This story was powerful. Raw. Heartbreaking. It completely crushed me. I love how much Sixten means to Bo, as a girl with a soul dog myself I completely understand the bond. I loved the difficult familial relationships that Lisa dug into with this story - it all felt very real: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Books don’t make me cry. It’s not a thing that happens. But this book made me cry, it was a slow burn that hits you like a Mac truck at the end.

Gorgeous.

This was a tough book for me -- I thought the writing was excellent and I was invested in the characters, but it was not one I was drawn to picking up and took me awhile to get through. I spend a lot of time at a memory care facility and am often interacting with people near the end of their lives, and that might have influenced why this one was hard for me.

I really felt for Bo, it was so sad that he and his wife were separated and I felt so sad that he couldn't spend more time visiting her.

I feel like this book does a great job of showing how small life can get at the end - when you don't interact with many people and don't have many news -- everything is mostly internal.

I will definitely read more by Lisa Ridzén in the future, as I did think the writing in this book was excellent and did care a lot about the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

This book destroyed me!!! Wow - I am recommending this to everyone I know. Its better to go into it without much research and know you are in for a kicker of a book.

This was a very emotional and moving story. It's about Bo, a ninety something year old man in the last days of his life. His wife has gone into a home due to severe dementia and he has a very difficult relationship with his son, Hans. His days are mainly spent with visits from his caregivers and spending time with his beloved dog, Sixten. His son starts to feel that the dog is too much for him at this stage and wants to take him away. This is quite difficult for Bo who feels the dog is all he really has. He is left to reckon with this angry feeling towards his son, while still trying to mend their relationship before it's too late. This is a very quiet book, but it really stirred up a lot of emotions and got me a little teary, especially towards the end. This one may not be for everyone, but I really enjoyed it and I think Bo and Sixten are characters who will really stick with me.

Thank you to @netgalley, @knopf, @pantheon and @vintage for this advanced copy of this lovely story. Pub date, August 19, 2025.

4.5 stars. Thank you to Net Galley and Knopf for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. I'm not much for translated novels but I had read so many rave reviews about this book. Bo is an elderly gentleman who still has his beloved dog Sixten and receives daily visits from home care aides. We learn that Bo's son is insisting that Bo needs to give up Sixten as he's not able to care for him or there's a concern that Bo may be hurt as he likes to walk Sixten. At first, his son seems like a villain taking away the once being that truly brings joy and comfort. Yet, as the story goes on, you see there are two sides to the story - the person who is trying to hang to their independence and way of life and the others who care and want the best for a person who is aging and not as capable. It is beautifully written from the perspective of someone who is aging and experiencing their decline from their point of view. So touching and heartbreaking. I highly recommend this one.

I wanted to read this as I believe I saw Fredrik Backman post about it, so I was intrigued. This is one of those books that I wish I could read in the original language. There's so much emotion in this story, and it's honestly a bit depressing towards the end, but incredibly good.

I loved this novel. As we move through life, and we have more years behind us than ahead, you take stock of what you've done with your life.
This book felt quite calming.
I highly recommend this novel.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

#NetGalley #WhenTheCranesFlySouth #LisaRidzen

When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzein is rich in the dynamics of families with aging parents. Feelings are not spared in telling this touching story.

I suppose the closer you get to the end of one's life, the more one thinks about life ending. At almost 65 I have fewer years ahead of me than I do behind me... yes it is absolutely sad.

So enter Bo (and his cast of caregivers, a son, and a granddaughter) and his beloved Sixten. Bo spends his days wandering through beautiful memories, loving his dog, and being a bit surly with those who come to visit him during his day. I loved his push back on "having a bath" every time the caregiver wanted him to... I mean, when you control little of your day, the option of bathing is absolutely a battle worth picking! I equally loved those caregivers who left a chocolate beside his bed when they depart... what a beautiful thing. I warn you though... I cried lots in this beautifully written story. I cried when the son wins the Sixten battle and he departs for another home, I cried when Bo's beloved friend died, and I cried more when Bo neared the end of his days... with his beloved Sixten by his side.

