When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén is a tender emotional novel set in rural Sweden about an elderly man as he processes changes with his relationship with his dog, son, friends, etc. Ridzen paints a poignant picture of the aging process.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️My review: I was wary of this book because the reviews so far have been so beyond and raving. But, it was worth it. And then some.

The emotion of end of life that Bo deals with all day, each day is heartbreaking. He moves between clear memories of his distant past and his frustration and upset with his current life. Through his memories we learn of his childhood, his early marriage and friendships, and how hard he tried to right the wrongs of his past with his son Hans.

Hans is torn between being the adult in charge and wanting to keep his father happy. I really felt for him even though Bo considered him the "villain" for some of the book as Hans was forced to take Bo's beloved dog away. Taking care of elderly loved ones is easy on no one. I hoped and held my breath waiting for Bo and Hans to connect as they had when Hans was a child. The authors choice to tell the whole story from Bo's point of view but interspersed with notes from his caregivers to each other was brilliant. It helped the reader see what was really happening as Bo became more and more tired, lonely, and confused. I forgot at times that Bo's perspective was not necessarily the only one.

The feelings are high in this novel as I think many readers can put themselves in the shoes of at least one character. Families and love and aging and illness are topics that hit hard for all of us. I had all the emotions in this read. I highly recommend it and there's so much to talk about as well. Great pick for a book club.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Publishing for an advance digital copy in exchange for my review.

An easy 5 stars to any book that gives me such a visceral emotional reaction. The combination of great writing plus thoughts of my own family left me choking back tears as I reached the end. I want to give every elderly person a big hug and every caretaker of an elderly person an equally big hug.

In When the Cranes Fly South, we're almost entirely in Bo's head. His life has become quiet after his wife of 62 years moved into a memory care facility. He at least has his loyal dog, Sixpen, to keep him company. Otherwise, his days are broken up with visits from caretakers, visits from his fifty-seven year-old son, Hans who he mostly gets along with (with a few major exceptions), and calls from his lifelong friend, Ture.

I'm impressed how I truly felt like I was in Bo's thoughts. I could detect his pain, his frustration, and the occasional moments of levity while grappling with the realities of aging. Like I said, this one's a tear jerker, but it's so worth it.

This is the story of a a man, Bo ,and Sixten, his dog, and his son who seems determined to take Sixten away. His father, whose health is dwindling as the days, weeks and months pass, but he does have people who care for him, as well as about him.

A heartbreaking story, but also a story that will undoubtedly tug at your heartstrings, and a story that will likely stay with you for a long time.


Pub Date: 05 Aug 2025

Many many thanks for the opportunity to read When the Cranes Fly South

You're never too old for a dog!
Bo is an elderly man rapidly approaching the end of his life. Most of his day centers around memories of that life, the company of his caregivers, and visits from his son Hans and granddaughter Ellinor. His biggest joy comes from the companionship of his beloved dog Sixten. Hans is worried that Bo is too old to have a dog, especially after Bo falls while taking Sixten for a walk, and he wants to take Sixten from him.
When the Cranes Fly South is the story of ordinary people trying to make the best decisions about a life that is almost over. I am of an age when I can identify with some of the aging issues Bo feels and can easily imagine identifying with even more of them in the future. At one point early on in the book, I wrote a comment, “Oh, no! This hits too close to home!” To readers who have not yet reached their older years, I must say that the story and the emotions of everyone involved are very believable, including his caregivers, whose perspective we see in the short notes they write at the end of their shifts. Bo’s son also is credible and, after we get past disliking him for trying to separate Bo from Sixten, even sympathetic. He CARES about his father; he just does not make the decision that Bo (or the reader) wants.
I do not recall reading a Swedish book before this one, and it was interesting to learn about the Swedish social services routinely provided for elder care and other small details of Swedish life. Obviously, it was well received in that country; it won the Swedish Book of the Year award there.
The plot is simple but compelling. Will Bo be able to live out the rest of his life, however long or short it might be, with his favorite companion? What is the “right” solution? A book like When the Cranes Fly South cannot possibly have a “happy” ending, but I must say it was an appropriate one, and it left me with a smile on my face.
I received an advance review copy of When the Cranes Fly South from NetGalley and Vintage Books.

