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Fredrik Backman
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The Deal of a Lifetime Hardcover – October 31, 2017

by Fredrik Backman (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 4,138 ratings
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In this short story enhanced with beautiful illustrations, the bestselling author of A Man Called Ove, Beartown, and Anxious People delivers an insightful and poignant tale about finding out what is truly important in life.

A father and a son are seeing each other for the first time in years. The father has a story to share before it’s too late. He tells his son about a courageous little girl lying in a hospital bed a few miles away. She’s a smart kid—smart enough to know that she won’t beat cancer by drawing with crayons all day, but it seems to make the adults happy, so she keeps doing it.

As he talks about this plucky little girl, the father also reveals more about himself: his triumphs in business, his failures as a parent, his past regrets, his hopes for the future.

Now, on a cold winter’s night, the father has been given an unexpected chance to do something remarkable that could change the destiny of a little girl he hardly knows. But before he can make the deal of a lifetime, he must find out what his own life has actually been worth, and only his son can reveal that answer.

With humor and compassion, Fredrik Backman’s The Deal of a Lifetime reminds us that life is a fleeting gift, and our legacy rests in how we share that gift with others.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    96 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Atria Books
  4. Publication date
    October 31, 2017
  5. Dimensions
    5.13 x 0.8 x 7.13 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    150119349X
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1501193491
  8. See all details
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Popular Highlights in this book
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Previous page
  1. “You’re not scared. You’re just grieving. No one tells you humans that your sorrow feels like fear.”
    Highlighted by 681 Kindle readers
  2. You were always someone who could be happy. You don’t know how much of a blessing that is.
    Highlighted by 502 Kindle readers
  3. I abandoned you, but at least I abandoned you at the top of the hierarchy of needs.
    Highlighted by 322 Kindle readers
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“The book is illustrated, it’s sentimental, it has a whiff of “It’s a Wonderful Life” about it. It’s a perfect stocking stuffer.” ― Star Tribune (Minnesota)

"Sweet, sad, but in-no-way-sappy novella." ― Library Journal

About the Author

Fredrik Backman is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry, Britt-Marie Was Here, Beartown, Us Against You, and Anxious People, as well as two novellas and one work of nonfiction. His books are published in more than forty countries. He lives in Stockholm, Sweden, with his wife and two children. Connect with him on Facebook and Twitter @BackmanLand and on Instagram @Backmansk.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Atria Books; Translation edition (October 31, 2017)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 96 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 150119349X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1501193491
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.13 x 0.8 x 7.13 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 4,138 ratings

About the author

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Fredrik Backman

Fredrik Backman

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Fredrik Backman is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry, Britt-Marie Was Here, Beartown, Us Against You, and two novellas, And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer and The Deal of a Lifetime, as well as one work of nonfiction, Things My Son Needs to Know About the World. His books are published in more than forty countries. His next novel, Anxious People, will be published in September 2020. He lives in Stockholm, Sweden, with his wife and two children. Connect with him on Facebook and Twitter @BackmanLand or on Instagram @Backmansk.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
4,138 global ratings
Quick read with BIG HEART!
4 Stars
Quick read with BIG HEART!
This moving little treasure of a novella is another super-duper quick read with really BIG HEART! Backman always delivers such a heartfelt message, no matter the subject. This particular story touches on life, death, and the choices made along the way. It is just so beautiful and had me pondering what's truly important in life long after I turned the last page.
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Top reviews from the United States

Virginia
5.0 out of 5 stars A terrific book
Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2024
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Its short, but a great story. It’ll surprise you. I’ve read it three times already.
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Granny
4.0 out of 5 stars Good read
Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2023
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This was a very touching and fast read book.
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Ski Vieira
5.0 out of 5 stars Good read
Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2024
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Odd story but interesting. It was a bit confusing because I wasn't sure where the story was going. I'm glad it ended the way it did. Short story and I recommend it.
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Trish
3.0 out of 5 stars Cute book, but…
Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2023
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I liked it, but between the illustrations and the very short length it read more like a children’s book. It took me about 15 minutes to read and that was with a few distractions.
One person found this helpful
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Ken Howard
5.0 out of 5 stars A Heart-gripping Story
Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2024
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This amazing short book - I read it in about 90 minutes - absolutely grabbed my heart and left me near tears of joy or sorrow or something I can't describe at the end. You really have no idea where it's going until the last few paragraphs and then it's wow! Would I do what he did? I do not know, but I've thought about it since I read it, more than a few times. I highly recommended it for the heart.
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Nancy
4.0 out of 5 stars Haunting
Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2018
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I read this novella twice in an attempt to fully understand the message Backman was trying to convey. After the first reading I knew I had to read it again to really FEEL it. To me, it reads like a letter a father writes to his son. It's an apology of sorts - a goodbye, a heartfelt tale of regret. The father is dying of cancer and as he questions his own life he realizes that he was not the greatest person to those around him. He was selfish and petty. One of the other characters is an old lady who wears a gray sweater and represents a sort of grim reaper. She appears throughout the story at many crossroads where the father finds himself.

