to do less, he reflects on his life and those in it.

“Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal." -From an Irish headstone”

Such a beautiful book. This is a book that I know will stay with me. It is a book I want to talk through tears about, to share, to give, and to keep. It is a wonderfully written (and translated) book that is moving, heartbreaking, and beautiful. The author showed sensitivity in showing aging, the struggles, the frustrations, the moments of reflection and the letting go.

Highly Recommend.

Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Vintage and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a hard read for me, but sometimes the hard reads are cathartic. Life is hard sometimes, and this story is about life, the real kind, the imperfect kind, the marvelous kind that is coming to an end.

Bo is 89 years old and has daily home health care. His wife, Fredrika, has dementia and is in a care facility; his son, Hans, is trying to stay alive in the world of careers and take care of aging parents; and his granddaughter, Ellinor, at twenty, is too young to fathom what eight-nine is like. What he has still got of his life is his dog, Sixten, and Hans is determined to take Sixten away because he feels his father no longer can take care of a dog and remain safe himself.

The story is told through the intimate thoughts of Bo, as he carries on a mental conversation with his wife, or with his memory of who she was before the dementia stole her away.

Because in the void you left behind, Fredrika, I’ve started thinking about things I never paid much notice to. I’ve never been one to doubt myself, always known what I want and been able to tell right from wrong. I still can, but I’ve also started to wonder.

Ridzen captures every emotion perfectly. The bewilderment, the confusion, the anger at others, at self, at life, the resentment of what others must do for you and the failure of your own body and brain to do for yourself, all of them are here. Bo knows he has reached an end, and he spends much of his time reviewing his life and his relationships, wanting not to leave this world with important feelings unexpressed.

I don't know how I feel, because I keep changing my mind. He sounds so miserable that I want to get up and open the door, tell him that everything will be fine. But at the same time, I can't understand why he is arguing with her, why he thinks Sixten should live somewhere else. It's like he really does want to hurt me.

There is a moment of memory when Bo decides to leave his father’s house to go out on his own, to begin his life. He watches the cranes and says to himself, Before they fly south again, I promise myself, I’ll have left this place. He has reached a time in life where he knows the cranes are about to depart again and, once again, he will go with them.

Three years ago yesterday I lost my husband. He was eighty-eight years old. Reading about Bo was like looking down a well into the past, so much was recognizable to me. Bo might have been Matt in much of what he thought and said. For all of us who reach old age, this day will come. If we are fortunate, we will have what Bo has–an opportunity to look back at the wonder of our lives, our triumphs and our mistakes; a chance to see who we have been.

I don’t believe in coincidence. I began reading this yesterday, totally unplanned. Perhaps in the back of my head I remembered what it was about, but consciously I did not. It just popped up on the Kindle and I started reading. When I finished, I had a good cry, kissed my husband’s picture and went to bed.

[Magdalena Miękińska (getbooky) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75

[Nick Parry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jesus Christ

[Christy fictional_traits · Rating 5 out of 5]

'...I feel an ache in my chest. A sudden urge to talk to you'.

Bo now lives on his own in rural Sweden, with his Elkhound Sixten, visited by a range of caregivers to help him cling to his independence since his wife, Frederika, was sent to a nursing home with dementia. Bo is getting too old though to live like this, but Bo is also very proud and stubborn and when his son Hans threatens to take his sole companion, Sixten, away too, anger threatens to boil over. But even this too becomes tiring. As Bo sleeps more, his dreams are of visceral memories: as a son, as a husband, as a father, and as a friend. All of this is addressed to his no longer present wife, 'Because of the void you left behind Frederika, I've started thinking about things I never paid much attention to'. Memories of his hard-working life are broken up by the very real notes left by his carers in their log. Slowly we mark his journey from Spring through to Autumn, 'Before they fly south again, I promise myself, I'll have left this place'.

My heart was flayed open and I was utterly destroyed by the end of this book. The last quarter was read with blurred vision. My dog became concerned with the number of times I sobbed. How can something so sorrowful, so heartbreaking, be so beautiful? It's a story of humanity, a story of love, and a story of gratitude. I would recommend this book to anyone.

'...I should have listened more. That I know now'.

[Rosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a Nutshell: A contemplative literary fiction about a geriatric dealing with the vagaries of old age. Contemplative, melancholic, realistic, heartbreaking. Beautifully written with no filters about aging issues. This is a mood read, but if you pick it up at the right time, it can deliver all the feels. Not for those looking for uplifting stories; the book is mostly bleak.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Plot Preview:

Sweden. Eighty-nine-year-old Bo has only his dog Sixten for company in his home. His wife Frederika has Alzheimer’s, because of which their son Hans admitted her in a care home some time ago, even though Bo wasn’t too happy about this decision. Now Hans feels that Bo is too old to take care of Sixten and wants to take the dog away as well. Not surprisingly, Bo is very upset.
The whole narrative comes to us in Bo’s first-person perspective, reflecting upon his lost happy past, his uncertain present, and his unseen future.

I wasn’t sure if this book would be my cup of tea, especially at this stage of my life where I am almost in Hans’ shoes, caring for senior parents, one of whom is struggling with dementia. Plus, the poor experience I had with another dementia-related book that’s quite popular this season, Tory Henwood Hoen’s “Before I Forget”, made me hesitant. It is only on seeing my friends’ consistent positive reviews that I decided to succumb. I don’t regret it.

This book was originally published in 2024 in Swedish under the title “Tranorna flyger söderut”. A debut work, it was conceptualised by the author after discovering the notes left by her grandfather’s care team towards the end of his life. The translation is impeccable, true to the setting and the characters.

This is the kind of book where I have so much to say and yet I don’t know where to begin. How do I describe a book that is almost like one endless flow of thought? That depicts the strength of the aged despite their frailty? That offers a hint of what might await us a few decades down the line? The plot contains so little and yet encompasses so much!

Through his first-person POV, Bo takes us through many emotions, be it anger at Hans for planning to take Sixten away, or embarrassment at being dependent on carers for his intimate needs, or heartbreak at Frederika’s not being able to recognise her loved ones anymore, or joy at his interactions with his best friend (I couldn’t catch his exact name on audio), or regret at not having had a good relationship with his late father, or anxiety that he won't be able to tell his son everything he wants to before his time comes.

It’s interesting that Bo also has age-related memory loss, but his wife is at a much worse stage of dementia thanks to her Alzheimer’s. As such, Bo is facing the critical in-between where he remembers more than his wife though he doesn’t remember everything and is worried about forgetting their lifetime of togetherness. We can see that his mind is still fairly capable despite the little memory misses, but his body isn't that cooperative anymore. Bo’s frustration at this gap is heartbreaking.

All of Bo’s reminiscences are straight from his heart, helping us know not just him but also the other characters intimately. We get a clear glimpse of his thoughts about his wife, his son, his granddaughter, his late parents, and his various carers. I love that Bo speaks to his wife Frederika regularly, not at the care home but at his own home, as if she is still there by his side.

Given that we get the story in Bo’s first person, he is the only character we see for most of the book. Others, such as his carers and his son, come and go around him, but Bo remains the constant. As such, his feelings become ours. His helplessness feels like our helplessness; his hurt, our hurt. It is really sad to see how Sixten is always on his mind, even though we can see how Bo couldn’t meet all of his elkhound’s needs.

There are little interludes in between Bo’s thoughts, containing the journal notes from the carers who visit his house. These are excellent additions to the plot, letting us see what Bo doesn’t tell us directly.

It is very easy to take Bo’s side while reading this story and to think of Hans as the antagonist for not understanding his father’s feelings and for not allowing him to keep his dog. But being in the same position myself, I found myself feeling sorry for Hans and sympathetic to his dilemma. It is challenging to be in a position where you are forced to take tough decisions for the wellbeing of your parents, especially if they fight you tooth and nail against it.

Bo’s narrative depicts how old age involves not just the loss of memory, but also the loss of movement, of companionship, of independence, and of dignity. This kind of book can hit hard, making us ponder over our own future and wondering what lies in store for us when our time comes. Several scenes felt too close to home for me as I see my father going through the same. The author deserves credit for portraying the quandary so many senior citizens find themselves it without turning it into a voyeuristic endeavour. Her writing (along with the translation) is both simple and sensitive.


🎧 The Audiobook Experience:
The audiobook, clocking at 7 hrs 24 min, is narrated by Ifan Huw Dafydd. His voice suited Bo excellently, and he was able to convey all the emotions and vulnerability properly. However, the nature of the content is such that I kept zoning out of the narration. An extended first-person introspective narration feels almost like stream of consciousness, even if it involves brief interactions with other characters. While I can find no fault in the narrator’s performance, I think I'd have liked the book even better if I had read it with my eyeballs than with my ears.


