Frederick Fife is an 82-year-old man, down on his luck in a small town near Sydney, having just learned he's been evicted from his apartment, when he comes across a man about his age, dead in his wheelchair while on an excursion with his care home. This man, Bernard, looks strikingly similar to Fred, and due to a comedy of errors, Fred takes over his life, and makes some new friends and has a second chance at a family in the process.
This is a quick little read, with multiple narrators, Fred, Denise, and Hannah. How their lives all tie together is the main plot of the book. Overall for me, while it was a lovely story, I don't really see it sticking with me for the long term. Yes, it was heartwarming, but it lacked something as well. The writing was well done, each narrator had a distinct voice, and it certainly seems I'm in the minority when I say that for me this book was average at best. I will round up from 3.5 stars to 4 for my rating.
Thank you to Book Club Girl, William Morrow, and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

So precious and heartwarming! I loved this story about elderly and homeless Fred, and how he came to "borrow" the life of Barnard, another old guy with a significant case of dementia. Fred, because of mistaken identity, moves into the nursing home where Barnard has lived and assumes his identity, contributing love, help, and guidance to the staff and other residents. A special person enters his life, and he begins to have purpose and dignity. This story is sweet (maybe a little sappy!) and satisfying. Anna Johnston moves the action along at a well-paced clip so I was never bored, and I never needed to reread for details. I read the book in record time - just couldn't put it down. Highly recommend for those who love a sweet story!

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife.

Frederick Fife. A flatulent octogenarian with a heart of gold. This was a story about feeling loved and seen in a world where being invisible and heart-broken is something that can happen at any age. “Wattle River Nursing Home” was a place of comfort, friendship and found family not only for the residents, but for anyone and EVERYone crossing paths with this memorable man. A friend who had a way of filling up anyone's “tank” who crossed his path, even mine.

I’m so happy to have had the chance to read the Advanced Reader’s Edition e-copy of The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston; thank you NetGalley and William Morrow.

This was the heart warming story of Fred, who mistakenly takes over the life of another older gentleman after an accident. He moves into his home at the senior care facility and the reader gets to see what happens as a result.

Favorite parts:

+ Fred’s character was endearing, quirky, and easy to love.
+ I loved the found family troupe and seeing Fred find “his people”, even if it was later in life.
+ I enjoyed the commentary on the treatment of seniors and the plights that they face that are often overlooked, such as, loneliness, financial instability, loss of purpose, dementia, less than stellar care, etc.

Parts I could’ve done without:

- The pacing felt a little slow to me at times. This is a much more character driven novel; I wish a little more had happened in the plot.
- It definitely requires a suspension of disbelief.
- Lots of senior citizen “potty talk”, sometimes it was funny, sometimes it felt over the top.

Overall: This was a heart warming read with some deeper social commentary on problems that senior citizens face. I recommend it for readers who are looking for a feel good story with a slower pace and a charming protagonist.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing a digital ARC of the book to read and review.

Fred has completely warmed my heart. I was rooting for him the entire time, he was such a delight to everyone who got the pleasure of meeting him. The mishap that brought him to the nursing home was such a blessing to him and to the other residents. I absolutely adored this book, it is the same style of feel good story as those written by Phaedra Patrick. I will absolutely be looking out for the author's next book!

I'd like to that NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me access to this book. This book was so heartwarming and I really loved Fredrick's character. I would highly recommend even to people who don't typically read this type of book.

5 *****

This is an absolute gem! An antidote to the negativity of daily life. .If you need a dose of human kindness, read this book!

I assume everyone reads the provided synopsis before looking at reviews so I won’t repeat the plot outline. Major and minor characters were well drawn; I was never confused among them though there were a good number of characters involved. And, they evolved (most of them) and blossomed thanks in no small part to Fred’s good nature.

The story was well written, flowed well. I was never jarred out of the story by an awkward turn of phrase or a poor segué. The plot was well crafted, with key turning points and the inevitable challenges. The complicated pasts of various characters were revealed bit by bit, organically as scenes unfolded. It was very well structured, but more than that, it just flowed. I devoured this story!

I HIGHLY recommend this book. I enjoyed every minute of it and will impatiently await more by this author.

