Anna Johnston's The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife is an absolute gem, tackling the often-messy realities of aging and family with a pitch-perfect blend of humor and heartbreak. Seriously, get ready to laugh out loud one minute and feel a lump in your throat the next.
The story centers on Frederick Fife, a man navigating the complexities of his later years, and his relationships with his family. Johnston has this incredible knack for capturing those universally relatable moments — the hilarious misunderstandings, the well-meaning but chaotic interventions, and the quiet aches of growing older. It's not sugar-coated; she dives into the frustrations and indignities that can come with age, but always with immense warmth and empathy. You'll recognize bits of your own family, for better or worse, in the pages. This book is a wonderful reminder of the enduring, sometimes challenging, but always deeply loving bonds that tie us together. It’s a genuinely delightful and incredibly touching read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston is a heartwarming, gently humorous tale of mistaken identity and second chances. It follows 82‑year‑old Fred, teetering on homelessness, who inadvertently assumes the life of a nursing‑home resident. Full of quirky characters, emotional depth, and kindness around every corner, it strikes a lovely balance between laughs and poignancy. A feel‑good debut with a thoughtful look at aging, grief, and found family—sweet, uplifting, and quietly profound.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for a digital advanced reader copy. All comments and opinions are my own unless otherwise noted.

This was a sweet, heartwarming story about family, grief, loneliness, friendship, and forgiveness. I was drawn in by the title and cover, but it was the entertaining and poignant story as well as the excellent writing that kept me turning the pages.

I highly recommend this warmhearted tale of mistaken identity and finding a place to love and be loved.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an e-ARC of The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston.
The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife is a sweet story of a lonely man who makes the world a little better! A book for fans of Fredrick Backman. A book that teaches the importance of forgiveness, and the need to make the most of every moment you have. A book that warms your heart and makes you want a Frederick Fife in your life.

I really enjoyed this one. It was hard to put down. It kept me wanting more. The characters are amazing! And I love the title and the story line. Such an amazing book!

Fred Fife has been struggling both financially and emotionally since the death of his wife from a long battle with cancer. He is about to be evicted. While on a walk to clear his mind and assuage his anxiety, he discovers an elderly man (Bernard) dead just sitting in a wheelchair near the river. After a series of mishaps, Fred is mistaken for Bernard and Fred is transported back to the nursing home where he decides to "borrow" Bernard's life. After all, Bernard has no relatives and this gives Fred a place to live and food to eat. Of course, things don't quite work out so easily.

I loved this book. Fred is a great character, and although he is certainly being deceptive, it actually seems like a logical step for him to take. There are several secondary characters who are equally engaging. Yes, it stretches the imagination a bit, but just go with it and you'll get sucked in. As the days turn into weeks and into months, Fred learns more about Bernard and often battles with his conscience. I think this would be a great book club book. There are many things to discuss here. I'm sure there will be differences of opinion about Fred's actions as the book goes on. (FYI - the story ends with a satisfying solution to Fred's problems.) One of my favorites so far this year!


NOTE: There was a period early in the book that I was a bit confused about a couple of the secondary characters. I don't know if this was purposeful on the part of the author or if I just wanted reading carefully enough. By about 1/3 of the way in, though, everything cleared up.

This is very sentimental story about an elderly man who is mistaken for someone else and finds himself living that man's life. It's a story about family and kindness.

This book was a solid 4 star read for me.

It was impossible not to fall in love with the characters in this novel, and to find yourself rooting from them all along the way.
While the overall vibe of the story was a light-hearted, sometimes funny/sometimes sad feel-good story, the book does touch on some pretty heavy topics, but I felt like instead of dragging the book into the deep end, they kept it real and relatable while still giving you an overall hopeful feeling most of the time you were reading.

Frederick Fife lands himself in a seemingly impossible situation. The day before he is slated for homelessness, he finds himself wrapped up in a case of mistaken identity. After no one believes him that he is not in fact Bernard, he decides to just go along with it. After all, Bernard has a roof over his head, nice caregivers, a built-in social community within the nursing home he lives at, and wonderful cooked meals delivered right to his room!

Things get a little more complicated when Bernard's estranged daughter shows back up in the picture, pregnant and in need of a father figure.
Will Frederick come clean, or keep playing along? Will he get caught, and what will be the ramifications? Read on to find out!

Heavy topics covered: alzheimer's, divorce/child abandonment, childhood cancer, spousal loss, miscarriage, infertility, aging hardships, alcoholism, gambling addiction. (But trust me when I say, this is much more of a feel good story than it is a heavy read!)

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I read this with one lovely relaxed and warm smile pasted onto my face.
I can't believe it's a debut. it's such a good read. And Fred, our MMC is one of the best characters I've read in a while. Just gorgeous.