Oh my, what a sweet, sweet story that absolutely everyone should read. Read it for yourselves, read it for your parents, read it for your grandparents, everyone should. I loved Bo and Sixten, I loved the way the author told us Bo’s story, I loved every single minute I spent reading. Bo and Hans visit to the home was priceless, I was right there with them with tears in my eyes. The attention to detail during the entire book was remarkable, all the way down to the daily entries by the carers.

This author has written a perfect coming of age, growing old story. Hip Hip Hooray for Ms. Ridzen. When I get to Bo’s place, I will be telling my children all the things he couldn’t say. Hans should be ashamed. Bless your heart Bo, thank you for letting me into your world, you will not be forgotten.

One of the best books I’ve ever read, it will go in my top 5 of this year 2025. A soul-searching laugh, cry and healing story.

This is my own opinion expressed in this review. Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor.

Thank you publisher for the free copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this story. At first, it was hard to get into. I re-started it a couple of times. The pacing is kind of slow and Bo comes off as a grumpy old man. And while I do believe Bo is a mostly grumpy old man, his story is worthwhile. I believe that people tend to accept that we are aging but reject or are resistant to many of the things that come with aging, like necessary lifestyle changes. Such is the case of Bo and Sixten.

While Sixten's care is the hottest topic, this is a great story about life and what it entails: relationships throughout our lives, the things we value, and the realities we face when growing old. I would definitely recommend this book. It will make you a bit emotional, but hopefully in a good way.

When the Cranes Fly South is the story of 89 year old Bo. It is told from Bo's point of view, talking in his head to his beloved wife Fredrika, who is now in a nursing home due to her dementia. His health is declining rapidly, so he is mostly confined to his small home in Sweden, with visits several times a day from caregivers as well as frequent visits from his son, and the company of his beloved Elkhound Sixten. We learn about Bo's background as he dreams about his childhood and younger life, with abrupt return to reality when someone or something wakes him up.

This novel is both heartbreaking and heartwarming, a reminder to us all to talk to each other while we can. Through Bo's eyes we see his anger towards his son who feels he needs to take the dog away for both the dogs and Bo's safety, but the author also makes us see how hard it is for the son and how much love he has for his father. In the end he and most of us who care for loved ones, are just doing the best we can. This is a slow and quiet character driven story and will not be for everybody, but for the right people it is a true gem of a story. Thank you to net galley and Knopf, Pantheon and Vintage publishers for the e galley of this book.

4.25 ⭐️

Swedish debut novelist Lisa Ridzén gives readers a peek into the mind of an almost 90 year old man whose body and mind are failing in WHEN THE CRANES FLY SOUTH. Bo clearly needs the companionship of his dog Sixten, but the dog puts additional pressures on his son Hans and his other carers and also additional risk to Bo.

On its face, this seems like a small, or even micro, story: an older man’s caretakers want to remove this elderly man’s dog from his home and rehome the dog. But Bo’s dog has immense meaning to him, and, while his mind is not completely there, he can remember incidents from his childhood and young adulthood very well. This is also a larger story because losing agency as parents age (or even peers or yourself) will be an important issue that will affect people’s mental health.

As you might expect, this is a slower novel, and I enjoyed learning about Bo’s life, his son Hans, his wife Fredrika, and his best friend Ture. While this novel is sad in places (and very sad in one in particular at about 70% in), it does resolve in a way that you can see coming and makes sense.

This won’t be a hit for every reader. Most notably, it is a very slow novel, and the subject matter of an ailing 90 year old might not be a favorite. But I’m pretty sure this one will stick with me, and it will always remind me of my stepfather.

WHEN THE CRANES FLY SOUTH publishes in the United States on August 5, 2025. Thank you to Vintage and Netgalley for the Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wept.

Bo is an elderly man who is facing mortality as his b0dy betrays him. He misses his beloved wife, who is in a care facility, snd his son believes his dog should be placed elsewhere.

Along with those issues, Bo struggles with painful memories of his father and longs for a better connection with his son.