My appreciation to the publisher and NetGalley for this advance review copy; my opinions are my own, and freely given.

The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife is universally charming, heartwarming, tear-jerking, and oddly enough, healing. This book had me rolling in laughter at one point and sobbing into my kindle the next. If you read nothing else this year, this is the one.

Anna Johnston is a debut author and she will be on my list of writers to watch from here on out. What a beautiful book about second chances and the power of love and connection. By a series of unfortunate events, Frederick Fife is mistaken for Bernard Greer at a nursing home. Though trying desperately to correct the mistaken identity, he cannot find anyone who will believe him as Bernard had just been diagnosed with dementia. Eventually, as Fred was homeless and had no where else to go, he decides he may as well just live there as not; after all, he isn’t harming anyone by living out his days as Bernard, right? Until one day Fred learns something about Bernard that makes it more and more challenging to continue the ruse. When everything is at stake, how can you choose?

I adored this book. What a powerful story of love and redemption. Bring your tissues.

I’d like to thank William Morrow and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Such a delightful romp with geriatric friends. Fred touched lives in many ways despite the circumstances in which he had encountered them. This is one is found family at its finest! It easily compares to “A Man Called Ove” and “All the Lonely People.”

This was an unexpected treasure of octegenarian wisdom, community, and confusion - I loved it. (And for what it’s worth, my 14 year old son read and highly recommends it too!)

Frederick Fife is 82 years old, without family, and newly homeless. He encounters an elderly man who has peacefully passed away in his wheelchair on his daily walk, and through a series of quirky events Fred accidentally assumes his identity. The man, Bernard, lives at a well-appointed elder care facility where no one believes Fred’s pleas that he is not, in fact, Bernard. As Fred finally settles into the home, making friends with carers and neighbors alike, he finds information that complicates his ruse.

This is giving "a man called ove" with the pull-at-your-heartstrings level cranked all the way up. Fred and his relentlessly positive attitude create happy little ripples at wattle river nursing home - standing in as a devoted brother for a lovely man in the memory-care facility, offering patience and gratitude for the overworked carers, and testing out his matchmaking skills for two young nurses.

This is really such a lovely book to read at times like this, when things out of our control don't have much upside. It's an endearing reminder that we can make our own circles into glens of kindness.

A very charming debut novel! Loved the character of Fred, the second half of the this book was wonderful. I wonder if perhaps some of this will get edited as I read an early copy and there were parts that I felt could be edited (mall scene, looking at you). Sometimes you just need a lively heartwarming story about found family, an old guy and a serious turn of luck.

I received a free ebook from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review. I like fiction. Fiction is hit and miss. I don't like when I read a novel and I can figure out what is going to happen from the beginning. The book kept me surprised the entire book. It was a light and meaningful book.

I thought the book was about one thing when I started. The book ended up being about something very different. The characters were multi dimensional. All the characters were perfectly flawed. All the characters had pain and trauma.

I didn't truly understand the book when I started. The book was written from a few different points of view. Most of the time, I don't like books written from different POV. However, in this book it made the story better. .

It's a book written about so much. It's nice to see a book with older characters. A book that makes you think. A book that doesn't demonize our mistakes.

This is a book that I would probably reread. I would look at the book differently from a second read. There are so many themes in this book. It is a book about love, family, forgiveness, happiness, friendship, the elderly, listening, purpose, addition, and more.

I am so thankful to the author and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this wonderful book. I look forward to reading the authors next book. I would be interested in seeing the author if she does a book tour

This is one of the very best books I have read in a long time! I was so very sad when it ended!!!! Whatever happens to turn a book into a movie needs to be happening now! This story is far too amazing to only be in print! This book ran the gamut of characters and emotions, drawing you into characters lives with skill and understanding. Such a great book, can not recommend it enough!

What a joy to read! I have to admit I have a special affinity for books with elderly characters who find joy!! This book was full of humor and hope and love and joy and pain and found family...AND ALL THE FEELS. if you are looking for a lovable character to fall for The Borrowed Life of Fredrick Fife will bring a smile to your face and warmth to your heart!!

