WILLOUGHBY BOOK TALK
When The Cranes Fly South: A Novel
by Lisa Ridzén
Translated from the Swedish by Alice Menzies
Penguin Random House, 2025
“A powerful, sneakily emotional meditation on life and death, and the foundational relationships in our lives. This is a book that will echo in your soul.” —Garth Stein, New York Times bestselling author of The Art of Racing in the Rain.
THU | JAN 22 | 7 PM
IN THE KEYES GALLERY AT THE LIBRARY
About the book
INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • WINNER OF THE SWEDISH BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD • A profoundly moving debut novel that follows an elderly man’s attempts to mend his relationship with his son before it’s too late: an emotional story of love, friendship, fatherhood, dogs, and atonement that is already an international sensation.
“One of those ‘you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll want to buy twenty copies and give them to everyone you love’ books.” —Fredrik Backman, bestselling author of A Man Called Ove, in The New Yorker
“A powerful, sneakily emotional meditation on life and death, and the foundational relationships in our lives. This is a book that will echo in your soul.” —Garth Stein, New York Times bestselling author of The Art of Racing in the Rain
Bo is running out of time. Yet time is one of the few things he’s got left. These days, his quiet existence is broken up only by daily visits from his home care team. Fortunately, he still has his beloved elkhound Sixten to keep him company … though now his son, with whom Bo has had a rocky relationship, insists upon taking the dog away, claiming that Bo has grown too old to properly care for him. The threat of losing Sixten stirs up a whirlwind of emotion, leading Bo to take stock of his life, his relationships, and the imperfect way he’s expressed his love over the years.
About the Author
Lisa Ridzén (b.1988) is a doctoral student in sociology, researching masculinity norms in the rural communities of the Swedish far north, where she herself was raised and now lives in a small village outside of Östersund. The idea for her heartrending debut When the Cranes Fly South came from the discovery of notes her Grandfather’s care team had left the family as he neared the end of his life. She began penning the novel whilst attending Långholmen Writer’s Academy.
Awards
The Zetterström Commemorative Medal Sweden – Tranorna flyger söderut When the Cranes Fly South2025Shortlisted for Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize UK – Tranorna flyger söderut When the Cranes Fly South2025Norrland Culture Prize Sweden – Tranorna flyger söderut When the Cranes Fly South2025Swedish Booksellers' Award (Book of the Year) Sweden – Tranorna flyger söderut When the Cranes Fly South2025Shortlisted for Norrland's Literature Prize Sweden – Tranorna flyger söderut When the Cranes Fly South2025The Adlibris Award (Best Fiction) Sweden – Tranorna flyger söderut When the Cranes Fly South2024The Adlibris Award (Best debut) Sweden – Tranorna flyger söderut When the Cranes Fly South2024Book of the Year Award Sweden – Tranorna flyger söderut When the Cranes Fly South2024