A heartwarming and funny novel about down-on-his-luck Frederick Fife and the life of poor dead Bernard that Frederick accidentally takes over. I enjoyed Johnston's ability to provide both sentiment and hilarity in equal measures. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for a digital review copy.

Frederick Fife is an elderly widower with no children and no living friends. After struggling to pay rent and being asked to leave, Fred mistakenly stumbles into the life of another elderly man with an uncanny resemblance to himself. Through mistaken identity, Fred lives out the life of grumpy Bernard Greer at a local nursing home. With this new life, Fred finds friendship, found family, and purpose again, but is he willing to lie to continue this second chance at life?

From debut author Anna Johnston, The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife tackles many really heavy topics including dementia, death, childhood cancer, and alcoholism. I found myself reaching for the tissues on several occasions, but Johnston took care in handling these subjects and was sure to provide readers with much needed comic relief. As much as I cried, I also chuckled at all of the antics found within the nursing home and beyond. This was a heartwarming book that I will continue to think about for some time.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Anna Johnston’s debut THE BORROWED LIFE OF FREDERICK FIFE is joyful and triumphant. Granted, the premise is unique and maybe a little over the top, but it definitely proves its point that older adults aren’t seen as they should be.

Fred is 82 and down on his luck after losing his wife a decade prior and falling on hard financial times, and he stumbles upon a dead body that looks like himself in a wheelchair. The dead body falls into the river, and Frederick is presumed to be the wheelchair’s occupant Bernard and taken back to Bernard’s nursing home. This case of mistaken identity leads Fred to have endearing moments with several of the nursing home residents, including a man with dementia who thinks Fred is his own brother who passed away many decades ago. Fred’s charm also impacts the staff.

Fred’s wife Dawn couldn’t keep a pregnancy and he regrets never being a father, so when he finds out Bernard has been estranged from his adult daughter for over 30 years, Fred’s goal is to mend that relationship and possibly learn what it’s like to be a father.

It’s really difficult for a novel to navigate humor, being endearing, a touch of sadness without too much sentimentality. There is a lot to love here when with some more developed side characters than I’m used to and wanting the best for all of these characters, especially Fred and Bernard’s daughter.

I think fans of REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES and THE STORIED LIFE OF A.J. FIKRY will enjoy this novel. Solid writing with memorable characters. This debut novel will publish September 10, 2024, and is well worth your time.

I have seen a lot of people recently ask what to read if they liked "Remarkably Bright Creatures", this is my answer. This is such a heartwarming story! I was fortunate enough to receive an advanced readers copy of this book from NetGalley. So, the only downside is that you have to wait until 9/10/24 to read it. I will warn you that it starts off a little cheesey in case that is something you can't handle.

The book I didn't know I needed. First of all, let's talk about the catchy and clever title! Second, this book had the perfect hook of grabbing the reader from the beginning and keeping one engaged. The pacing of the book was perfect. Our octogenarian protagonist was simply the perfect character that felt like such a real person, expressing real emotions of the human existence.

A book that will be in my top 10 of the year and an easy one for me to recommend to all. If you like Frederick Backman-I think this will be a good fit for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the advance e-copy of this book.

I cannot express how much I loved this book! It reminded me of a cross between “A Man Called Ove” and “All the Lonely People” which are both books that I also loved.

Anna Johnston did a brilliant job bringing each character to life. The depth of their stories, emotions, worldview; I connected with them all. I laughed, I cried, at some parts got angry, I felt so many emotions while reading this novel. I wish that I could read it all over again like it was the first time! This book is about forgiveness, grief and loneliness, how kindness can conquer much, and how family is sometimes not biological but built with the foundation of love. This is a must read.

Thank you HarperCollins Publishers and Netgalley for the ARC for my honest review.

Frederick Fife, a kind widower who is about to be evicted (all his money was spent on his wife’s cancer treatment), is walking on the shore and trying to figure out what to do next when he spots a man slumped in his wheelchair, and of course he steps in to help. But when trying to push him back to his group, the wheelchair, Frederick, and the body all tumble - except the body falls into the water and washes away. This begins the most fortunate case of mistaken identity - Frederick looks like Bernard, the man in the wheelchair, a grumpy man of means who has dementia and a room in an elder care facility. No one would listen to Frederick when he says he’s not Bernard. Frederick is therefore given a second chance - he now has a group of friends, a warm bed and food, and Bernard’s daughter who he hasn’t seen since she was 8 (so she doesn’t realize he’s not the real Bernard). Maybe he can give Bernard a second chance as well, and mend his relationships.

