March 2019 - Thirteen members gathered to talk about My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman. Some of us in book club have read a Man Called Ove, so we had a little history in reading one of his novels. Many of us stated that it was very hard at first, we weren't sure we could get through the book. But, by a third of the way in, I believe, most of us were ready to continue on that adventure and excited to see what happens next.
One member said, "Granny was quite the character and I enjoyed the other characters the author created through out the book. I enjoyed learning about the characters through the scavenger hunt that Granny had Elsa go through. They were great lessons." We talked quite a bit about Granny. In the novel it shares that Granny failed as a mother but thrived as Grandma! And she really did, we agreed. One member said it made her cry, "I never had a Grandma like that. Hard to experience because I never had a Grandma like that." So we talked about our Grandma's in relation to how Elsa's Granny was. Someone asked, what stories have you told your kids? Are you a story teller like Granny? One member said she has told her grandkids stories when she goes to visit them, weaves the story with their location and adds bits and pieces. Granny had told Elsa these stories but she also told her mother the stories when she was little, she told the policewoman with the green eyes too.
She wanted Elsa to know that all the people you meet will keep you safe, just like Granny had done for her. "Every 7 year old deserves a hero," one member said. "We need a hero, someone who asks us to transform, to challenge us, to come in and out of our lives, a gift from God. It will be nice tell someone you are a hero." Someone said the new TV series, "The Village" reminds her of this, they are all interconnected in some way in that apartment, all a part of each other's lives. The people in Granny's building were there to help you, to love you, to protect you when you are in sadness, pain, fear and loss. They were your support system.
Granny had this planned out for Elsa to follow. She had even planted the stroller in the front of the apartment, but we figured Britt-Marie made the puzzle for Elsa to figure it out. We enjoyed learning more about the kingdoms and the explanation as the letter deliveries went on. It made sense to us then, it all came together, many were intertwined. These were the kingdoms we found page 228 -- the kingdoms in the Land-of-Almost-Awake:
Miamas -- I love
Miploris -- I mourn
Mirevas -- I dream
Miaudacas - I dare
Mimovas - I dance
Mibatalos - I fight
We struggled with all the fantasy kingdoms, but we agreed we liked the explanation of the kingdoms and agreed this must have been in Wolfhearts native language, perhaps Croatian or Bosnian, since he was part of a conflict in that area we felt. Was this the secret language they used? We found that Granny started telling the stories to Elsa when her parents went through a divorce, the first kingdom was about love.
We talked about Britt-Marie and found there is a follow-up novel, that a few had read, saying they would highly recommend it. "That woman needed change" someone said, and that her quirky character fit the book. We found out that Britt-Marie helped to "raise" Ulrika -- we noted how she always said her name when she talked to her. There was that connection, but we didn't know why that was until at the end. We understood why Ulrika is organized, because Britt-Marie was organized. She was a rule follower and rule maker, and she probably had influence on Ulrika with this. She took control of what she could take control of. Like when her husband (we found out later) was having an affair, she had him come home right away and put his shirt in the laundry. She didn't want to smell that woman's perfume. But we had no idea why it was her rule to put that shirt in the laundry right away, not until the end. Elsa asked Britt-Marie why do you move the razor around -- I like to hear him say my name, she replied. We understood at the end.
We talked about Ulkea and how she wanted to be there for Elsa, she wanted to show Elsa she trusted her, gave her independence though too. We felt she could have smothered her, with what she went through with her mother, but she didn't.
The other characters in the story were so interesting. Who was feeding the wurse? Granny went in hospital so she sent Elsa home to give it chocolate! We figured out that dog had it's own apartment! Someone asked what kind of dog did you imagine him to be? Some said Rottweiler, lab, part hound, and someone said New Foundland dog, full of lots of hair! Wolfheart was an interesting character. We were glad he came back New Years Day and was not charged with a crime in saving them from Sam. Alf & Kent, we find out later were brothers, who were both fighting for the princess, Britt-Marie, but Ken won and it should have been Alf! Len & Maud were characters that were the parents of Sam, who Granny had met and actually was saved by Wolfheart in the war. Len & Maud's son, their grandson, helped the Lady in Black Skirt, who had a happy ending in the book, we liked that. We felt Elsa really helped her. Marcel - funny, was an accountant, a doctor, a lawyer, a priest!
Harry Potter was one of Elsa's favorite books. It helped piece together the timeline as we read that Granny used some of that in her stories. Interestingly at the end, Elsa's Dad had Harry Potter on the radio, that he was listening to the story. We talked about some of the stories that we read when we were growing up, "the Happy Holisters," "Encyclopedia Brown" "Little House on the Priairie." "Lord of the Rings."
Elsa had some trouble in school, but through stories, through Granny's stories, she survived. At the end Granny says to her: "Promise you won't hate me when you find out who I've been. And promise me you'll protect the castle. Protect your friends." We liked how the story wove through those int he building and they were all to protect each other. A few had commented that we thought this would be a great movie, and it would be interesting, now to go back and read it again, as we understood a little better what this all meant!
***I found this link, that explained the characters of the book. I wish I would have had it before I started reading. If you are interested, click here to see the list!
