When the Cranes Fly South: A Novel

by Lisa Ridzén, Alice Menzies (Translator)

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

The life he once knew flashes before his eyes, as Bo grapples with having to surrender his independence. This is a moving story about growing old, connecting with family and accepting the inevitable.

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • WINNER OF THE SWEDISH BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD • A profoundly moving debut novel that follows an elderly man’s attempts to mend his relationship with his son before it’s too late: an emotional story of love, friendship, fatherhood, dogs, and atonement that is already an international sensation.

"One of those ‘you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll want to buy twenty copies and give them to everyone you love’ books.” —Fredrik Backman, bestselling author of A Man Called Ove, in The New Yorker

“A powerful, sneakily emotional meditation on life and death, and the foundational relationships in our lives. This is a book that will echo in your soul.” —Garth Stein, New York Times bestselling author of The Art of Racing in the Rain

Bo is running out of time. Yet time is one of the few things he’s got left. These days, his quiet existence is broken up only by daily visits from his home care team. Fortunately, he still has his beloved elkhound Sixten to keep him company … though now his son, with whom Bo has had a rocky relationship, insists upon taking the dog away, claiming that Bo has grown too old to properly care for him. The threat of losing Sixten stirs up a whirlwind of emotion, leading Bo to take stock of his life, his relationships, and the imperfect way he’s expressed his love over the years.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798217006731
Publisher:	Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Publication date:	08/19/2025
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Lisa Ridzén is a doctoral student in sociology, researching masculinity norms in the rural communities of the Swedish far north, where she herself was raised and now lives in a small village outside of Östersund. The idea for her debut novel came from the discovery of notes her grandfather’s care team had left the family as he neared the end of his life.

Alice Menzies holds a master of arts in Translation Theory and Practice from University College London, specializing in the Scandinavian languages. Her translations include works by Jonas Hassen Khemiri, Fredrik Backman, Tove Alsterdal and Jens Liljestrand. She lives in London.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for When the Cranes Fly South

“A simple yet effective meditation on mortality, love and care. . . . Anyone anywhere who has worried for a crumbling parent, or worried about the crumble in themselves, or simply worried that their dog understood them better than their family, will identify with Ridzén’s novel and take it to heart.”
—The Guardian (London)

“A powerful, sneakily emotional meditation on life and death, and the foundational relationships in our lives. This is a book that will echo in your soul.”
—Garth Stein, New York Times bestselling author of The Art of Racing in the Rain

“A tender tale about aging, our own and others', and the quiet brutality of love. About what being a man is, and what being a human is, about fathers and sons and fathers and dogs. It’s really a book for anyone who’s had to say goodbye. The kind of book you give to someone when you’re really trying to say 'I’ve been thinking about you' but don’t know how.”
—Fredrik Backman, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove

“Engaging. . . . Moving. . . . Readers will laugh and cry. In Bo, Ridzén has created a character who can evoke empathy in anyone.”
—Library Journal (starred review)

From the Publisher