This was such a fun and joyful book - it was almost like the Ove antithesis - Frederick was kindness incarnate. He took over a man’s life who was his opposite and decided to take what Bernard had and help others. This book was believable in its unbelievability - and just a heartwarming story. It takes a look at the concept of - if you could walk in another man’s shoes (and wear his dirty underwear) and takes it in a different direction and I just loved it. It had the joy of Remarkably Bright Creatures and it just left me with such a smile when I was done. I know this is a debut novel and I cannot wait for her next - I will be there waiting for it!

4.25 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC to review

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of The Borrowed Life of Fredrick Fife.

I found this book to be light, witty and easy at times to read. Although, The Borrowed Life of Fredrick Fife did brush on some heavy topics of aging, Dementia, cancer and family issues or lack there of family. It was a wonderful read.

I seldom read a book as sentimental as this one, they are not my favorites but Fred held my attention. Through a hard-to-believe accident of mistaken identity, near homeless and lonely senior Fred takes the place of Bernard, his doppelgänger, in a nursing home. If there was a nursing home her is the US like the one set in Australia, I would move in by the end of the month. Fred is a “good and kind bloke.” He finds friends, loving relationships, and three square meals a day and only needs to pretend he is the irascible Bernard who has incontinence issues and has the beginnings of dementia. The story is funny, sad, and uplifting it also too sentimental. I do quibble with a line in the fourth to the last paragraph of the last chapter (not the epilogue), “It didn’t matter…” would not have been Fred’s thought.

I received a free e-arc through Netgalley. This book had me hooked from the first page. Oh Fred and Hannah, what you went through in your separate lives before fate brought you together. I love this book because it's not a typical romance, but rather about the love between people of any age. That friends and found family are more important than money. Although money is nice too. I need more books from this author!

“You’d be surprised how people treat you differently when you’re older. You don’t feel any different, but it’s as though you fade away, like a Polaroid picture in reverse.”

At 82, Frederick Fife is lonely. A widower who is about to be evicted, he’s scared about what the future will bring. One day, while out contemplating his life, he sees a man who he tries to rescue unsuccessfully. Only when he tries to explain what happened, no one will listen. Instead, due to a coincidentally uncanny resemblance, they assume Frederick is actually Bernard Greer, said deceased man who also happens to be a resident of a local nursing home.

While Frederick’s is initially flustered that no one will listen to him, he can’t deny that Bernard’s life isn’t anything to sneeze at. In fact, if he stays in the home as the missing resident he will have delicious meals, great company, and, most importantly, a much needed roof over his head. I mean the man is dead anyway-what harm can there really be?

But as time goes on, it becomes harder and harder to keep up the charade. After all, Frederick’s version of Bernard is sharper and kinder. Then there’s the messiness of his estranged daughter reentering the picture, as well as a worker in the facility who has her own suspicions, and her own set of suspicious behavior. Struggling with the idea of “borrowing” another man’s life, the aging Frederick also knows he’s also living on borrowed time.

The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife was a beautiful book that will undoubtedly make the reader laugh and cry. It’s the story of two men who never technically met, but still managed to impact the other’s life in remarkable ways. It’s also a resounding reminder that it’s never too late to get a second chance.

This story is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. Fred is a widower without family or friends. He is about to be evicted from his apartment. By a twist of fate he is able to assume Bernard's life in a nursing. Fred is lonely and this allows him to find new family and friends. Family is not always your blood relatives.

This is a book that I really enjoyed. I would highly recommend reading it. You will laugh and cry during the story. Senior citizens don't always have connections to friends and family. How do they get treated by society? This book will make you think of the senior citizens that you know and maybe you can reach out a friendly hand. What a stunning book!

Thank you to #NetGalley, #AnnaJohnston, and #HarperCollins for a copy of this wonderful story.

*****Publishing September 10, 2024*****

Frederick (Fred) Fife, age 82, was being evicted by his landlord for not being able to pay rent. On the same day, as if his life couldn’t get any worse, he fell by the river, and was mistaken for Bernard. He lost his ID and couldn’t prove it, so he ended up as Bernard in Wattle River Nursing Home. At least he had a place to stay and meals. How will Fred cope with this new situation? Will he be able to convince them he is not Bernard? Can Fred escape the nursing home?

