I usually tend to enjoy books that feature older (senior-age) main characters finding new reasons to keep living or making meaningful friendships right when they need it most, however I struggled to really get into this book and I'm not sure exactly why. Lots of people have loved it and I would definitely recommend it to fans of books like A man called Ove by Frederik Bachman or The brilliant life of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons. Sadly it wasn't a book I could devour and wholeheartedly love. Perhaps a better one to listen on audio for me? In any case, many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read an early copy in exchange for my honest review!

Mistaken identity between Bernard and Fred changes Fred’s life. Set at a nursing home really provides a different aspect of aging. This book has a warm happy ending and was very good. Not many books are written about the homeless or old people so this was a good change in plots.

The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston

Fred is lovable, kind, funny and everything you want your older main character to be. I went in blind — which was fun — and suggest you do the same. It’s light, heartfelt, earnest and far from trite. It has a few surprise twists and turns and actually deals with some heavy subjects sandwiched between the lighthearted life of Fred.

A Man Called Ove is very high on my list of all time favs and while this did not have the same level of humor (IMHO), it is definitely in that same vein — we obviously need more books that honor the older generation. Here, we love our Octogenarian Main Character, love the dream-fulfillment of knowing an older person with so much joy amid life’s inevitable trials and love rooting for him to find the thing he didn’t know he needed.

I adore audio books but in this case, I definitely preferred the print version. Fred’s voice in my head was a tad less melodramatic than the narrator and I liked him much more. It would be a great pallet cleanser after a long or difficult book.

Thank you to @netgalley and @williammorrowbooks for the arc of this lovely book!

4.5 stars

You may have seen a lot of love for this book around Bookstagram and for good reason. The Borrowed Life is a heartwarming debut about Frederick, a lonely old man who gets caught up in a case of mistaken identity which allows him a second chance at finding a family.

If this book is not on your TBR it should be. Frederick is a character that is funny, caring, adventurous and one that I won’t soon forget. The friendships that he makes will absolutely warm your spirit and tug at your heartstrings. I laughed, I cried and in the end I know this is a book that will stay with me and reminds me why I love reading so much!

I adore this book! It made me laugh, made me cry, and appreciate the relationships that I have in my family and these characters either had or desperately wanted to.
Set primarily in an Australian nursing home, as the story started I wondered how I would relate to the main character, Fred. A lot actually: love and loss, memories, and friendship.

Anna Johnston's The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife is a captivating novel that explores the complexities of human relationships, the importance of forgiveness, and the enduring power of love. Johnston's writing is both lyrical and evocative, drawing readers into the heart of the story.

The novel follows the life of Frederick Fife, a young man who finds himself living a borrowed life after a tragic accident. As he navigates the complexities of his new reality, Frederick must confront the secrets of his past and the challenges of his present. Johnston skillfully delves into the depths of Frederick's emotions, offering a raw and honest portrayal of the human experience.

The supporting characters are equally compelling, adding depth and complexity to the story. Frederick's friendship with the enigmatic Mr. Thorne is particularly poignant, exploring the power of human connection and the importance of forgiveness. The novel also delves into the complexities of family dynamics and the enduring power of love.

Widowed 82-year-old Frederick Fife has a heart full of gold but an empty bank account and no home after spending all of his money trying to save his wife from her cancer diagnosis. Just when he's out of options, he finds himself in a unique situation of mistaken identity as a nursing home resident, Bernard Greer. Fred goes from lonely and isolated to the heart of his nursing home in this tale of love, loss, and found family.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit overall. While it resembled the story of "A Man Called Ove," it held its own as a unique story. Many times within the book, the plot felt almost too real in the character's painful memories and experiences, but the author did a nice job of balancing this with humor and heart. The story felt long at times, but the ending was lovely. I think it's worth a read!

I started reading the e-book copy courtesy of NetGalley but then switched to audio format through my Spotify subscription. The narration was excellent.

Fredrick is such a lovable character and pulls you in. While the story line isn’t exactly realistic, it does make you connect and root for Fredrick!

Oh, where do I even begin? I’m such a sucker for a grumpy cinnamon roll character, and Frederick Fife is exactly that. At 82 years old, he was such a light and the heart of this beautiful, heart-wrenching, life-affirming story about finding joy in the family you create.

The story begins when Frederick, mistaken for a man named Bernard at a nursing home, repeatedly tries to explain that he’s not Bernard. But the staff dismiss his protests as confusion from dementia. Surprisingly, Frederick sees this mix-up as a solution to his problems—after all, he was nearly homeless and painfully lonely before. As he seamlessly steps into Bernard’s life, we’re taken on a touching journey of redemption, forgiveness, and second chances.

The book felt like a blend of 𝑨 𝑴𝒂𝒏 𝑪𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝑶𝒗𝒆, 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑼𝒑!—a perfect mix of emotional depth and heartwarming moments. Be aware, though, that it touches on some heavy topics. Although the author handles these topics with sensitivity, I would recommend checking the trigger warnings below before diving in.

🚫TW: grief, dementia, social isolation, miscarriage, infertility, cancer, and addiction.

The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston tells the zany story of how Fred becomes Bernard Greer in the local nursing home. This book was a delight to read! Fred is such a wonderful character. You can’t help but love him. How he ends up in the nursing home is quite bizarre. A very entertaining read with a great cast of characters. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review.

The charming story of an elderly gentleman finding a family when he least expects it. Frederick Fife is a widower with no children and no home. His life is turned upside down when talking a stroll by the river one afternoon, and nothing will ever be the same for him again. Fife unwillingly takes on the identity of a deceased inhabitant of a local nursing home, finding comfort in a warm bed and three meals a day. As time goes on he befriends others in the home and even meets the estranged daughter of his doppelganger. I loved this sweet story of redemption and found family that reminds the reader that it's never too late to make a positive impact on the world and people around you. Highly recommended!

