Although this book has its share of heartbreak and difficult characters, it is quite uplifting. A destitute, grief-stricken octogenarian’s life is about to change in more ways than he can imagine. This is Anna Johnston’s debut novel THE BORROWED LIFE OF FREDERICK FIFE.

With no money to pay his rent, Fred is about to be evicted from the apartment he shared with his wife, the absolute love of his life, now deceased, with no family to turn to, he's emotionally exhausted. A strange turn of events leads him to switch places with a man who lived in a nursing home, which solves his housing problem. Fred soon makes new friends, eats well, and other extraordinary things happen. Yet, he worries about being found out in this unintended swap. Fred doesn’t take the care and kindness he is shown for granted, but he knows that all good things must come to an end. Or maybe not. He is living a borrowed life.
​
It's a story about grief, redemption, found family, forgiveness, and how love can show itself in mysterious ways, even from beyond.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I knew from the cover and description of The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife that it was going to be the next Ove and I was right!

You get to meet Frederick Fife in a bit of a precarious position and immediately you know you are going to love him. I really don't want to give too much away with this one but just know that you are in for a heartwarming read. I also really love the theme of found family that was strongly showcased in this story.

“Grief was love with nowhere to go.”

Get ready to laugh and cry and I know this one is going to be a favorite for many!

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 336 / Genre: Fiction
🥳#HappyPubDay!🎉

Old, lonely, and about to become homeless, Fred went for a walk to clear his head when he stumbled upon Bernard, who just died in his wheelchair while out on a field trip with his nursing home. Bernard also happens to look quite a bit like Fred. So after a series of mishaps, poor Bernard ended up floating down the river when his carer Denise found Fred on the ground bonked on the head and immediately assumed it was Bernard. From then on, everyone assumed Fred was Bernard, no matter how hard he tried to tell them who he really was. This case of mistaken identity turned into amazing luck for Fred, who appreciated everything in life that Bernard never did, including his estranged daughter.

This was such a heartwarming father-daughter tale of life, relationships, forgiveness, and second chances. This book made me cherish the relationship I have with my dad.

Thank you, @NetGalley, @WilliamMorrowBooks, and @AnnaJohnstonAuthor for my gifted copy. I loved it.

The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston is such an adorable read and I highly recommend! It explores themes of chosen family, grief, kindness, forgiveness, redemption. The characters are wonderful, flawed, and human. It expertly expresses the human condition.

Frederick’s situation is dire. He’s being evicted and has nowhere to go. He’s still reeling in grief from the death of his wife. Frederick is not sure what to do next when he stumbles upon an elderly man in a wheelchair next to the river. Unfortunately, he finds the man already dead. While helping his body back to the nursing home attendants an accident happens and the man’s body ends up being carried down the river, at the same time a caretaker from the nursing home comes to take him back to the room and mistakes Frederick for the man, Bernard.

It takes Frederick stepping into to the shoes of another man’s life (literally) to find everything his has been missing.

Eighty-two year-old Frederick "Fred" Fife is all alone and down on his luck. A walk by the river turns into an unexpected case of mistaken identity, and Fred finds himself surrounded by new family and friends. He has to tiptoe around the caretaker Denise, because she has everything going wrong in her life and hates to be deceived.

This was a heartwarming story bringing different age groups together and shining a light on how the senior population can be treated and forgotten. It showed how kindness can take root in the most surprising places. With laugh out loud moments and moments of sorrow, this was a surprisingly great read that would make a wonderful movie.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

What a beautiful, heartwarming story! Set in a small town in Australia, it’s about an 82-year-old widower named Fred who is mistaken for a recently deceased nursing home resident named Bernard. Due to their uncanny resemblance and Bernard’s dementia, nobody believes Fred when he tries to correct the misunderstanding, and he finally gives up trying to convince the staff because living as someone else with a comfy room, 3 meals a day, and the friendship of his fellow residents to stave off his crushing loneliness is much better than being homeless, which was his next step had fate not intervened. However, when he learns that Bernard has a daughter he was estranged from for over 30 years, Fred has to make the difficult decision of whether to come clean or try to be a father to this lovely woman who has already lost so much in her life.