Backman is amazing!!! This is the fourth book of his that has completely blown me away. Here he manages in just 65 pages to capture what really matters in relationships. However, the novella left me feeling at a loss, and I cannot put my finger on exactly why. If you haven't yet read it, I suggest reading it slowly, pausing, closing your eyes (that's what I did) and taking in the many beautiful, and often heartbreaking moments. Doing that gave me a much deeper understanding of the book.

I've read many review where people expressed anger at having spent $18.00 for this book. When it arrived and I saw how small it was, and how short the story is, I too questioned paying so much for such a short tale. But as they say, the best things come in small packages and I have no regrets about paying that much for something that leaves me with so much to think about. I will definitely reread this novella many times over and maybe after I do I won't feel that nagging loss that I can't put my finger on.
37 people found this helpful
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Violet
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2024
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I am the furthest from being a reader for fun, but wanted to try to branch out. I saw this book has less than 100 pages - so I thought “why not?”

I am so glad I bought this book, finished it in one night! (Which seems silly but is a personal win). Highly recommend for anyone is the same boat.
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Suad
5.0 out of 5 stars Forget the cost - what about the story?
Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2017
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Most of the reviews I've read talk about the cost of the book and rate the book based on their feeling of getting ripped off by the price. They don't discuss the actual story, the writing, the message conveyed or anything else to do with the actual book though.

Is the book overpriced for its size? Sure, but I believe Amazon and every other online book store provides you with the details of the book prior to purchasing it. So it clearly says that the book is 65 pages long. If you thought it was too expensive for such a short book, there was no need to buy it in the first place.

I bought it and I read it in 30 minutes. It is a really short book, with illustrations inside that give it the feel of a children's fairytale - although it isn't one - perhaps more of an adult fable. The story is profound. It is painful and it is very true to Fredrik Backman, who does not shy away from any topic, no matter how difficult it is to read about.

The story plays out like a letter that a father is writing his son. It is an apology. It is a goodbye. It is sad and heartfelt and full of regret. In a span of very few pages, the father makes you hate him, love him, root for him and respect him. You can't begin to understand your own feelings towards this character, but he touches you somehow. He confesses that he's killed a girl. We're shocked. We don't get it. Is it a hit and run? Is he a doctor that made a surgical error? What's going on?

He talks about an older lady in a grey sweater. We sees glimpses of his past. We begin to understand a little more. We now know what this older lady represents. We expect one thing. Another happens.

His foreword at the beginning, in which he talks about the circumstances that led to writing this novella are just as good. Perhaps just as important to read. It really sets the scene for the whole story, and makes you think beyond the characters and into the writer's life, wondering if the story is in any way a reflection of feelings he's had or has been having, of conflicts he's been facing with his own family. Who knows?

65 pages - half of which are illustrations - but he still gets to me. Fredrik Backman is someone I love reading for, no matter how short the story, or how few the pages.
172 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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ainara
5.0 out of 5 stars Llega al corazón
Reviewed in Spain on June 29, 2022
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Como todos los de Backman, este libro, aunque sea muy cortito, te llega al corazón
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amysreading_nook
5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful story that is worth every penny
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 27, 2020
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This is such a short and yet extremely powerful book; Backman starts off the book by explaining how he came to write this story and I feel this makes it all the more powerful.

Backman has a way of writing wherein he just puts his complete heart and soul into his words and it really leaps off the pages; especially with this one and that opening line! Whilst it's a short story you still have no idea of where the plot is going or what is happening until the end. This book is a really poignant tale about what we would do for others; those we love and those we barely know.

There are illustrations throughout this book that really add to the story and really make this book something more special. Whilst this is a very short book it is still one I loved and the design is delightful. I think I could read anything by him and love it.
3 people found this helpful
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Ashima Jain
5.0 out of 5 stars A story told with an extraordinary charm that is both tragic and beautiful.
Reviewed in India on March 14, 2020
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I first read this book two years ago and was moved by how painfully profound it is.

It is Christmas Eve and a father writes a letter to his son, telling him a story, but this isn't your typical Christmas story. He admits to his son that he has taken a life, and he won't say whose. Atleast not yet.

The Deal of a Lifetime is a poignant telling of a father's relationship with his son, and of a man's dilemma with life, death, and forgiveness. Like all of Backman's stories, this one too takes you on an introspective journey through the past. Only this time, that past is at stake.

Once again, you can't help but marvel at the simplicity of this story about love and the ultimate sacrifice, told with an extraordinary charm that is both tragic and beautiful.

Back then I had read the ebook version of this title and, because I love Fredrik Backman's books, I was waiting to get my hands on the hardcover edition which I finally did last month. So naturally, I had to read it again, even though I rarely re-read books. But I'll make an exception for Fredrik Backman. Always.
6 people found this helpful
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Sandy
5.0 out of 5 stars Ein kleiner Begleiter
Reviewed in Germany on October 11, 2018
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Ich habe diese Kurzgeschichte von Fredrick Backman in einem Rutsch durchgelesen. Eine kleine Geschichte die nach dem Lesen noch eine Weile bei einem bleibt.
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Nicolette Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect pre-holiday read
Reviewed in Australia on November 24, 2019
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A quick and easy read about life. This book had me in tears but also managed to make me laugh. The perfect pre-holiday read for anyone needing a reminder about what’s important in life.
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