Overall, this poignant book delivers exactly as promised. Emotional without being mawkish, it offers an honest look at end-of-life thoughts and regrets.

This is a story packed with much emotion and minimal action. Anyone seeking a more thrilling read might find this rambling and dull. But readers who appreciate character-driven literary fiction will find this an insightful and thought-provoking novel.

Definitely recommended to literary fiction readers who are more attuned to character-driven slow-paced narratives. It is an intense read, so better not pick this up when you are in a vulnerable headspace.

4 stars.


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I follow the Goodreads rating policy:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Lifelong favourite!
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I loved the book.
⭐⭐⭐ - I liked the book.
⭐⭐ - I found the book average.
⭐ - I hated the book.
The decimals indicate the degree of the in-between feelings.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Facebook ||

[Stephen the Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waterstones Book of the Month !


I don’t want to leave anything unsaid. That I don’t want it to be like it was with my old man. For some strange reason, I’m not angry any more. "

Waterstones shortlisted debut novel 2025 😊😊


This is the story of Bo- at 89 years of age he relies on carers to visit and support him through his daily life. His wife Fredrika is in care home unable to recognise or remember him as she has alzheimers and he feels distance from his son Hans.

Bo takes us through his life as he remembers key events and his relationship with his parents, wife, best friend Ture and granddaughter Ellinor. His daily life is interspersed with the visits from a team of carers who leave notes about how Bo is doing.

Bo lives quietly and has his dog Sixten for companionship - that is until his son feels the dog is too much for Bo as he can't safely walk him any distance.

This is a story of millions- a story that will connect to all of us in some way- the relationships and unspoken words between generations. The well- intentioned love and care which sometimes does not recognise the denial of another person's pleasure, security and desires.

Bo's reflections and his need to talk to his son in a way that he couldn't communicate with own father his incredibly moving. Hans' love for his father- his need to do the best and get his father's approval is so reminiscent of families. The damage and regret in the relationship between Bo and his father and the impact upon his mother is so heart breaking- a story we all know of from family and friends.

This is a powerful novel- simple in its premise but full of depth, love and life.

This should be read by everyone - a book that could help heal the divisions between men and fathers, the young and the old and hopefully peel back the suppression and pride to share love.

This could be viewed as a highly sentimental book - yes, sentiment is there but this is about an exploration of the generations ( in particular men in rural communities ) who were never encouraged to express emotions and the animosities and regrets that can foster

Lisa Ridzén has written a beautiful and life-affirming novel - a book that should make us all reflect .

Alice Menzies translation is pitch perfect.

And as an older male reader, I won't deny I was feeling tearful by the last page.

Quotes:

What I want to do is to scream that no one should treat their son the way he treats me, but I can’t move a muscle.

There’s nothing that compares to that, to raising a child. No one ever said a word about it before you got pregnant. That it would be this hard. How can something as natural as starting a family be so complicated?

I regret never thanking her ( my mother) for being her. For being so much better than my old man. I should have told her that, but I never did. I realise now that I let my anger towards him get in between us, and that meant I could never truly be happy when we spent time together.

[Karenina (Nina Ruthström) · Rating 3 out of 5]

En ”sensationell debut” omtyckt av oerhört många och såld till sjutton länder. Jag fattar att folk gillar den, men jag är inte lika imponerad.

Bo är gammal. Han bor tillsammans med sin hund Sixten, dit hemtjänsten och sonen Hans kommer med jämna mellanrum. Han ringer sin vän Ture ibland. Frun Fredrika har flyttat till ett demensboende. Det är till henne berättelsen riktar sig, i ett ”du”.

Tranorna flyger söderut jämförs av förlaget med Löpa varg. Den senare är skriven av den erfarna belletristen Kerstin Ekman som föddes 1933 och sedan länge växt ur det naiva synsätt som Lisa Ridzén (f 1988) gör gällande i sin debutbok. Karaktären Bo är en fiktiv karaktär som utstyrd i sin skapares föreställningar består just fiktiv för mig, till skillnad från Ekmans Ulf som känns sann. Jag menar inte att det finns något som heter litterär appropriering, alla får skriva om allt tycker jag, men det är ju inte säkert att det blir bra. Vad jag förstår har Ridzén dels arbetat med hemtjänst och dels forskat på manlighet och känslor. Ett av mina yngre jag känner starka band till författaren. Jag hade nog älskat den här boken för tio år sedan. Men efter att själv suttit på en dödsbädd och tagit avsked av min far, ger den här typen av tillrättalagda berättelser mig ingenting.

