The Deal of a Lifetime
A Novella
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4.2 • 208 Ratings
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
In this short story enhanced with beautiful illustrations, the bestselling author of A Man Called Ove, Beartown, and Anxious People delivers an insightful and poignant tale about finding out what is truly important in life.
A father and a son are seeing each other for the first time in years. The father has a story to share before it’s too late. He tells his son about a courageous little girl lying in a hospital bed a few miles away. She’s a smart kid—smart enough to know that she won’t beat cancer by drawing with crayons all day, but it seems to make the adults happy, so she keeps doing it.
As he talks about this plucky little girl, the father also reveals more about himself: his triumphs in business, his failures as a parent, his past regrets, his hopes for the future.
Now, on a cold winter’s night, the father has been given an unexpected chance to do something remarkable that could change the destiny of a little girl he hardly knows. But before he can make the deal of a lifetime, he must find out what his own life has actually been worth, and only his son can reveal that answer.
With humor and compassion, Fredrik Backman’s The Deal of a Lifetime reminds us that life is a fleeting gift, and our legacy rests in how we share that gift with others.
Customer Reviews
The Grandparent Paradox
I have seen iterations of this short story’s theme played out in real life time and time again. A parent who did not know how or care to learn how to utilize their position to create a healthy relationship with their kin. Only to become a loving grandparent who gives their grandchild everything they didn’t give their own child. Although not blood related, this realization stems from a young girl’s suffering and seeing the switch in human emotion is heartbreaking for everyone involved. It’s a quick read that packs the punch of a full well written novel.
I makes you think
Life is short and so is this book I wish it was longer. So very much enjoyed it
Brilliant
Backman creates amazing, relatable characters so effortlessly and uses them to share his stories and feelings in a way no one else can. Funny, smart and soulful every time! Thanks for sharing with us!