Book Review: The Deal of a Lifetime

My favorite novel from my 2017 reading was probably Fredrik Backman's A Man Called Ove. When my library acquired his Christmas novella, The Deal of a Lifetime, I quickly added my name to the hold list. The timing was perfect! The novel begins with a letter declaring it is Christmas Eve and I read the book on December 23rd in one brief sitting. While I can't say I enjoyed it as much as Ove's tale, it was certainly thought-provoking and well-written.

Backman has such a skill for tapping into human emotions and creating relatable characters. The father's letter to his son outlines a deal he has been offered on the night before Christmas. This deal, involving a five-year-old girl fighting cancer, will cause him to re-evaluate his values, his motives, and his legacy. Once again, Backman has taken a character readers might have difficulty liking and used him to communicate what is really important in life. This was a lovely little holiday novella.