Sometimes we need these sweet, feel good books just for an easy read. This one is silly, heart warming but also touching and a little sad. There's some silly humor, parts to suspend your disbelief just to roll with a sweet, easy story that reminds us we're all human. Lovely, sweet, and a quick read.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Frederick Fife is an 82 year old widower with financial difficulties who is about to lose his place of residence. On his last day in his flat, he takes a walk and tries to figure out what to do about his housing and financial situation. He comes across a man in a wheelchair, seemingly feeding birds. As Frederick tries to speak to the man, he realizes that the man has passed away. In his effort to get the man back to his nursing home group, Frederick falls and sets off a chain of events that lead to a case of mistaken identity. At times humorous, this lovely story is about deep love and forgiveness. The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston deals with situations experienced by many: cancer, dementia, addiction, betrayal, loss of a loved one, financial difficulties, loneliness, and housing insecurity. It was a deeply moving novel and was a wonderful read, which I have recommended to many.
I was given an ARC of The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
#annajohnston
#theborrowedlifeoffrederickfife
#netgalley
#realisticfiction
#dementia
#addiction
#betrayal
#homelessness
#financialinsecurity
#love
#loneliness

This is a sweet book full of hijinks. I really liked the characters and enjoyed this read.
It is pretty simple though. Full of over characterizations of old people. Everyone was typed cast throughout the book. The situations that led to this story could plausibly happen, but then more and more albeit, plausible, happenings occurred. Which when all tallied led to a less plausible story.
If you are looking for a, light story this is exactly it. Kinda Hallmark movie in a book

When Frederick Fife is mistaken for Bernard Greer (they look like twins!), his life takes unexpected twists and turns. This novel tells the story of Fred/Bernard and is really a story of redemption and second chances. The portrayals of people living in a home for senior citizens are hilarious (and some quite true to life). It is both bittersweet and heartwarming. Anyone desiring to read a story about senior citizens and starting a new life after grief and loss will relate to Fred/Bernard. The story also points out the ways in which senior citizens can sometimes be stereotyped or ignored and the results of these actions.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I LOVE a story with an elderly protagonist. This one was fine, but it didn't wow me like some of my other favorites (looking at you, Missy Carmichael). It kind of meandered along for me for quite some time, I didn't love the Denise storyline, but I did enjoy the way it wrapped up in the end.

This book was such a treat! It gives A Man Called Ove vibes except that Fred is actually lovable the WHOLE time, while Ove’s layers had to be really peeled back before you warmed up to the curmudgeon. I love that the main character in The Borrowed Life… is a geriatric man in an assisted living facility - just not something we see often enough in modern novels - very refreshing.

The characters in this debut novel are lovely and well fleshed out, the storyline equally heartbreaking and heartwarming, and the resolution exactly what you are hoping for as you become more and more invested in the story.

Can’t wait to read more from Anna Johnston!

Thank you to NetGalley, Anna Johnston, and William Morrow for the advanced copy!

Humorous. Engaging. Optimistic. Bittersweet...

Introducing one of my favorite characters of my 2024 reading year: Mr. Frederick Fife!❤️Fred is 82, kind, caring, and inches away from homelessness. His luck abruptly changes when he is mistaken for Bernard Greer, a curmudgeonly resident from a nearby care home. Fred tries to tell them he is not who they think he is, but how can he refuse a comfortable bed, prepared meals, and a private room?

And so, reluctantly yet gratefully, Fred plays along, borrowing Bernard's life while hoping his doppelgänger never surfaces...

"The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife" was the perfect book at the ideal time for me; Fred's journey as Bernard was both uplifting and thought-provoking. However, this story is not just about Fred; other characters have sizable moments in this book, too.

It explores themes of loneliness and found family, grief and forgiveness, and redemption and second chances. Finding a sense of purpose and importance of community are at the core of the story.

This was an immersion read with the gifted DRC and the Audible audiobook narrated by Tim Carroll, who recounts the story in an upbeat tone with gender voicing that is fun and entertaining.

"The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife" is a book I enjoyed spending time with, and Frederick Fife is a character I will not soon forget!

4.5⭐

Thank you to William Morrow and Anna Johnston for the gifted DRC through NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, this book was not for me and it was a DNF. I just really couldn’t connect with the characters or the writing so I didn’t finish this one.

I hope others love this one but it wasn’t for me.

Wow, what an incredible debut novel! This book is both heartwarming and heartbreaking, capturing a sense of realism that stays with you long after you’ve finished reading. It reminded me a lot of A Man Called Ove, but with a unique twist—imagine Ove, but without the grumpy edge.

Frederick is an octogenarian struggling through life, with no money, no family, and no friends. Just as he’s about to face homelessness, fate intervenes when he stumbles upon the body of Bernard, a man from a nearby retirement home, and unexpectedly takes over his life (trust me, you’ll want to read the book to understand how!). Frederick steps into Bernard’s shoes—a man who wasn’t particularly loved—and slowly but surely, he wins over both the residents and staff, rekindling old relationships and forging new ones along the way.

This story moved me to tears. When a book can evoke such deep emotions, it earns a solid five stars in my book. It beautifully reminds us that family isn’t just about blood—it’s about the connections we make along the way.

To say this book is heartwarming sounds cliche. But it really is. It’s a story about family and friends and how lonely life can be as we get older. Frederick is a character that you immediately feel a great deal of empathy with, even if you wouldn’t necessarily make the same choices that he made. The impact that he has upon those around him is what kept me reading. From Denise to Hannah, he touched everyone that he came into contact with. I’m glad that Hannah and her passenger have such a great dad and grandpa!

Frederick Fife is a lonely widower, having buried his beloved wife 10 years ago. In his golden years, the money has run out, as has his will to go on. When an accident happens at a river involving a resident at a nearby nursing home, a case of mistaken identity ensues. The two men look very similar, so Fred slips into becoming Bernard, so he will have a place to live. Despite his efforts several times to tell the staff who he really is, they don’t believe him, as “Bernard” has dementia. Further complicating matters is the estrangement Bernard had from his only surviving daughter. As Frederick tries to right past wrongs that Bernard made, this is such a sweet story of love, hope, and forgiveness. And I appreciate how the author treats these older characters with compassion and empathy. Absolutely loved this book! Fans of A Man Called Ove will really enjoy this book! This is Anna’s debut - can’t wait to see what’s next for her!