What a wonderful, touching, laugh out loud, emotional story taking place in a long term care facility where there is a case of mistaken identity!
Frederick Fife needs a miracle to happen for him.
He has no family, no money and is losing his living quarters all at eighty-two years old.
What did he ever do wrong? He has always helped everyone and tried to be a "good" guy.
While on a on a walk one day, he winds up with a head injury and then finds himself in a nursing home.
He realizes that life may not be so very bad. The food is great and people seem to care.
However... his name has changed and nobody believes who he really is. Could it be dementia?
Now what to do?

I loved Fred and I surely know anyone who picks up this story will truly like Fred and all his "new" friends.
I will add: tissues are definitely needed at times.
Thank you to @NetGalley and @William Morrow for this ARC and allowing me to read and provide my own review.
I will be looking for more from this author. Well done!

Along the lines of a Man Called Ove this is a heartwarming book about another chance at life after the life one built has seemingly come to an end. Having spent a lot of time in a memory care ward over the last two years visiting a loved one this book made me cry. Dementia is different in everyone but it’s no less damaging. Fred brings so much love and understanding to those people around him in this environment that he accidentally finds himself in that we could all learn from him. To me the most endearing quality of his character is that he doesn’t waste his accidental opportunity. He doesn’t take any of it for granted. He spends all of his time trying to make the world a better place than he found it. As sad as it is that those people are in there because of life robbing dementia Fred’s life is even more tragic. He’s in a forgotten group of society. Were it not for his borrowed circumstances he most likely would be homeless and vulnerable. Along with the attention the book brings to the problems faced by the elderly population this book reminds us that a little compassion goes a long way. The elderly are still complicated humans on the inside. Growing older is definitely not for the faint of heart. The ending is exactly as I would want it to be even if it may be a bit unrealistic. Loved this book.

To enjoy Anna Johnston's debut novel, you must first willingly accept her impossible premise--that an elderly man who looks a lot like an elderly dead man he has just encountered can take over the man's name and life in a retirement care home in Australia . . . and nobody will be the wiser. I never did buy it, but by the end of the book, I still found myself entertained, and even emotional.

Fred is about to be homeless, having spent all of his money on the medical expenses of his deceased wife. He runs into some senior citizens on a field trip by a river, realizes a man in a wheelchair is actually dead, and tries to find his caretakers, inadvertently knocking the man into the river, where he floats away. The caretakers immediately take Fred for their resident, Bernard, and won't listen to Fred's protests that he isn't Bernard. And, of course, he doesn't mind it that he now has a place to live.

I won't go into any more detail, much of it difficult to believe, but we do learn a lot about Bernard's sad life, his late wife and older daughter, and his long-estranged younger daughter. We also become acquainted with a female caretaker who is descending into depression and substance abuse, an endearing resident with dementia and his devoted wife, and two employees who are destined to come together in a romantic relationship. I would have enjoyed a lot more nuance to the plot, and I could have done without one female resident who is simply too crass, but I did find the book worth reading after a rocky start, to find out how each plotline is resolved and whether Bernard ever gets caught. You might enjoy it as well.

My thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

“The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife” by Anna Johnston was an absolutely awesome book! It is hard to believe that this is a debut novel as the story is unique, engaging and deals with the important societal topic of elder care.
The story revolves around an 82 year old man who is about to be homeless after the death of his beloved wife. While out walking, he finds himself among a group of senior citizens from a nearby group home and witnesses the death of a man in a wheelchair who amazingly is his doppelgänger. Through no fault of his own he winds up assuming the man’s identity and gets a second chance at life.

This story is so beautifully written and speaks to the issues of dementia, loneliness, financial instability and depression that many seniors face in the later stages of their lives. The book is sad, funny, hopeful and I predict it will be the runaway bestseller of 2024.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book instantly made me think of "A Man Called Ove" which is one of my absolute favorite books! This 82 Year old man has so much heart and spirit left in him and it was written so well!! It was so easy to fall in love with this story and cast of characters! Honestly, this is easily one of my favorite books of 2024 and I will absolutely be listening to the audiobook and picking up a physical copy! Please make this into a movie!! I's a perfect found family/ second chance at life story!