4.5 🌟

I dare you to read this book and not fall in love with Frederic. ❤️

Seriously, this book is everything I love in a book. Fred is such a lovable character - I've never wanted a happy ending for a character so bad (🤐 if he actually gets it). The supporting characters around him are all lovable and this book will have you both laughing and crying.

Thanks, Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

3.5 stars rounded up. An interesting story of a lonely man on the verge of being homeless. Frederick’s luck changes as he is mistaken for someone who has just died. As for what happens next, you have to be prepared to put reality aside. What happens could not possibly happen in real life. However, if you think of it in the same vein as a story such as “It’s a Wonderful Life”, you might be in the right mindset for it. Frederick is a lovable elderly gentleman (perhaps you can excuse a good amount of flatulence talk which occurs more often in the beginning!). I was happy for Frederick getting another shot at a having a good life and receiving some of what he had lost over the years. However, something that bothered me was the very loving relationship he had with a certain person (I don’t want to go too far into it and reveal any spoilers, so I’ll leave it at that). I was a little unsettled by the wording around the relationship. Other relationships were very beautiful, such as the one he had with Albert. It seems as though many people were as blessed having Frederick come into their lives as he was having them in his life. If I could just get past that one relationship (not the fact that it existed, just the wording around it), I would have loved this book. It reminds me of the type of story with quirky characters in Fredrik Backman books, which I’m a fan of.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

This is my favorite book of 2024 so far!!!! The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife is the feel good book I have been craving this year.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

What a charming and wonderful story! I really enjoyed reading. Fred Fife's takes a unexpected turn when he is mistaken for another man who is the same age and looks just like him. Fred was on the verge of being evicted from his home and ends up in the Wattle River nursing home when he is mistaken for Bernard. He tries to say he is NOT Bernard at first but he is not believed. So he borrows Bernard's identity.He now has a place to stay food to eat. He is a very kind man who starts to make friends with the staff and residents. A couple people wonder why Bernard's personality is different, Bernard had the beginning of dementia that Fred does not have so one staffer wonders how this is reversed. For months Fred continues to live as Bernard but brings friendship and happiness to the residents. The POV is seen mostly from Fred. but also a character named Hannah who does tie in to plotline. A very well done "feel good" book. I found myself rooting for the wonderful Fred wishing a "happy ending" for him. I would give this book a 4.5.
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4 stars

This is a very charming feel-good read that is sure to warm even the coldest little hearts.

The titular Frederick Fife is a remarkably loveable character, and while readers must suspend disbelief regarding the main premise and the long-term confusion between Frederick and Bernard (the man whose identity Frederick assumes), this is relatively easy to do since it's impossible NOT to root for this fellow. While the timing is exactly right and utterly fortuitous at the start of the novel, so much of what happens throughout has to do with playing the long game: that folks sometimes get what they need/deserve with so much patience.

Though elements of this novel are deeply moving, there's a consistent sense of levity to balance this. These characters are not two dimensional, and they do not lead charmed lives. They all struggle in their own ways, and most encounter deep losses. That noted, since we can't all borrow lives, the messaging is clear: that we must make the best of the time and the relationships we do have when we have them.

This isn't the typical read I'd go for, but I'm so pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this lovely palate cleanser. Readers who can willingly accept the somewhat absurd premise and constant happenstances will also enjoy this gem of a debut.

Easily one of my favorites reads of the year! THE BORROWED LIFE OF FREDERICK FIFE is deeply profound and emotional story about forgiveness and found family told in such a sweet and heartfelt way. 82-year-old Fred lives in a small apartment he can no longer afford after paying for his late wife's medical bills years ago and feels homeless without his wife at his side. Due to crazy circumstance, he finds himself in a rather peculiar situation, being mistaken for 83-year-old Bernard who lives in a nursing home. No one believes Fred, when he tells the nursing home staff that he is not Bernard, and just assume it's Bernard's dementia talking. Between the staff and other residents he's enjoyed the companionship of, does Fred keep trying to tell the truth but risk the home he's found and felt for the first time in years? Being miserable and lonely, he has the chance to say good bye to his own life and live someone's else's, allowing to even right Bernard's wrongs including healing a relationship he's not apart of that ends up healing Fred in return. Fred Fife is the sweetest, most wholesome identity-stealing criminal out there. The writing is so endearing, funny and entertaining to read and absolutely adored the plot and characters. A beautifully moving book that overfilled my heart with so much love.