What a great book. Fun, funny and so much more.

Who does not love a book about an older person that is kind, loving, smiles and cares for others? This great guy seems lonely and lost in his old age. Life takes an odd turn and he inherits a whole new family and that is exactly what he needed. People to care for that also care for him. This story had me laughing out loud often, so fun.

The other interesting part of the story - when you try to tell the truth and no one listens - can you just give up and go with the flow if it helps you and hurts no one else? At what point do you again have to try telling the truth? The whole time Fred is helping and loving those around him. So is it wrong? Read this wonderful book to find out about Fred!!!

Thank you to Net Galley and Williams Morrow for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This was an enjoyable read with a wonderful and heartwarming story that stayed with me. We meet Frederick Fife - he's 82 on the verge of being evicted, basically no money or pension, and lonely and sad. He had a beautiful life filled with heartbreak and love but life looks very uncertain at the moment. Until he meets Bernard Greer, a grumpy old man who is on an outing with his nursing home. It is Frederick's good heart and kindness that gets him caught up in being mistaken for Bernard and then decides to go along with the mistaken identity as he finds a good life at the nursing home with basic comforts, friends and a purpose for his life. He also uncovers Bernard's painful family history and Frederick thinks he may be able to do some good along the way. Five stars - I loved this one!

What a sweet book.
I love a story featuring an older person such as the Thursday Murder Club series and How to Die Disgracefully.
This book had the same feel good feeling. Likeable characters and a happy ending.

I received this e-book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the author/publisher for the copy!

Frederick Fife was such a sweet and nice character! I found myself laughing and crying right along. If you loved A Man Named Ove, I think you would LOVE this one just as much!! Although Ove and Frederick are not the same, where Ove was a grumpy old man from the start.... Frederick was a sweet old man and continued to show us how sweet he was throughout the story.

Frederick Fife is a down-on-his-luck widower, facing eviction after spending his life savings on his late wife's cancer treatment. He comes across a deceased individual while walking in the park and the next thing he knows, people are calling him "Bernard" and sweeping him off to a nursing home. Fred tries to tell people that it is all a mistake, but given his striking resemblance to Bernard and the fact that Bernard had been diagnosed with dementia, no one believes him. The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife follows Fred's journey uncovering Bernard's past, building relationships with his fellow residents & staff, and ultimately, the consequences of his actions.

This was such a wonderful story; equal parts heartbreaking and heartwarming. I found myself continuously rooting for Fred, Kevin, Lin, and even Denise. Hannah's character was so raw and real, what she was going to was incredibly relatable. While the book explores themes of family, forgiveness, and belonging, it also tackles much heavier topics such as infertility, addiction, financial insecurity, and grief. Through it all, each and every character is so well developed, relatable, and connected to each other.

I originally rated it 4 stars, but changed it to 4.5 upon further reflection. It truly made me feel all the feels, which is hard to do. I don't know what else to say other than it is an emotional, heartfelt, thought provoking, incredible read. Highly recommend.

My book club read this as our August read and we all loved it. From thriller fans to romance fans we all fell for Frederick and his personality and spirit. As a big fan of the octogenarian found family trope this one was especially heartwarming and a home run.
Frederick is a character you can cheer for, but the book was balanced nicely with some characters that just made you want to scream and show some growth.

What a heartwarming story!! Fred, a lonely elderly man down on his luck runs into a group at a park near the Waddle River Nursing Home and accidentally becomes “Bernard” a resident of the home. Fred becomes friends and helps others in home have better relationships. He also builds a relationship with Bernard’s estranged daughter which causes the reader to consider what relationships can be considered family.

What a sweet book. And also had me reminiscing on the time I worked in a nursing home!

This was a whimsical, heartfelt story about Frederick Fife, who ends up getting mistaken as grumpy Bernard Greer. Frederick is on the brink of being homeless, and Bernard lives in a nursing home. Fred is tired of trying to convince people that he's not actually Bernard and decides to embrace it.

I enjoyed going on this adventure with Fred. There were quite a few moments that had me smiling. There were also a handful of side characters that made this book so good. The residents and the staff were just so fun and made me feel like I was going along this ride with Fred.

I'd recommend this one if you're a fan of found family, quirky characters, and a story that will tug on your heartstrings!

Frederick Fife didn’t mean to take over the life of a dead man; it was all just a silly misunderstanding. When he visits the beach the day he’s to be tossed out of his small apartment, he ends up being taken to a nursing home in the place of a dead man in a wheelchair. He tries to tell them he’s not Bernard, but apparently Bernard wasn’t in his right mind. After a few days, he just decides to stay at the home, where he has a roof over his head and plenty of good food.

Besides food and shelter, being at Bernard’s nursing home gives Frederick people to befriend. Frederick has always had a big heart, and it does him good to share it with the people around him, both fellow residents and employees of the home. Being welcomed and befriended helps fill the big hole left in his heart since his wife died.

The plot thickens, however, when one employee starts to get suspicious and puts some pieces together about Frederick-as-Bernard. And when someone from Bernard’s past shows up, Frederick has to decide what’s truly going to be the best for everyone involved.

The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife is a charming, heartwarming novel. Frederick is a goodhearted, kind, generous man, and it’s a pleasure to share in his point of view for the length of the story. When he feels lonely and sad, you just cheer him on. When the situation gets complicated, you hope that everything can work out for every single person involved. It’s so sweet to see the impact Frederick has on each person he meets, so you particularly want the goodness to come right back to him.

Just delightful. You’ll want to *borrow* this from the library right away… or buy it.