Author Johnston has written a unique story that highlights the plight of the elderly which is universal. Although the message is ultimately uplifting and redemptive for Fred, it also illustrates how shamefully inadequate the social safety nets are for some of society’s most vulnerable citizens. Fred is as healthy as an octogenarian can be, with no signs of dementia, but thanks to medical debt he incurred when his late wife was battling cancer, he was forced to sell his home and is eventually evicted with nowhere else to go. More fortunate seniors are able to afford decent nursing homes, but they are still at risk of shabby treatment by staff if oversight is lacking, which is portrayed in this book by a nurse who is barely coping with the dissolution of her marriage by turning to alcohol. Johnston also uses a delightful character named Albert to portray dementia and Fred’s friendship with him to demonstrate the correct way to interact so as to cause the least emotional upset and heartbreak. There is plenty of humor as it relates to the human condition, but also plenty of tears. As someone who witnessed her own mother’s long battle with dementia, this story was sometimes painful to read, but I have no regrets thanks to Johnston’s thoughtful handling of the disease.

If you’ve read and enjoyed Remarkably Bright Creatures, you’ll want to read this book as well. Highly recommended.

I absolutely ADORED Fred and even more knowing his character was based off the author’s grandpa and makes me so jealous I never knew my grandparents!

Read if you like:
👯 Friendships
💔 Heartbreaking Plots
🏚️ Broken Families
💩 Poop/Fart Jokes
👴🏼 Senior Citizens
😘 Flirty Old Ladies

This book has a little bit of everything from immature jokes, sad moments, heartwarming moments, heartbreaking moments, found family, love, loss, and everything in between just like life.

I didn’t know what to really expect when I picked this one up, but so glad I did as I really loved it so much and so glad I took my time with it to fully enjoy everything this book delivered and loved the way Fred ‘s story was written to give all the emotions and moved effortlessly from lighthearted to sad to happy and back and forth.

I don’t want to say too much, but for those that need them, I have listed trigger warnings below as this book hits on many topics that depending on the reader and the place you may be in, may be hard to read about.

The way this story is truly encapsulated by “thank you for letting me borrow your life…” and how well Fred truly borrowed and handled his situation he finds himself in made me believe in the good of humanity and wish I had my own Fred.

Thank you to the publisher for my EARC and physical ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Trigger Warnings:
🍻 & 🎰 Addiction
😷 Cancer
☠️ Deaths of loved ones (Child/Spouse/Friend)
🤰🏼 Accidental Pregnancy
🩸 Miscarriage & infertility struggles
🏠 Homelessness/Poverty
✌🏻 Absent Parents
😘 Cheating
🧠 Dementia / Age Related Deteriorating

The Borrowed Life Of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston, every now and then you come across a book you know you’ll need Kleenex for but for this book you’ll need to buy it as if a hurricane is coming or there’s a Covid outbreak because OMG is this a tear jerker! Frederick five lives in Australia and while Al pondering is intending homelessness he sees a man dumped out of the wheelchair near a river. While trying to help the unconscious man, fleetingly he notices they’re striking resemblance. when Frederick puts him back in his wheelchair, while he’s taking off his jacket the chair rolls to the river and although the chair stops at the river Bernard Greer does not.. this is how when nurse Denise comes to get Mr. Greer she mistakes Frederick five for her patient who has dementia so when he tries to explain he is not him she blows it off as him just being quirky due to his condition. So now Frederick five lives in a nursing home and ultimately decides no harm no foul he’s eating has a safe place to sleep soon also has friends, but theirs somethings about Mr. Greer‘s life Frederick wasn’t prepared for and one of those was his angry daughter Hannah. Let me stop here and just say if you love funny, found family, heartwarming, tearjerking stories this is the book OMG… OMG oh I freaking love this book! So many times I who do not cry while reading sad stories almost cried multiple times. I absolutely 100% recommend this awesome awesome book that I hope becomes a movie. #NetGalley,#HarperCollinsAustralia, #AnnaJohnston, #TheBorrowedLifeOfFrederickFife,

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow, and Anna Johnston for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Frederick Fife, suffering from the loss of his wife, finds comfort when he is mistaken for a dead man, and confused workers put him in the now available bed at the local nursing home. He tries to tell them, but they just don’t always pay attention to old people, so he relaxes and makes friends, the kind of friend we all need to have and to be. Everyone loves him, as well as learning valuable lessons about life from him. Life takes a few twists when Fred meets Bernard’s daughter, she wins his heart, and he has to make the choice whether to be truthful with her.