Many thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife is a sweet (sometimes bittersweet) tale that kept me hooked as I tried to predict how Fred would resolve his dilemma. A case of mistaken identity combines with loneliness and good intentions to lead to second chances for these warm, likable characters. Surprise reveals, and a satisfying, lovely ending add to the charm of this poignant story about family, aging, loss, and forgiveness.

I finished this book a few days ago. I read it in one day! I was lucky to have the time and wanted to find out what the ending would be, so I pressed on until its conclusion. I feel so blessed to have discovered this wonderful book! I have already recommended it to several fellow reader friends.

I am attracted to books with the older population as central characters. When I saw that the main character, Frederick Fife was 82 I knew this was a book I would enjoy. As I began reading, my excitement for a lovely tale increased, as I discovered the story was taking place in a care home for the elderly! Oh Joy! I could not wait to enter this journey!

I was not at all disappointed in my anticipation. I immediately fell in love with Frederick and my heart broke when learning of his situation. Then I found myself laughing out loud over and over again (which I don’t do often enough). As the story unfolded, I also found myself in tears. That is a sign of an excellent author, when they can draw out so much emotion from a reader.

I love this book so much! I wish I had better writing skills to convince all to read it. I think everyone could benefit from knowing Frederick Fife. I have been fortunate to have several older friends as I pass through my life, and I see many of their wonderful traits in Fred. He has warmed my heart in helping me remember how very blessed I have been, and am.

This is the first book I read by Anna Johnston and look forward to reading many more of her creations.

Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for giving me the pleasure of reading this amazing book. I will be telling all my reader friends to grab this book and begin reading it at once.

BOOK REPORT
Received a complimentary copy of The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife, by Anna Johnston, from William Morrow/NetGalley, for which I am appreciative, in exchange for a fair and honest review. Scroll past the BOOK REPORT section for a cut-and-paste of the DESCRIPTION of it from them if you want to read my thoughts on the book in the context of that summary.

Sweet, heartwarming, amusing—very much along the lines of a Fredrik Backman book.

Description
For readers of Remarkably Bright Creatures and The Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, 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.

“Would you mind terribly, old boy, if I borrowed the rest of your life? I promise I’ll take excellent care of it.”

Frederick Fife was born with an extra helping of kindness in his heart. If he borrowed your car, he’d return it washed with a full tank of gas. The problem is there’s nobody left in Fred’s life to borrow from. At eighty-two, he’s desperately lonely, broke, and on the brink of homelessness.

Fred’s luck changes when, in a bizarre case of mistaken identity, he takes the place of Bernard Greer at the local nursing home. Now he has a roof over his head, three meals a day, and, most importantly, the chance to be part of a family again. All he has to do is hope that his poker face is in better shape than his prostate and that his look-alike never turns up.

As Fred navigates life in Bernard’s shoes, he learns about the man’s past and what it might take to return a life in better condition than he found it.

Bittersweet and remarkably perceptive, The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife is a feel-good, clever novel about grief, forgiveness, redemption, and finding family, from an exciting new voice in fiction.

The synopsis of this book really appealed to me. Initially, I found the story to be incredibly sad and heartbreaking, but by the end I’d describe it as quite heartwarming and life-affirming. I think this book will generate some good discussion at book clubs. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review..

What an absolutely charming heartwarming story. Fred Fife has just lost his home, is depressed about losing the love of his life, his wife Dawn so when he stumbles across Bernard Greer who just happens to be dead and happens to resemble Fred, life get muddled. When Fred accidentally falls with Bernard in his wheelchair, hurting himself and hurling Bernard into the river, a new chance at life begins.

This story is about second chances, about forgiveness, and making the most of your life. Anna Johnston has created a beautiful story, where different characters are given opportunities to have another perspective on their life. Wonderfully written, the characters are diverse and appealing. I laughed, I cried, I wanted to know the characters and visit with them. Just lovely, you don’t want to miss it.

Anna Johnston's The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife is a wonderful story of a mix up between two elderly gentlemen at a nursing home. Frederick accidentally becomes "Bernard" and the story just rolls from there. It's cute, fun, heartwarming and all things good rolled into a great cast of characters. This is a book that will make you want to hug your own family and stays with long after you've finished reading it. The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife is definitely on my top 3 list for 2024.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5. This author is new to me and such a delight. I deducted half a star for profanity. It was a cute, sweet story. The ending was just perfect. Frederick gets into quite a dilemma through no fault of his own. He is in his 80’s and helps so many people as he travels down this new path set before him. I felt the author knew the subject matter well, particularly elderly folks living in assisted living. This was a fun, light hearted read and will leave you smiling. I was blessed with a free ATC, and I’m voluntarily leaving my review. Highly recommend.