Denise works at the Wattle River Nursing Home and has a family of 4 with two daughters, Sadie and Hannah. Sadie is diagnosed with cancer, which sends both her and her husband into depression. Also, it causes her marriage to start crumbling!

Can Denise and Fred find support in each other while facing their own dilemmas? This book will have you turning the pages to find out!

I loved the premise of this book, it made for an entertaining read! Especially the unexpected way the story evolved! Also, I loved the sense of humor that the author put in this story, as it made for some laugh- out-loud moments! Of course, Fred is an endearing lost soul that has gotten into a predicament. What’s not to love? A great book club book as it would spark many interesting discussions.

Thanks to William Morrow, I was provided an ARC of The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Frederick Fife, a kind, elderly, and lonely widower finds himself with no family and almost homeless. Circumstances occur and he ends up taking the place of a grumpy, elderly man in a nursing home. They look uncannily alike. Anna Johnston has brought the reader a book filled with sadness, forgiveness, and hope while showing us the many different ways by which family can be defined and redefined.

I have been waiting for the next “OVE” to love-and I just found him in Frederick Fife! An EASY 5 STARS! ⭐️

Frederick Fife lost the love of his life-his wife Dawn-and all of their money-trying experimental treatments with the hope of beating her Cancer. And now, after months of being unable to pay his rent-he has also found himself homeless.

Perhaps it’s fate that intervenes, when he witnesses an elderly man in a wheelchair, fall while feeding seagulls, during a group outing of the Wattle River Nursing Home. He attempts to assist but the man, clearly deceased, falls into the river, and is washed away along with Frederick’s wallet.

Remarkably, he resembles this man, Bernard Greer, closely enough to pass for him-and despite his protests and explanations-the staff chalks off his ramblings as dementia and he is whisked into the wheelchair, onto the bus, and into the man’s room and pajamas.

He can’t really remember when he last had a warm meal, and the bed is so comfy-surely being Bernard for one night couldn’t hurt…

Fred soon discovers that Bernard seems to have no family left either and maybe, just maybe, he can borrow his life and have a place to live out his days? He has been so lonely, and the staff and some of the residents are already starting to feel like “found family” with each passing day.

This is a POIGNANT DEBUT which is equal parts heartbreaking and heartwarming. And, it had a better twist than some of the thrillers I have read this year!

If you enjoy character driven novels, which have you missing the “people” you meet, as soon as you turn the last page-this is a book for you! I needed tissues more than once!

I dare you to not fall in love with Mr. Frederick Fife!

Available September 10, 2024

Thank You to William Morrow for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. As always, these are my candid thoughts!

"A warm, life-affirming debut about a zany case of mistaken identity that allows a lonely old man one last chance to be part of a family."

This book is absolutely heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. I laughed, and I cried through the entire book. Digging deep into dementia, nursing homes, death of loved ones, divorce, cancer, and estranged relatives is tough, but this book and the stories woven within it are so beautiful. Fred, Albert, and Val are all characters I would be honored to cross paths with when I'm in my 80s. As this was a debut for this author, I look forward to what she has in store for us next. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Fred is the most likeable old man I've ever met (read). He'll give anyone the shirt off his back, and he'll do it with a smile and happiness in his heart.
After he ends up pretending to be someone he's not in an assisted living facility, he feels the loneliness life after his many years without his deceased wife. He makes beautiful friendships and connections. But when he learns that the person he is pretending to be has an estranged daughter, everything changes.

This book is a wild ride. One minute you're laughing out loud at some of the residents' antic or Fred's quips, and the next you've got tears dripping down your face as you watch people walk through grief, dementia, loss, heartbreak and more.

In the end, this book felt so beautifully redemptive and left me utterly charmed.

A truly charming story of second chance, forgiveness, and redemption. I loved every second of it and it left me filled with hope.

I received an advance copy of this book, and it was right up my alley (or right up my street, as they say in the UK.) I love stories about sweet old people and the shenanigans they get up to. 4 stars.

This story pulled on my heartstrings. All the feels!!! Yes, there was sadness, loneliness and heartbreak ... yet all so heartwarming. The setting in the Nursing Home is unique, but the author does a great job developing her characters and connecting relationships. You will fall in love with these characters and find yourself rooting for happy endings.
I kept wanting to read more, yet I didn't want the story to end.
This was a debut novel for author Anna Johnston; well done! I will be on the lookout for her next.
I am so happy I was able to receive an Advance Copy to read!