The cranes fly away to the nest

"The Cranes Flee to the Nest" is the debut novel by Swedish writer Lisa Ridsen, which has won numerous awards in Sweden, including "Book of the Year 2024". It is a touching story about loneliness and old age, about friendship and loyal love. About courage and the desire to maintain control over one's own life. Bo's monotonous life is rarely disturbed by anything, except for visits from social workers. After his wife moves to a home for dementia patients, emptiness and sadness reign in the house. The only consolation for the elderly man is his beloved companion dog Sixten. However, his son wants to give Sixten to a dog shelter. The threat of losing his four-legged friend causes a whirlwind of emotions that force Bo to remember his life, fatherhood, and the way he shows love. And Bo has less and less time to solve what sometimes seems impossible - to get along with his son. Aging, old age, and the lives of older people — this topic is a touchy, sometimes painful, unpopular, yet unavoidable topic for everyone. And this story makes us think. Shouldn't we talk about old age more and do we even do it? And how do aging and its consequences affect our self-esteem, our loved ones, and human value? It's worth daring to think about it. After all, we are all heading towards this, because such is the course of life.