This is one of the very best books I have read in a long time! I was so very sad when it ended!!!! Whatever happens to turn a book into a movie needs to be happening now! This story is far too amazing to only be in print! This book ran the gamut of characters and emotions, drawing you into characters lives with skill and understanding. Such a great book, can not recommend it enough!

What a joy to read! I have to admit I have a special affinity for books with elderly characters who find joy!! This book was full of humor and hope and love and joy and pain and found family...AND ALL THE FEELS. if you are looking for a lovable character to fall for The Borrowed Life of Fredrick Fife will bring a smile to your face and warmth to your heart!!

What a wonderful, touching, laugh out loud, emotional story taking place in a long term care facility where there is a case of mistaken identity!
Frederick Fife needs a miracle to happen for him.
He has no family, no money and is losing his living quarters all at eighty-two years old.
What did he ever do wrong? He has always helped everyone and tried to be a "good" guy.
While on a on a walk one day, he winds up with a head injury and then finds himself in a nursing home.
He realizes that life may not be so very bad. The food is great and people seem to care.
However... his name has changed and nobody believes who he really is. Could it be dementia?
Now what to do?

I loved Fred and I surely know anyone who picks up this story will truly like Fred and all his "new" friends.
I will add: tissues are definitely needed at times.
Thank you to @NetGalley and @William Morrow for this ARC and allowing me to read and provide my own review.
I will be looking for more from this author. Well done!

Along the lines of a Man Called Ove this is a heartwarming book about another chance at life after the life one built has seemingly come to an end. Having spent a lot of time in a memory care ward over the last two years visiting a loved one this book made me cry. Dementia is different in everyone but it’s no less damaging. Fred brings so much love and understanding to those people around him in this environment that he accidentally finds himself in that we could all learn from him. To me the most endearing quality of his character is that he doesn’t waste his accidental opportunity. He doesn’t take any of it for granted. He spends all of his time trying to make the world a better place than he found it. As sad as it is that those people are in there because of life robbing dementia Fred’s life is even more tragic. He’s in a forgotten group of society. Were it not for his borrowed circumstances he most likely would be homeless and vulnerable. Along with the attention the book brings to the problems faced by the elderly population this book reminds us that a little compassion goes a long way. The elderly are still complicated humans on the inside. Growing older is definitely not for the faint of heart. The ending is exactly as I would want it to be even if it may be a bit unrealistic. Loved this book.

To enjoy Anna Johnston's debut novel, you must first willingly accept her impossible premise--that an elderly man who looks a lot like an elderly dead man he has just encountered can take over the man's name and life in a retirement care home in Australia . . . and nobody will be the wiser. I never did buy it, but by the end of the book, I still found myself entertained, and even emotional.

Fred is about to be homeless, having spent all of his money on the medical expenses of his deceased wife. He runs into some senior citizens on a field trip by a river, realizes a man in a wheelchair is actually dead, and tries to find his caretakers, inadvertently knocking the man into the river, where he floats away. The caretakers immediately take Fred for their resident, Bernard, and won't listen to Fred's protests that he isn't Bernard. And, of course, he doesn't mind it that he now has a place to live.

I won't go into any more detail, much of it difficult to believe, but we do learn a lot about Bernard's sad life, his late wife and older daughter, and his long-estranged younger daughter. We also become acquainted with a female caretaker who is descending into depression and substance abuse, an endearing resident with dementia and his devoted wife, and two employees who are destined to come together in a romantic relationship. I would have enjoyed a lot more nuance to the plot, and I could have done without one female resident who is simply too crass, but I did find the book worth reading after a rocky start, to find out how each plotline is resolved and whether Bernard ever gets caught. You might enjoy it as well.

My thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

“The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife” by Anna Johnston was an absolutely awesome book! It is hard to believe that this is a debut novel as the story is unique, engaging and deals with the important societal topic of elder care.
The story revolves around an 82 year old man who is about to be homeless after the death of his beloved wife. While out walking, he finds himself among a group of senior citizens from a nearby group home and witnesses the death of a man in a wheelchair who amazingly is his doppelgänger. Through no fault of his own he winds up assuming the man’s identity and gets a second chance at life.

This story is so beautifully written and speaks to the issues of dementia, loneliness, financial instability and depression that many seniors face in the later stages of their lives. The book is sad, funny, hopeful and I predict it will be the runaway bestseller of 2024.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book instantly made me think of "A Man Called Ove" which is one of my absolute favorite books! This 82 Year old man has so much heart and spirit left in him and it was written so well!! It was so easy to fall in love with this story and cast of characters! Honestly, this is easily one of my favorite books of 2024 and I will absolutely be listening to the audiobook and picking up a physical copy! Please make this into a movie!! I's a perfect found family/ second chance at life story!

This story about an 82-year-old man sets all the stereotypes about aging on their collective heads. One by one, this book distills all the myths about aging: how a person set in his ways can’t start over, how Alzheimer’s disease is an unfathomable illness, and how life can have meaning without forgiveness, to name a few.
Frederick Fife has been mistaken for Bernard Greer by the Wattle River nursing home. To make matters worse, the late Bernard Greer was found dead and lost by Fred in the river. Try as Fred might, he could not convince the nursing home he was Fred, not Bernard, because of a startling resemblance.
What’s a man to do? Fred settles in and enjoys the sumptuous food and entertaining clients of the nursing home while impersonating Bernard.
And it works for a while.
The author, Anna Johnston, plunges us into a backstory full of mystery. Where does Bernard disappear to at night? We suspect the worst.
When will his daughter, Hannah, re-surface? Not anytime soon.
This entertaining novel is an invitation to never give up because love can come when least expected and is just around the corner.
My thanks go to NetGalley and William Morrow Publishers for the ARC of this heartwarming story.

This will be made into a film, it is way too good of a story and so cinematic.

Therefore here is my dream cast.
Fred- Robert DeNiro
Dawn- Blythe Danner
Hannah- Amy Adams
Albert- Dustin Hoffman
Val- Sofia Loren

This is one of my top ten books of the year. For fans of A Man called Ove and Remarkably Bright Creatures- in a word, this is HEARTWARMING.

Our hero grows a heart of gold. About Schmidt, but make it Australian.

A case of mistaken identity, Frederick Fife becomes Bernard and lives his life, despite his protestations. You’re gonna love this one, chat. If you roll your eyes at cheesiness, stay away.
Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow books for the ARC. Book will be released September 10, 2024.

In this debut contemporary fiction novel, we briefly meet Bernard, then Fredrick Fife who through a bizarre set of circumstances ends up masquerading as 83 year old nursing home resident Bernard, and a whole host of charming side characters. Before Fredrick becomes Bernard, he has spent all his money on his late, beloved wife's medical treatment, and is about to become homeless through no real fault of his own. You need to suspend reality a bit to go along with the premise of this novel, but once I did that, I fell in love with Fredrick and many of the people he befriends.

This is a novel that reminds you of the invisibleness of the elderly, but how far just a little bit of kindness can go. It is a story that involves forgiveness and addiction and is both heartbreaking and funny, I always enjoy a found family story, and we have this here, as Fredrick touches many lives with his kindness. If you are looking for an ultimately uplifting story, I definitely recommend the Australian debut author a try.

Thanks to net galley and William Morrow books for an e galley in return for an unbiased review.

I cried no less than 5 times reading this book. It’s sad, heartbreaking but also so incredibly warm and loving. “Grief is love with no place to go.”