If you want a heartwarming story that might make you think about life... this is a must read. It is beautifully written! I highly recommend!

I would like to thank Netgalley, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the digital copy of this beautiful story. It was published August 19, 2025.

I thought this was a beautifully written, emotional story about an elderly man at the end of his life

. The story is told through the Main character, Bo. He is living alone with his dog Sixen, who his son doesn't think he has the ability to care for any longer. We also get to see notes from his caretakers- which i really thought worked well. It was helpful to see the caretaker notes to have an idea of the responsibilities of taking care of Bo.

This book was heartbreaking and eye opening. I thought the author did a wonderful job telling a story with such a sensitive topic.

Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

When the Cranes Fly South won Swedish Book of the Year and the translation is lovely. It's told only from the point of view of Bo, a very elderly man. We are in his mind for a few weeks. Bo still lives in the home his parents left to him in a quiet corner of the country. His carers visit to shower him and feed him his meals. We hear their voices through the notes they put in his care book.

A favorite character is Bo's Elkhound, Sixten. Bo is getting too unsteady to walk Sixten. A theme throughout is that Bo's only child, Hans plans to give his dog away because Bo puts himself in danger by walking him in fields and woods. Bo's wife Frederika's dementia got so bad that she is in a memory care type place. As one would with someone you've spent your life with, he talks to her constantly in his mind, all one-way.

We also learn of how Bo grew up in a home with an angry father and a loving but cowed mother. Bo tried to break the cycle with Hans, but he feels often like he did not understand him as Hans got older. Hans joined the conservative party when his parents were more for workers. He works nonstop and makes his work the most important thing in his life. His marriage to Fredrika was loving and a real partnership. She would have cared for him and they would have supported each other in old age, but that was not to be.

Although Bo is not exactly unhappy, he resents his son's bossiness. He speaks often by phone to his best friend, Ture, but they never get to see each other. Ture is "quirky" and has no other friends, but he and Bo met at work when they were very young and became friends before Bo recognized people don't seem to take to Ture.

When the Cranes Fly South is rich with life in rural Sweden with food and dogs and a way of life that is one of community and of isolation. It is warm, real and makes pictures in our minds as Bo is helped with the shower or finds his meals jelling by his bedside because he fell asleep. And we also can see his youth and years of marriage in his memories, from the time he left home, to the ways he could do just about anything on the house, to hunting and fishing and seeing his granddaughter in her school play. We learn Bo's story over a few short weeks. It is so beautifully written and makes me think of my parents in their very later years when we became their parents and they needed carers. If you can handle that it is about being old and no longer able to "do," even though your mind well remembers evertything, I highly recommend this novel.

When Cranes Fly South: A Review
I lost my husband at age 94 last year, and this book hit all the feels. I cried, but I also laughed. Bo's journey to the end of life was portrayed with such honesty and realism that I could almost reach into the book and know what was coming next.

Watching the relationship between Bo and his son unfold—as the son became the decision maker—I couldn't help but think of our daughter and how she and her dad related, or at times didn’t relate, during his waning years. The parallels were uncanny.

Bo's struggle to remain independent and his caregivers' efforts to help him in that struggle reminded me of the importance of human kindness, and gave me solace that our personal journey to the end of life was accomplished with as much dignity as possible.

This book is not for every person, and I almost did not pick it up, considering the recentness of my loss, but I am glad that I did.

Bo is 89 years old, lives with his dog Sixten and has carers who come in throughout each day to help him. His wife has Alzheimer’s and his son, Hans, is nearby and visits his Dad often. Bo is somewhat of a curmudgeon, especially to the people in his life, but as he reminisces about his childhood, friendships, his wife, and raising his son, we see a deeper and softer side.

This is a quiet story but very well done. The author managed to write what felt like a very realistic picture of aging- the humility of it, the loss of control, and always the need for more time. Highly recommend.