“At dinner one day, I snapped and asked what the hell the point of life was if I was too old for a dog.” Truly. I hate to think of the day I’m no longer capable of having a dog.
Bo is 89, is still living at home but with the help of caregivers. His wife has Alzheimer’s and has already been moved out of the house. Now his son wants to rehome his dog. Bo’s thoughts, which are basically a monologue to his wife, are a look back at his life - his domineering father, his loving marriage, his best friend and his fraught relationship with his son. These thoughts are interspersed with the log from his caregivers which provide a realistic look at his current life. Ridzen has done a wonderful job of fleshing out Bo, including his own beginning stages of dementia and his failing physical body. He realizes time is running out and there are things he wants to say.
This story just grabbed my heartstrings. It hit home, as I’m dealing with an elderly mother. I can see her world shrinking. And it’s definitely a balancing act between trying to allow her to make her own decisions and keeping her safe. I’ve even had the same discussion over the hospital bed but haven’t gone so far as to make the swap. I appreciated that other than the log, the story is solely from Bo’s point of view. It was easy to understand Hans’s motives, but Ridzen keeps us tightly focused on Bo and his desires.
It’s not an easy book to read and it becomes more emotional as it goes on. Keep the Kleenex handy for the ending.
My thanks to Netgalley and Knopf for an advance copy of this book.

This poignant narrative struck a deep emotional chord with me. The story revolves around Bo, an elderly protagonist residing in Sweden alongside his dog, Sixten. Bo frequently visits caregivers, but faces pressure from his son, Hans, to relinquish Sixten for safety reasons. Struggling with anger issues, Bo grapples with painful memories of his challenging childhood and his relationship with his father. Compounding his struggles is the profound loss he feels for his wife, who resides in a memory care facility due to dementia. "When the Cranes Fly South" prompted me to reflect on what my life might resemble as I age. I would rate this book a solid four stars.

I extend my gratitude to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance reader's copy. This review reflects my genuine thoughts.

When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén is a quietly devastating novel that follows 89-year-old Bo as he navigates the loss of autonomy in his rural Swedish home. Receiving round-the-clock care—and grappling with his son’s insistence that his dog Sixten be rehomed—Bo embarks on an emotional reckoning, piecing together memories of childhood, marriage, and lifelong friendships as he confronts the reality of his dwindling time.

Narrated in Bo’s gentle, unadorned voice and punctuated by the log-book entries of his caregivers, the structure deftly mirrors the fractured nature of his mind and the fragments of a life well lived. Ridzén’s prose is unpretentious yet evocative, capturing small moments, such as sunlight on snow or the soft weight of a loyal dog in your lap, that add to the atmosphere of the book.

Bo’s internal monologue rings true, especially in his poignant conversations with the memory of his wife. The interspersed care-team logs offer an objective counterpoint to Bo’s subjective reflections, underscoring how the everyday becomes extraordinary in hindsight. Aging, regret, and the struggle to express love are explored with compassion and insight.

While Bo is richly drawn, figures like his son Hans and longtime friend Ture occasionally felt underdeveloped. I wished that more had been written about what Hans was thinking and feeling. The novel’s gentle pace perfectly suits its meditative tone. The momentum felt slow at times but fit perfectly with the tone of the book.

Overall, When the Cranes Fly South is a moving meditation on memory, dignity, and the quiet heroism at the end of life. It offers a profoundly life-affirming portrait of love and loss and is highly recommended for readers drawn to character-driven stories that balance sorrow with soulful tenderness.

Thank you to NetGalley and Vintage for providing me with a copy of this book. It will be published on August 5, 2025.

I heard about this book on a podcast, and as someone who loves translated works and reflective stories set in unfamiliar landscapes, I was intrigued. The Swedish setting, the premise of an older character looking back on his life, and the exploration of love, loss, and memory made this a compelling read. I was grateful to receive a copy from NetGalley and Vintage.

This is the story of an 89 year old man in his final days. Bo is a son, husband, father, and best friend, reflecting on the life he has lived and the people who shaped it. It is a quiet novel, introspective and unhurried. While I appreciated its craft from the beginning, it took me some time to feel emotionally connected. Bo isn’t immediately easy to relate to. He is emotionally reserved and focused on the aches and routines of aging, but as the story unfolded, I came to understand him more and feel more emotionally invested in his story.

One of the most touching aspects of the book is Bo’s love for his wife, Frederika, who is no longer able to live with him due to a cognitive decline. The second-person narration, with Bo addressing “you” as if she were still by his side, created a sense of tenderness that will stay with me.