Ni kommer att invända. Nej men inte romantiserar Ridzén, hon skriver om både kissblöja och slemhosta, illamående och smakförvrängningar. Ja, det stämmer att Bo kissar på sig flera gånger. Även om jag inte uppskattar att läsa om det, tycker jag att författaren framställer kroppens förfall hyfsat realistiskt. Men Bos åldrade själ, ger jag inte mycket för. Bos tankar utgör merparten av diegesen. De handlar ofta om känslor och rannsakan, han är arg, han skäms och han tänker att han borde säga si och så. Jag tror att hela poängen med människor som Bo, som inte ”sätter ord på sina känslor” är att de inte kan eller vill sätta ord på sina känslor. Inte att de gör det i huvudet. Bos tankar på det förflutna med sin far (gubben) och mor, sin son och fru är idealiserade. Här finns en övertro på orden och en psykologisk självrannsakan som jag tror hör vår generation till, inte Bos. Han tänker precis så som en ung kvinna vill att en gammal man ska tänka, men aldrig så som jag tror är mest förekommande: vi är alla resultat av vår tid. Bos beteende på dödsbädden vittnar om att han känner sig fridfull men han rannsakar sig själv och det förflutna utan acceptans. Han vill säga de där ”viktiga” avslutande orden som skall visa hans tacksamhet och kanske släta över det som varit dåligt. Jag tror tvärtom att en gammal och vis människa inser att man på många fler sätt än med ord visar sin tacksamhet och kärlek, att ens älskade mor exempelvis vet att man älskar henne även om man inte sagt det rakt ut. Men Bo är så där filmiskt perfekt som människor aldrig är, att han på sin dödsbädd helt plötsligt kan säga orden han aldrig tidigare fått ur sig.

Jag funderar på varför man vill upprätthålla en sådan idealiserad bild av människors död. Min poäng är inte att det gör mig ledsen för att jag själv inte fick höra de vackra orden. (Min pappa sa inte ett ord som avslöjade att han var medveten om att han höll på att dö.) Poängen är att man tror innan att kärleksorden som ska knyta ihop säcken hör till när någon dör, men när man väl sitter på dödsbädden är ord det som betyder minst av allt. Ord är ingenting.

Det här är ingen sågning, men jag har ändå mera klander. Inte bara Bo utan även de andra karaktärerna är stereotypa. Fredrika och Bos mamma har varit perfekta kvinnor och mammor som aldrig blivit arga eller ens höjt rösten. Favoritpersonalen i hemtjänsten är gudomlig av absurda mått. Att Ture är gay och att barnen som kommer förbi är samer, spär på den tillrättalagda känslan. Hemtjänstens anteckningar ska väl ge läsaren en utifrånblick, men de är för mig helt överflödiga. Jag saknar gestaltning, det är för mycket tell och för lite show. Den här romanen varken lenar eller upprör, den får mig inte att skratta eller gråta, den är för mig varken som en spegel eller ett fönster, den är en stängd dörr. Men den är för den skull inte dålig.

Tranorna flyger söderut är feelgood som bättre kan jämföras med Fredrik Backmans eller Johan Ens verk, minus humor. Jag kan tänka mig att rekommendera Ridzéns roman till den som gillar att läsa om en alternativ verklighet, som påminner om den vi lever i men är sminkad. När det kommer till känslor kring en dement fru förordar jag Ingvar Carlssons I sällskap med döden.

[Diane Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trust everyone giving this novel 5 stars, it's that good and more. All I will say is Bo is all of us at the end. Life is sad, life is difficult, life is wonderful and worth holding on to. So are the people we love, and our dogs, and our memories.
Yes, I cried at the end, but I knew I would and it was worth every tear. This was a special book.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a full spoiler version of this review, please check out my book review blog here: https://spoiledbooks.blogspot.com/

When the Cranes Fly South is one of those quiet, emotional novels that many readers absolutely adore — and while I can see the beauty in it, I also genuinely struggled with it. The writing is lovely and the themes are meaningful, but it’s a very sad story from the start, focusing on aging, decline, loneliness, and the bond between an elderly man and his dog. I’ve never owned a dog myself, and I found that made it harder for me to connect as deeply as other readers seemed to.