One member said, "Granny was quite the character and I enjoyed the other characters the author created through out the book. I enjoyed learning about the characters through the scavenger hunt that Granny had Elsa go through. They were great lessons." We talked quite a bit about Granny. In the novel it shares that Granny failed as a mother but thrived as Grandma! And she really did, we agreed. One member said it made her cry, "I never had a Grandma like that. Hard to experience because I never had a Grandma like that." So we talked about our Grandma's in relation to how Elsa's Granny was. Someone asked, what stories have you told your kids? Are you a story teller like Granny? One member said she has told her grandkids stories when she goes to visit them, weaves the story with their location and adds bits and pieces. Granny had told Elsa these stories but she also told her mother the stories when she was little, she told the policewoman with the green eyes too.
Granny and her daughter Ulrika were so different, such opposites. Granny was a doctor and had a larger mission we talked about, she saved many lives and continued to save many lives, those around her. Granny was a free spirit, her daughter, very orderly. Granny was the one you brought to war. Granny was a heroine to so many in the book. The residents, the policewoman in the green eyes and the others at the funeral. Granny won the apartment building in a poker game and we laughed about Granny being a "playboy" and Elsa asking Alf if they were ever an item!!!
She wanted Elsa to know that all the people you meet will keep you safe, just like Granny had done for her. "Every 7 year old deserves a hero," one member said. "We need a hero, someone who asks us to transform, to challenge us, to come in and out of our lives, a gift from God. It will be nice tell someone you are a hero." Someone said the new TV series, "The Village" reminds her of this, they are all interconnected in some way in that apartment, all a part of each other's lives. The people in Granny's building were there to help you, to love you, to protect you when you are in sadness, pain, fear and loss. They were your support system.
Granny had this planned out for Elsa to follow. She had even planted the stroller in the front of the apartment, but we figured Britt-Marie made the puzzle for Elsa to figure it out. We enjoyed learning more about the kingdoms and the explanation as the letter deliveries went on. It made sense to us then, it all came together, many were intertwined. These were the kingdoms we found page 228 -- the kingdoms in the Land-of-Almost-Awake:
Miamas -- I love
Miploris -- I mourn
Mirevas -- I dream
Miaudacas - I dare
Mimovas - I dance
Mibatalos - I fight
We struggled with all the fantasy kingdoms, but we agreed we liked the explanation of the kingdoms and agreed this must have been in Wolfhearts native language, perhaps Croatian or Bosnian, since he was part of a conflict in that area we felt. Was this the secret language they used? We found that Granny started telling the stories to Elsa when her parents went through a divorce, the first kingdom was about love.
We talked about Britt-Marie and found there is a follow-up novel, that a few had read, saying they would highly recommend it. "That woman needed change" someone said, and that her quirky character fit the book. We found out that Britt-Marie helped to "raise" Ulrika -- we noted how she always said her name when she talked to her. There was that connection, but we didn't know why that was until at the end. We understood why Ulrika is organized, because Britt-Marie was organized. She was a rule follower and rule maker, and she probably had influence on Ulrika with this. She took control of what she could take control of. Like when her husband (we found out later) was having an affair, she had him come home right away and put his shirt in the laundry. She didn't want to smell that woman's perfume. But we had no idea why it was her rule to put that shirt in the laundry right away, not until the end. Elsa asked Britt-Marie why do you move the razor around -- I like to hear him say my name, she replied. We understood at the end.
We talked about Ulkea and how she wanted to be there for Elsa, she wanted to show Elsa she trusted her, gave her independence though too. We felt she could have smothered her, with what she went through with her mother, but she didn't.
The other characters in the story were so interesting. Who was feeding the wurse? Granny went in hospital so she sent Elsa home to give it chocolate! We figured out that dog had it's own apartment! Someone asked what kind of dog did you imagine him to be? Some said Rottweiler, lab, part hound, and someone said New Foundland dog, full of lots of hair! Wolfheart was an interesting character. We were glad he came back New Years Day and was not charged with a crime in saving them from Sam. Alf & Kent, we find out later were brothers, who were both fighting for the princess, Britt-Marie, but Ken won and it should have been Alf! Len & Maud were characters that were the parents of Sam, who Granny had met and actually was saved by Wolfheart in the war. Len & Maud's son, their grandson, helped the Lady in Black Skirt, who had a happy ending in the book, we liked that. We felt Elsa really helped her. Marcel - funny, was an accountant, a doctor, a lawyer, a priest!
Harry Potter was one of Elsa's favorite books. It helped piece together the timeline as we read that Granny used some of that in her stories. Interestingly at the end, Elsa's Dad had Harry Potter on the radio, that he was listening to the story. We talked about some of the stories that we read when we were growing up, "the Happy Holisters," "Encyclopedia Brown" "Little House on the Priairie." "Lord of the Rings."
Elsa had some trouble in school, but through stories, through Granny's stories, she survived. At the end Granny says to her: "Promise you won't hate me when you find out who I've been. And promise me you'll protect the castle. Protect your friends." We liked how the story wove through those int he building and they were all to protect each other. A few had commented that we thought this would be a great movie, and it would be interesting, now to go back and read it again, as we understood a little better what this all meant!
***I found this link, that explained the characters of the book. I wish I would have had it before I started reading. If you are interested, click here to see the list!