This is a life-affirming book! You will feel good and hopefully pass this feeling onto others.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC: This is an uplifting book--the central protagonist is 82, homeless and alone and he inadvertently changes places with a similar appearing nursing home resident. Johnston explores the invisibility of the old and family dynamics--Fred meets the estranged daughter of Bertrand and establishes a bond and attempts to make reparations for poor parenting. Fred had been very lonely and alone and the nursing home provides him with stability and connections. While it may not be completely realistic, there are very realistic observations about how older people are treated and the lifelong wounds from inadequate parenting, Fred is a deeply decent man and his story is lovely.

This is such a wonderful heartwarming story! The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston is a book I believe everyone would love to read. There are parts that are sad, parts that might make you angry, but overall it’s a beautiful story that’s filled with love. Fred is down on his luck, his wife has passed away, he has no living friends or relatives and he’s broke and being evicted from his flat. An accident happens at the park and he is mistaken for someone he’s not. From there he takes on the life of someone else and the story unfolds. At times it was quite comical to read but I found it endearing how he interacts and befriends both the residents and the employees at the nursing home. He ends up finding friends, family and a real purpose in life. I loved reading this, perhaps it’s because I’m getting older, but I enjoyed reading a book that centered around a senior citizen who was living in a nursing home. Most authors don’t write stories about the older generation and I thought it was a pleasant change. I’d like to thank NetGalley for the arc that I obtained off the Read Now section. This was a very enjoyable read for me and I believe everyone who reads it will agree. I’m giving it a 5 star rating and since this was the authors debut novel, I’ll be waiting patiently to read what she writes next!

This book is definitely going to the top of my list of favorite books for 2024. It's hard to believe that it was the author's debut novel. I found it so much better than similar books I've read for book club discussions in recent years. Those would include A Man Called Ove, The Unlikely Pilrimage of Harold Fry and The 100-Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared. The characters from those books were not nearly as endearing as Frederick Fife ((aka Bernard Greer). I experienced such a range of emotions from tears to laughter and could scarcely stop reading to do anything else. Thanks so much to NetGalley, William Morrow and the author for an advance copy to read.

I really enjoyed this book. On the day that Fred was being evicted, they assumed that he was Bernard. Fred kept telling him that he wasn't Bernard, but they didn't believe him since he was Bernard's spitting image. I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. I love Fred and the wonderful way he treated people. His becoming 'Bernard' brought so much lightness to people's lives. I love the humorous situations he faced and the heartwarming ones. I also felt for him with his grief for his wife and the child that he lost. Fred is a man that makes the world a better place. I love the story's positive vibes.

Awe this felt like a warm hug in a book. I adored this lovely wholesome tale that put a smile on my face and brightened my day. My heart completely melted over Frederick, you couldn’t help but feel for him over the turning situation he came to be in. And I greatly appreciate Anna Johnston for so adeptly shining a light on how special it feels when someone shows caring, kindness, and compassion towards another, most especially to our elders that often feel left behind as they grow older. Oh and I loved how Johnston perfectly mastered the mistaken identity trope, hilarious! 5 stars — Pub. 9/10/24

I received an advanced copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I don’t know why, but I love rooting for a character who’s done something he shouldn’t have done and has to find a way out of that poor decision. Frederick Fife is that guy. He’s allowed a case of mistaken identity to go way too far. But, Frederick is also irresistible, the kind of guy you’d welcome into your life because he’s so kind and positive.

I love books about feisty older people, too, and it’s not just because I’m aging. When I was much younger, two of my favorite books were Walking Across Egypt by Clyde Edgerton and Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns. Both featured elderly protagonists. Oh, and I’ll always celebrate reading The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson and A Man Called Ove by Frederik Backman. Not to mention the fact that my debut novel is about an older woman. But, I digress.