The story moves between past and present in a seamless way that slowly reveals the depth of Bo’s emotional life. I was especially struck by how central his relationship with his father became. What seemed at first like a distant childhood wound turned out to be a lasting source of pain. It helped explain the depth of Bo’s bond with his dog, Sixten, and why the thought of losing him was so devastating.

This novel is about love, aging, regret, community, and saying goodbye with dignity. The translation was excellent. The ending was both sad and beautiful, and I appreciated how the author brought it all together with quiet grace.

Elderly Bo is trying to hang on to control of his life but sadly, as each day passes, he becomes more and more under other's control. Alone since his wife was moved to a "carer" hospital when he could no longer manage her worsening dementia, Bo now relies on his faithful dog, Sixten to keep him mentally and physically present. As more and more of his days are spent sleeping, we view Bo's life through dreams of his childhood, early adulthood and later years. Interspersed among Bo's thoughts are journal entries from his daily carers who give an outside perspective on Bo's true condition. Finding he is now powerless against his own son's wishes, Bo wonders how their relationship evolved into its current antagonistic state. When his beloved dog, Sixten is taken away by his son, readers will be torn between what is the best care for Sixten and what his removal will mean for Bo.
A beautifully written look into the expanse of one man's life and the harsh reality of aging. Seamlessly blending different time periods of Bo's life with the observations of those currently caring for him. A true gem of a book , not to be missed.

captivating story and very enlightening I enjoyed reading the novel and the Author's perspective . I am appreciative of the chance to read the arc thank you neutrally.

This is a beautiful book that is emotional and thought provoking. It’s about an 89 year old man named Bo who reflects and reminisces about his life. He thinks about all his regrets but also all the good and bad times he had with his parents, best friend, wife, and son. He doesn’t feel in control of his body any more due to all the changes his body is going through and feels as though his body has betrayed him. Through it all he has a dog that has helped him cope. Soon his companion could get taken away by his son for the benefit of his health.

I didn’t think I’d get so attached to Bo but he won a special place in my heart. He is a lovable character that many people who have chronic and or terminal illness / disability can relate to. Bo’s character has respectful and accurate representation for what it’s like to lose your independence and health. The strength that Bo got from Sixten was such a lovely aspect to the story.

Every emotion that Bo felt could also be felt by the reader since the author did such an incredible job at conveying his emotions. I really enjoyed the way Bo would think about his wife and how much he cherished the life they had together. It was so heartbreaking to see how his health kept declining. It was sad to see how much independence is taken from Bo but it’s also understandable as to why certain decisions were made by Hans. He had the best intentions for his father. At the same time it was devastating to see Bo not being able to have what he truly desires.

The ending made me sob. This story is one that I look forward to rereading someday in the future.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.75 stars. This book is not for the faint of heart. Within the first two pages I knew this book was going to be a sad, heartfelt, emotional book. An 89-year old man nearing the end of his life narrates this book as if he is speaking to his wife who has Alzheimer's. They are no longer able to live together as his wife now resides in a care home. Whew. I didn't know if I wanted to read something that would make me feel so much. Reflections. Frustrations. Anger. This man feels every emotion as he begins slowing down and evaluating his relationship with his wife, his son, his granddaughter, his best friend and his most beloved dog, Sixten.

What a beautifully sad book about life - those we love, those we leave behind and the life that was well-lived. Read this book when you need a good ugly cry.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lisa Ridzen and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for allowing me to give my honest opinion in exchange for the ARC.

This novel was reviewed as an assignment for Library Journal. The review will be published by the journal.

Bo is an 89-year-old man who lives in his home with his elkhound Sixten. Bo has only months to live, but his faithful Sixten stays by his side while Bo reclines on his daybed, weak in his final days. Various caregivers stop in to help him prepare meals, and his son Hans purchases his food and supplies. There is tension between the Bo and his son which comes to a head in the book, but this is not a depressing book, quite the contrary. It is about caring for the elderly, maintaining dignity, struggling with an aging body and choices made within a family. Bo recalls his early days with his wife and son, and it fills him with good memories and peaceful thoughts. This is a deeply moving book which propels the reader to think of their own family and the relationships that mean the most to us.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor publishing for an advanced reading copy of this book.