How could you not love a book that has this for its first sentence?
“The single drop of pee made a pitiful splash.”
I sure couldn’t! I loved The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston. I don’t want to give too much away because it’s such a delightfully fun journey reading this book. Fred Fife, through no fault of his own, is mistaken for Bernard Greer, a resident in Wattle River Nursing Home. The story turns every which way and back again. It’s definitely a feel good story with lessons along the way. It will make you laugh out loud in places and get teary eyed in others. I would definitely recommend it. Thanks so much to NetGalley for this wonderful ARC.

If you're in the mood for an incredibly heartwarming book, look no further! I'd love to see it made into a movie. This is a fabulous debut by this author and Fred is sure to provide you with all the feels. Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review - pub day is 9/10/24!

“Would you mind terribly, old boy, if I borrowed the rest of your life? I promise I’ll take excellent care of it.”

Frederick Fife was born with an extra helping of kindness in his heart. If he borrowed your car, he’d return it washed with a full tank of gas. The problem is there’s nobody left in Fred’s life to borrow from. At eighty-two, he’s desperately lonely, broke, and on the brink of homelessness.

Fred’s luck changes when, in a bizarre case of mistaken identity, he takes the place of Bernard Greer at the local nursing home. Now he has a roof over his head, three meals a day, and, most importantly, the chance to be part of a family again. All he has to do is hope that his poker face is in better shape than his prostate and that his look-alike never turns up.

As Fred navigates life in Bernard’s shoes, he learns about the man’s past and what it might take to return a life in better condition than he found it.

Bittersweet and remarkably perceptive, The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife is a feel-good, clever novel about grief, forgiveness, redemption, and finding family, from an exciting new voice in fiction.

My Take

There is no way this is a debut album! I fell in love with Fred immediately and then cheered his successes, cried his losses and cheered again for other wonderful things that happen! I found the book moved beautifully from the beginning to the end. I was particularly happy with all the characters and how Anna Johnston made each of the lovable with all their flaws. I wanted the book to end so I'd know the story, but then, I didn't want the book to end. My life is a little less hopeful without Fred. Fabulous humor.

About the Author

Anna Johnston is a former baby, aspiring octogenarian and emerging Australian author with a love for the heartfelt and hilarious. She grew up in country Victoria before moving to Melbourne where she lives joyously with her husband and daughters by the beach. Anna left an imminent career in medicine to follow her heart into her grandfather's nursing home where she became the social support coordinator, taking great delight in shaking up the usual program. When injury left her unable to continue working in aged care, she began to write about it, channelling her love for older people onto the page. Anna has enjoyed a lifelong passion for theatre, screenplay, travel, and creative writing.

Frederik Fife is about to find himself homeless at the age of 82, when a case of mistaken identity lands him in
a senior care center. Initally, he attempts to correct the case of mistaken identity with no success. As he becomes
involved with other residents and employees of the senior care center, his caring ways will have a great impact on their
lives. A heartwarming story.
#TheBorrowedLifeofFrederickFife #WilliamMorrow #NetGalley

Wonderful heartwarming story that will make you wish you knew Fred in real life. This was so well written and made you feel as if you were part of Fred's world. Loved this and highly recommend it!

Absolutely loved this book! It’s a marvelous feel good story that will make you laugh and make you cry. The characters were well developed, and the different personalities made the book even more interesting. The underlying current of dementia kept things real…..it is a sad disease that affects so many. Well written and an overall enjoyable read.

Yes, this book will remind you of the sub-sub-genre of “grumpy but really sweet old men” that has brought us “A Man Called Ove,” “The Pilgrimage of Harold Fry,” “The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper,” and the elevated-to-detectives-of-both-sexes, “The Thursday Murder Club” series. And rightly so. Debut author Anna Johnston has crafted another delightful character in Fred Fife whose luck (he’s nearly homeless) changes due to an unintentional switch with his really grumpy doppelgänger, Bernard, in the Wattle River Nursing Home. Now fed and sheltered and interacting with others again, Fred is at risk of being found out because he’s much kinder, and as he discovers more about Bernard’s life, Fred gets a chance to positively affect the characters of the nursing home. There are the usual themes of loneliness, isolation, grief, and health issues that occur in this old guy genre, but Fred comes out on top and pretty much everyone gets a happy ending.

It’s a quick and easy read with some sad moments, but “The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife” is a satisfying story of love and family. 4 stars!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Hannah has green eyes and brown curly hair.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO The nursing home’s courtyard is overwhelmed by the scent of jasmine and Fred is a tad hesitant about edible flowers.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!