The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston is packed with humor and warmth. You’ll keep turning the pages to find out how in the world the mess Frederick has made can possibly be resolved. And you’ll be sorry to come to the end because you know you’ll miss the lovable guy and his found family.

Many thanks to HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley for an advance review copy of this book.

I first came across this book when I saw it on Instagram before it was even mentioned in the US and I just knew I had to have it. The blurb alone was enough to draw me in.

In THE BORROWED LIFE OF FREDERICK FIFE you have Fred who is broke, homeless and alone. This tugged at my heartstrings and it should tug at everyone’s. How one can be 82, having lived a long and honorable life and even with being broke, with no home, and no family…. And still be just…. Kind.

Somehow Fred stumbles into the life of Bernard after being mistaken for him. This part was hilarious. I laughed so hard I cried. Almost woke the kid up. Suddenly Fred has things a lot of people take for granted. A warm meal, the security of a place to sleep, friends, and maybe even family. It was about humility, family and the kindness of strangers.

I don’t usually get attached to characters simply because I know they’re not real but Fred was very real for me. I just wanted to hug Fred.

This book also shed light on the reality of people in nursing homes. How sometimes they’re forgotten. The loneliness. Even when they’re not forgotten there’s a lack of human contact and companionship.

I primarily read thrillers because they’re such an escape and who doesn’t love an escape? The thing is sometimes you just have to let yourself feel. It’s okay to feel. It’s inescapable. This is a book I’ll carry in my purse simply because it’s a reminder of so many good things. It’s like a security blanket. It makes me happy.

This book is for readers of all genres. I dare you not to love Fred.

A special thank you to Netgalley, William Morrow, Tess and Anna Johnston for providing me with this ARC, and allowing me to shamelessly beg for this book.

This novel begins with an absurd premise - an elderly man being mistaken for another whose dead body just washed away, now forced to take his place in the nursing home - and then with humor and sincerity, it addresses some of the most real and heartbreaking aspects of aging. I certainly fell in love with Frederick, the protagonist, but I loved the other characters in this story, too. The plot felt a bit forced by the end (which makes sense given the bizarre starting point), but overall, this book was entertaining and heartwarming.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC!

Sometimes, a book finds you just when you need it. Such is the case with Anna Johnston's debut novel, "The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife."

Charming, sweet, funny, heartbreaking, and always hopeful, the story revolves around Frederick Fife, an 82 year old, down-on-his luck widower. Through a serious of comical, yet serious mishaps, he finds himself going from evicted and homeless, to living a better life in an assisted living home within the space of an afternoon. There's only one little, teensy-weensy problem with this. Everyone now thinks his name is Bernard, and no matter how hard he tries he simply can not convince them otherwise!

Quite assuredly, the most original "second chance love story" that I've read in a very, very long time! We should all be so fortunate to have a Fred Fife in our lives!

This novel has a publish date of September 10, 2024.

The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston was such a beautiful story.
This character driven story was very thought-provoking.
Such a heartwarming and endearing read that I very much enjoyed reading.

Thank you Netgalley & William Morrow Publishing for an eARC ♥️

Get ready to have your heart both broken and warmed by the incredible story of Frederick Fife. At 82 years old, Fred's life has been marked by loss and loneliness. He's outlived his wife, his friends, and even his purpose. But in a stunning twist of fate, Fred is given a second chance when he's mistaken for another man who's passed away.

As Fred navigates his new life at the Wattle River Nursing Home, he's surrounded by people who are struggling to find meaning in their own twilight years. There's the feisty ones, the forgotten ones, and the ones who are just trying to hold on to what's left. And then there's Fred - a man who's been given a rare gift: a chance to start over.

With his quick wit, his generous heart, and his irrepressible spirit, Fred sets out to make the most of his borrowed life. He befriends the misfits, comforts the grieving, and brings joy to those who thought they'd never smile again. And in doing so, he finds a new family, a new purpose, and a new reason to keep going.

This story will break your heart in the best possible way. It'll remind you of the beauty and fragility of life, and the power of human connection to transform even the darkest of times. So if you're ready to laugh, cry, and have your heart warmed to the core, then join Fred on his unforgettable journey.♥️