This was an interesting read that will resonate with people.
Our character essentially starts a new life and through this he really finds himself.
I enjoyed this one and I think others will too.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

At the age of 82, Frederic Fife finds himself basically homeless. He’s lost the ‘home’ he and his recently deceased wife had lived in, courtesy of the landlord who evicted him. He isn’t sure what he will do now, without anyone to turn to. As he’s walking with no real direction, he ends up near a group of people nearby, all residents of a senior care center. He sees a man in a wheelchair, slumped over a bit, and proceeds to try to get him back among the other residents, but then there’s a mishap, and Frederic Fife finds himself in somewhat of a pickle.

The thing is, Frederic Fife looks almost exactly like the man who was, for a time, in the wheelchair, and all of the staff and residents believe that Frederic Fife is the man who was in the wheelchair, and do not understand even when he tells them otherwise.

This goes back and forth over time, looking back into earlier years, the regrets, the mistakes made, the love, the losses, and the pain of finding yourself all alone in this world, and no one believing in you.

There’s a lot of charm in this story, but there are moments of sadness, as well. After all, it does take place in a senior care center. But even then the feelings and memories are more bittersweet than sad.

This also shares the division that occurs in some families, as well as heartbreaking loss, but is also balanced by the kindness of some of the residents as well as the staff.

If you’ve read and enjoyed / loved Rachel Joyce’s books, you’ll enjoy this one, as well.


Pub Date: 10 Sep 2024


Many thanks for the ARC provided by William Morrow

This was such a cool book! I loved it so much. It was so thought provoking and I highly recommend it to fiction readers.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife" and all opinions expressed are my own. Heartwarming story. You really have to find out what Fred/Bernard gets into. Very entertaining.

"The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife" is a heartwarming and life-affirming debut about an elderly man. His mistaken identity gives him a final chance to experience family.

Frederick Fife, 82, is kind-hearted but lonely. He stands on the brink of homelessness. His luck changes when he is mistaken for Bernard Greer. He is admitted to the Wattle River Nursing Home. There he finds shelter, food and a sense of belonging. As Fred lives Bernard's life, he uncovers the man's past. He learns how to mend a broken life.

I loved this book! The concept, story and characters were delightful. They made me laugh and cry. It was so enjoyable. I savored every moment. This is one of the best reads I've had in a long time. Without giving too much away, the plot is full of engaging twists. These keep you hooked from start to finish. I will definitely follow this author. I never expected a book set in a nursing home to be so captivating. Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow.

This is my favorite read of 2024 so far, and I have read a LOT of books! This novel has everything I look for in an engrossing read- a unique premise, interesting and believable characters, plus a storyline that keeps me turning the pages. I was so tuned in to Fred's character that I HAD to know if he could make it out of his dilemma, and if so- how. The author maneuvered this brilliantly (and I'm not saying anything more!)

The writing is spot-on; there are many, many laughable moments, and also so many touching moments that made my heart smile.

It's rare to find a well-written, intriguing book about senior citizens, and I have to say--- I will remember this one always and will share it with our KaleidoSoul book group.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and publisher, for an advanced reading copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife is a story about mistaken identity and found family. I really enjoyed it. It was a bit slow going at first but came into its own quickly. The characters are well written especially Fred as Bernard and the guy he befriends in the nursing home. That one nurse who had a drinking problem and was abusive to the residents was horrible, I think we were meant to feel sorry for her but I absolutely did not, what an awful person. The plot, while unbelievable, was neat. I loved the relationship between the daughter and Fred. This is a great story that will make you smile at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
What a heartwarming book! I usually don't go for books that are unrealistic but I felt something about the synopsis was telling me this would be a good book. And it was so charming! Fred really is such a lovable character and definitely has best intentions for borrowing Bernard's life.

I HOPE this book turns into a movie. I just LOVED this book. I cannot believe that a book about a nursing home would have this effect. This was such a great book I give it five stars. Entertainment 100%. Just when I think I have it all figured out something new popped up. I highly recommend this read for pure entertainment.netgalley gifted this book to me and all opinions are mine and if you read it may also be yours! I will follow this author after this!