"A charming, heart-rending tale about the unbreakable bonds of love told through the experiences of an unforgettable 96-year-old woman."
Doris lives a lonely life in Stockholm, her only human contact coming from daily carer visits and weekly Skype calls with her beloved grandniece Jenny, who lives in America. Since being given an address book by her dad as a child, Doris has kept a record of her life, noting all the people she’s loved, and all those she’s lost with “DEAD” written against their name.
A smart dual narrative lays bare fascinating details of Doris’s life as she writes stories about her past for Jenny, with poignant developments also playing out in the present day narrative. We follow Doris as she’s sent to work for a wealthy Frenchwoman at the age of thirteen, a job that sets her on a path of exploration that continues through her life – modeling in Paris, meeting the love of her life, the outbreak of WWII, a reunion with her younger sister, a flight to America.
Doris’s complex, rich life sees her crisscross the Atlantic, following her heart, experiencing near misses, loves lost, and loves re-found. When Doris is hospitalised, her life seems on the verge of crashing in both narratives, as Jenny makes her own journey across the Atlantic to be with the aunt she so loves.
The novel’s beautiful ending makes the soul sing, the heart swell and the tears fall, and so I shall leave the last word to Doris: “Don’t be afraid of life, Jenny. Live. Help yourself. Laugh. Life isn’t here to entertain; you have to entertain life. Seize opportunities whenever they come along, and make something good out of them.”
THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER'Written with love, told with joy' Fredrik Backman, author of A Man Called Ove
| Primary Genre | Modern and Contemporary Fiction |
THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER'Written with love, told with joy' Fredrik Backman, author of A Man Called Ove'Wise and captivating' People MagazineWithin the pages of 96-year-old Doris's red address book are the names of all those she has loved and lost, telling the story of a colourful life. Living alone in Stockholm, she is comforted by the weekly calls of her grand-niece Jenny, who is haunted by a painful childhood.Finally, Doris decides to put pen to paper, using her address book to recall the memories of a life well-lived - from 1930s Paris runways to narrow New York escapes during World War Two - and what she and Jenny discover may well change their lives forever…
The Red Address Book features in the following genres: Modern and Contemporary Fiction, General Fiction, Fiction
Paperback, Hardback. £9.89, down from the £10.99 cover price. In Stock.
The Red Address Book was written by Sofia Lundberg and published by The Borough Press an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
The Red Address Book has 290 pages
£9.89, reduced from £10.99. In Stock.