The story is tender and contemplative, but also heavy in a way that sometimes felt overwhelming. I almost DNF’d it — not because it’s a bad book, but because I wasn’t sure I wanted to sit with something this emotionally raw right now. I also felt that a few elements (like the late-book reveal around a side character) leaned into themes that show up in almost every modern literary novel, whether they’re needed or not.

Still, Lisa Ridzén writes with sensitivity, and the exploration of memory, independence, and end-of-life dignity is undeniably powerful. I may appreciate it more with distance, but for now:

⭐ 3/5 — thoughtful, tender, and beautifully written, but emotionally tough and not always the right fit for my reading mood.

[Nikola]

Bez oceny.
Nigdy w życiu nie czytałam tak przygnębiającej książki.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty good trick—this book is depressing and sad but the writer made me love it! I was drawn in immediately. The author snagged me and she didn’t let go.

The narrator is an endearing 89-year-old man, Bo, living in a rural area in Sweden. He has a beloved dog, and a middle-aged son, Hans, who is worried about him getting around, doing okay, surviving with all his mounting physical limitations. (Mentally, Bo is pretty sharp.) Bo has many caregivers who come to his house. They leave staccato notes to the other caregivers, which gives us extra insight into Bo’s activities and struggles. Very effective and clever.

This is such a realistic portrayal of a very old person who is watching himself go downhill as the days go by. He chronicles his decline in this real way, with lots of details. Sort of scary to realize that’s what’s ahead for all of us if we live to be so old. Aging is truly a bitch.

I felt like I knew Bo, knew his sadness and frustrations, and I was rooting for him big time. Loved his voice, which is so authentic, earnest, and thoughtful.

He thinks about his wife and son all the time and has many regrets. He does talk about the good times, too. And man does he love his dog! I do too! Bo also loves and misses his wife, who has dementia and is in a facility. Much sadness there. And he has a dear friend; their relationship is touching.

Though his son means well, he has a plan that devastates Bo. Bo is fiercely independent and resents his son taking over his life. I was right there with Bo, totally pissed at Hans, who didn’t seem to understand Bo or think about Bo’s needs. I was shocked and entertained by how invested I was in Bo being heard and respected. I stayed royally pissed at Hans throughout the book. That damn grown-ass kid! But yet, a part of me had to admit that he might be doing the right thing. I didn’t want to think that. I was on team Bo!

Two things I realized. One, I don’t want to get so old I have to go through what Bo went through, the losing of more and more capabilities and a growing decrepitude with each day. Dependent on others to do everything for me. The constant worry from people who love me.

Two, why doesn’t our government provide constant caregivers to our old folks like they do in Sweden? That seems like the right thing to do! Here in America, you might get lucky and get caregivers to come to your home a few hours a week, but I’m not sure even that small amount of help is subsidized.

I actually weeped, which I usually don’t do when reading. But throw a dog into the mix and I can turn to mush in no time.

This is a fine-tuned character study, right up my alley. There is depth, and complex and nuanced relationships. What an amazing debut! I couldn’t put the book down.

The author got the idea for the book when she found notes from her aging father’s caregivers. That’s just cool!

Highly recommended.

[Alex.andthebooks]

I’m literally speachless

Jakie to było szalenie smutne.

[Meagan (Meagansbookclub) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfection!

Also- so wonderful on audio! Highly recommend.

[Court Zierk · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️ ⭐️

Hey, did you know that getting old is unpleasant and full of indignities? Well, if you didn’t know before, prepare to have that point repeatedly smashed into your aging skull with as many blows as your diminished mental acuity can handle.

And for the love of everything good, just let the man have his damn dog. Why does the central theme of this novel revolve around taking the one thing that still gives this man meaning away? What kind of family is this? I hate everyone in this book.

This novel is positioned as being tender and heartwarming, but I found it to be dismal and bleak. Loss of autonomy, the dignity of choosing, and the fear of becoming invisible are all at the center of this story, none of which feel particularly uplifting.

I once again find myself on outlier island, but I just don’t see how this book is so unanimously adored. As someone who is sensitive to abandonment and the fear of being unseen, this novel feels remarkably grim. This might just be a me problem though. I won’t rule that out.

[Debbie H · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐️ Beautifully written story told from the POV of Bo, an elderly man struggling with end of life issues.

