The Winners

The Beartown series is going down as one of my favourite book series evah! Its story and especially its characters will stay with me for a long time, and I look forward to rereading this series again (and again) in the future.  

Yeah, it's that good.

This trilogy is centred around the world of minor hockey in a remote Swedish town. Since I'm part of a rare non-hockey Canadian family, a book set around hockey isn't what I'd normally read. But you don't need to like hockey to love this book. I read this entire series two weeks before I was going to meet Backman at an event and remembered why I loved his style of writing. He weaves the lives, loves and tribulations of his characters (who burrow into your heart and your head) within a story that will keep readers riveted and give them much to think about.

This book picks up two years after the first two books: Beartown and Us Against You and although it's a beast of a book at 670 pages, the story flows easily as readers are pulled back into the lives of the townspeople who have become so dear to us.

I love Backman's writing style that uses an omniscient narrator and a healthy dose of foreshadowing. As he explained at the event, he uses this technique to give his readers the feeling that he's telling them a story (like the fairy tales of old) and it completely captivated me, leading me to read well past my bedtime (on several occasions) after he'd drop hints about what was yet to come. 

When I had the pleasure to meet Fredrik Backman last week it became one of my all-time favourite author events I've ever been to - and I've been to a lot of them!

I loved learning about his writing process and his inspiration for this fantastic series. He has a delightful dry, self-deprecating sense of humour (we Canadians love that) and was humble and vulnerable with his audience about his struggle with mental health during the writing of this series.

This trilogy is so much more than hockey. This is a story about people, corruption, family, marriage, community, grief and forgiveness and as Backman explained at the event, his stories (like sports) give people an escape from their daily lives.

I have been a fan of Fredrik Backman's since he wrote A Man Called Ove but I'm a mega fan now. I cannot wait to see what stories he shares with us next.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Atria Books for providing me with a digital copy of The Winners in exchange for my honest review. I loved it so much I bought a print copy for my shelves. 😊

My Rating: 5 stars

Author: Fredrik Backman

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Type and Source: eBook from publisher + personal Trade Paperback

Series: Book 3 in Beartown series

Publisher: Atria Books (Simon & Schuster Canada)

First Published: October 6, 2022

Beartown series:

Beartown

Us Against You

The Winners

Book Description from GoodReads: Two years have passed since the events that no one wants to think about. Everyone has tried to move on, but there’s something about this place that prevents it. The residents continue to grapple with life’s big questions: What is a family? What is a community? And what, if anything, are we willing to sacrifice in order to protect them?

As the locals of Beartown struggle to overcome the past, great change is on the horizon. Someone is coming home after a long time away. Someone will be laid to rest. Someone will fall in love, someone will try to fix their marriage, and someone will do anything to save their children. Someone will submit to hate, someone will fight, and someone will grab a gun and walk towards the ice rink.

So, what are the residents of Beartown willing to sacrifice for their home?

Everything.