3.25 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Vintage for an eARC!

We follow Bo, who doesn't have much time left, recounting his last days. His one companion is his dog Sixten, but his son wants to take him away arguing that Bo isn't fit enough to take care of him. The last thing Bo wants is to lose his best friend and spends the book trying everything to keep him. This is very character driven with Bo thinking back on his life while being forced to face his impending death. I liked it but it wasn't anything groundbreaking.

What a beautiful story about end of life, aging, and love. My heart was in my throat for most of this book, knowing the ending. The author’s writing is transportive and gentle - I felt like I was in the room with Bo, Sixten and Ingrid.

A hard, beautiful and necessary story of how one man’s life journey comes to a close while he looks back on his childhood, his marriage and his relationship with his son. Loved this story.

This is a heartbreaking, yet beautiful story of 89 year old Bo, living with his dog Sixten and slowly losing the things that he loves in life due to aging. The lyrical prose is so simple, but moving, as we get to know Bo through his memories, his current thoughts, and the notes of his caretakers. This will be a favorite book for the year. I felt compassion, hope, and understanding as I experienced this raw, realistic, and poignant story.

This book was incredibly thoughtful and I felt like I was in Bo's shoes as he slowly declined. I was very moved, but it was a little hard to follow at times with all the jumping between past and present.

5 ⭐️ Beautifully written story told from the POV of Bo, an elderly man struggling with end of life issues.

Bo’s wife of 67 years, Fredrika, has been put in a home for dementia patients. He’s suffering from memory and mobility issues and has carers that come frequently. His loyal hound Sixten is his source of comfort and companionship.

We get flashbacks of Bo’s childhood and his relationship with his abusive father, and his early relationship with Fredrika and their only son Hans.

What this book does well is put you right there in Bo’s life as he loses all the things he loves bit by bit with no control over his life as his body and mind fail him, His beloved wife, his best friend Ture, even his dog Sixten.

My mom suffered from dementia and this brought back many of the memories and struggles of being a caregiver and watching her slip away. Not an easy read, but an accurate portrayal of aging and dying with an emotional, tear jerking ending.

Thank you NetGalley and Vintage Publishers for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén.

This one really touched me. Through Bo, his dog Sixten, and Hans, his only son, it becomes a story about aging, love, and the way unforgettable memories carry across generations. This book made me laugh and cry and think about how hard it is to age—and how hard it is for children who don’t always understand what it means for the elderly to lose their independence. The pacing is slow and a little old-fashioned, but I found it moving and atmospheric—a quiet book, but one that lingers. The cranes’ migration felt like a powerful echo of legacy and longing. One of the best books I have read this year!!!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

It’s hard to believe this is a debut novel. The writing is so mature, so complete and at the same time so clean that it leaves you breathless. When the cranes Fly South is the story of Bo, who is dying and living under the care of several home workers, his son Hans and granddaughter Ellinor. The story is told in short chapters of Bo’s voice, with notations at the end of each chapter written by the carers to let the others know about his daily situation: what he ate, whether he showered, and his mood.

Bo’s mood is influenced by his nonverbal conversations with his wife (to whom he addresses his thoughts throughout) and his faithful dog Sixten. He relives his married life, not sparing the good, the bad, but mostly the mundane progress of a marriage. His wife has dementia and is in a memory care facility, and we never hear from her directly. His constant companion is his dog, and I have to admit that his son’s decision to rehome Sixten when Bo can no longer care for him is heartbreaking. I teared up, and had to close the book until I could handle it again.

The beauty of this book is that it is told from the dying person’s point of view, when we commonly see these situations from the family’s point of view. This helps the reader become as close to Bo as he wishes he was with his son, and makes me wonder how my own relatives felt when they were going through the same things. Did I listen? Or did I just decide what was best for them?

This is a book I will heartily recommend and it will stay with me for a long time. Many thanks to Vintage and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review.