Bo’s wife of 67 years, Fredrika, has been put in a home for dementia patients. He’s suffering from memory and mobility issues and has carers that come frequently. His loyal hound Sixten is his source of comfort and companionship.

We get flashbacks of Bo’s childhood and his relationship with his abusive father, and his early relationship with Fredrika and their only son Hans.

What this book does well is put you right there in Bo’s life as he loses all the things he loves bit by bit with no control over his life as his body and mind fail him, His beloved wife, his best friend Ture, even his dog Sixten.

My mom suffered from dementia and this brought back many of the memories and struggles of being a caregiver and watching her slip away. Not an easy read, but an accurate portrayal of aging and dying with an emotional, tear jerking ending.

Thank you NetGalley and Vintage Publishers for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Marialyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sad and hopeful like life often is!

“By the time you are 80 years old you’ve learned everything. You only have to remember it.” — George Burns

Bo is aging and moving closer to death, a reality none of us can escape. He has a few things left he enjoys, his beloved dog, Sixten, some very lovely home care workers, and his best friend. He has a somewhat distant relationship with his son, Hans, and his wife is in a care facility with dementia.

Hans has decided that Bo is no longer able to care for Sixten and needs to be re homed. .....and now Bo will lose something else!

As he becomes less mobile, more confined to sleep and his new hospital bed, he begins the reflection of his life. His difficult, unfeeling father, his loving wife, his son all the years with these people who were part of his life. Bo is sad because he feels he never had a link to his son, perhaps a remnant of his own childhood. However, before he dies, he needs to try harder, to capture the feelings, the moments, when he and Hans were father and son. Is it possible at age eighty-nine, to accomplish that?

A story that will touch your heart and realize the time to make things better is now.

[Fiona · Rating 5 out of 5]

When my Aunt Jean was in her 90s and in a nursing home, she would tell me that she spent her days thinking back over her life, remembering all of us as children and all the lovely times we had together. That is what fills Bo’s days in this beautifully written book about the slow ending of a long life.

Bo spends most of his days lying on his day bed in the kitchen with Sixten, his dog, lying by his side. Carers come in several times a day and his son, Hans, visits often. Fredrika, Bo’s wife, is in a nursing home with dementia and no longer recognises either of them. Theirs was a happy marriage and he misses her terribly. His relationship with his son is more complicated and takes a turn for the worse when Hans decides to re home Sixten as Bo can no longer look after him. That is a heartbreaking wrench for Bo who feels he has no control over anything in his life any more. The only person he can talk to about this is his best friend, Ture, but they can only speak on the phone now as neither is able to visit.

Bo is conflicted about so many things, especially his complicated relationship with his father when he was younger and later his relationship with Hans. Has he been a good father, he asks himself? He knows when he could have done better but struggled to show his emotions to Hans or to anyone else. He doesn’t know if Hans knows how much he loves him and is unable to tell him now.

The author is a doctoral student who is researching masculinity norms in small communities in the far north of Sweden. The idea for this novel came from reading the notes her grandfather’s carers left each day as he neared the end of his life. It does seem a very personal story despite the author being two generations younger than Bo.

5 stars - this is a beautiful first novel with an excellent translation.

With thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for a review copy.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. The most touching book I've read in a while. Cried so hard my eyes hurt!😵‍💫

When the Cranes Fly South is about Bo, a Swede in his 90th year, and his dog Sixten, a loving young Norwegian Elkhound.🐕 They've been constant companions. But lately Bo seems to be sleeping more and more. He takes Sixten out for a short walk each day, feeds him and fills his water bowl. But it's becoming more difficult to care for him, though Bo is determined to keep trying because Sixten is all he has.

Bo's son, Hans, has been stopping by more often, and Bo's temporary carers are doing what they can to make things easier. But during his last few visits, Hans has dropped hints that it may be time to re-home Sixten. Bo ignores this, and refuses to even consider such a thing. Things are changing so fast.

“A–dog–is–the–only–thing–on–earth–that–loves–you–more–than–he–loves–himself” 4.5-stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought-provoking and memorable. This is the type of book that you will share with a family member or a good friend, and there's a reason for that: it's probable that each of us will either see a piece of ourselves in this book, and if not our self, then someone close.

The pages of the book are the elderly Bo's thoughts spoken every day to his lifelong wife, though for reasons later in the book seen she may never hear them. The powerful thing about words spoken from love is that they are not lost. The book doesn't say this, and it's not exactly the point, but I couldn't help holding that feeling. I found an example of just about every emotion a character like Bo could feel, whether it was loss, abandonment, helplessness, or affection. His companion dog, Sixten, becomes an example of his current struggle for independence and the expression of love he knows inside that we find difficult to release. In his daily “writings”, Bo professes the past hard love of his father, and how it affected the relationship with his own son. Though he cannot always convey his emotions outwardly, it's obvious that the love of his wife was and is transforming.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I read the last lines of When the Cranes Fly South, I felt conflicting emotions of deep sadness as Bo completes his journey toward death and then joy at the beauty and rightness of the depiction of the journey. This is not to say that Bo is some sort of saint or saintly man. No, he is a man in his 90s who worked for years in a mill, raised a son, Hans, with his wife, Fredrika, and could be ornery or funny or unforgiving or loving like most of humanity.

As we meet Bo, he lives in his home alone with carers coming in a few times a day to help him with meals and occasional showers when he accepts them. His wife is now in a nursing home due to dementia so he is lonely. His primary companion is his beloved dog Sixten. His son Hans visits frequently and granddaughter as often as she can. The narrative is primarily through Bo’s thoughts, voice and memories, supplemented by the notes and words of the caregivers and the words of family and a few others. Through this we see a look back on a life, considering his relationships to his parents, his wife, his son, his best friend. Where he thinks he has done well, where possibly less so. It’s fascinating to watch this take place; it feels so very real. The main points of tension in the present involve Hans’s belief that Sixten should be rehoused with a family that can better care for his needs, especially as Bo has risked danger to himself taking the dog for walks in the woods.

This is an excellent novel and I do recommend it for the insight into the end of life period it so sensitively provides. The author is a doctoral student in sociology who has been researching masculinity norms in rural, far north Sweden. The idea for this, her first novel, grew out of the discovery of notes left by the team of workers caring for her grandfather as he approached the end of his life. Much credit must also go to Alice Menzies for this excellent translation.

Thanks to Vintage Books of Penguin Random House and NetGalley for an eARC of this book.

[Britt-Marie Kullin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Betyg: 5 av 5 - Kommer årets första lästa bok kanske bli årets bästa bok? Ja, det är nog faktiskt troligt att det kanske blir så. För den här boken var helt otroligt bra. Mycket länge sedan som jag blev så tagen av en bok. Och jag har nog inte gråtit så mycket till en bok, sedan jag läste något av Fredrik Backman. Författaren till Tranorna flyger söderut, är en debutant som heter Lisa Ridzén, och jag hoppas verkligen att det kommer fler böcker av henne i framtiden. Boken är så otroligt känslosam, gripande, berörande, och sorglig. Men även väldigt varm, och den skildrar verkligen olika sorts relationer på ett mycket fint sätt. Jag som läser så väldigt många böcker, glömmer dom flesta böcker rätt så fort, även om dom har varit bra. Men den här boken kommer jag bära med mig i mitt hjärta. Och jag kommer att tänka på den gamla fina mannen, huvudpersonen Bo, väldigt ofta. Jag lyssnade på boken, som var helt fantastiskt bra inläst av Lennart Jähkel. Kan verkligen rekommendera just ljudboken i det här fallet. Man ska ju inte jämföra böcker, men om jag ändå gör det, så tycker jag att den här boken påminner lite om Löpa varg av Kerstin Ekman och även om Folk som sår i snö av Tina Harnesk. Men återigen, jag säger bara, läs (eller lyssna på) denna bok! Du kommer inte att ångra dig!

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

RTC after I stop crying! 😭 😭😭

Okay now that I’ve had a couple days to get my thoughts in order, I’m ready for my review.

I ain’t getting any younger and I hate to be the bearer of bad news but neither are you. This is what this book made me think about. Our main character, Bo, is an aging man living with his dog, Sixten. Bo is of an age that he needs visits from caretakers. Bo is our main narrator with periodic updates from his caregivers. Because of this, the reader gets a heartbreaking perspective from an aging individual. How many times do you stop to wonder how fast time is passing by? Lisa Ridzen has written an emotional book about life and regrets, but also about the joys of life.

When the Cranes Fly South is not a book that makes the reader feel happy but it is a book makes the reader FEEL! I felt very strong anger and very strong sadness. I can tell that this book will linger in my mind for quite some time.