In The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife, you will meet a kind elderly man who is caught up in a case of mistaken identity, but it just might be the solution to his problems.

The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston

Genre/Categories/Setting: Contemporary Fiction, Mature Characters, Quirky, Found Family, Australia

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My Summary of The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife:

Thanks #NetGalley @WmMorrowBooks for a complimentary e ARC of #TheBorrowedLifeOfFrederickFife upon my request. All opinions are my own.

Quirky characters + mistaken identity + acts of kindness + found family = one unique read.

Frederick Fife is desperately lonely and is about to be homeless. At the park one day, Federick notices an unresponsive man in a wheelchair. In a set of extraordinary circumstances, Frederick assumes this man’s identity and is taken back to the local nursing home. He feels a bit guilty about the impersonation, but he’s enjoying the warm meals, a roof over his head, and the companionship of other residents. The staff remark on his transformation from grouchy to kind and considerate. He also doesn’t need adult diapers or the meds that the man he’s impersonating required. Fred makes many friends in his new life as “Bernard.” Things become complicated when one carer, Denise, grows suspicious of his identity but she has her own secrets and they agree to protect each other. When Bernard’s daughter visits, Fred’s deception becomes incredibly complicated as he’s never had children and begins to care about her as a daughter. Can he keep up the charade? What are the consequences of telling the truth?

My Thoughts:

What I Enjoyed

• I always love quirky characters!
• I love older characters!
• Fred is a lovable character, and I love his kind heart.
• I appreciate the theme of kindness and Fred’s attitude, and his practice of Kindness is a good reminder for all of us.
• I adore a found family theme, and this story provides a special one.
• I appreciate the issues raised such as grief, invisibility, loneliness, and support services for the elderly.
• The story gets better and better the more you read!

Other Things I Noticed:

• Suspension of disbelief is required at the beginning of the story as the events that lead up to his “borrowed life” play out.
• I suppose it’s realistic to portray some carers as less than kind or professional, but a couple of instances were troubling. If you have an elderly relative in a nursing home, it might cause worry or concern.
• There’s a danger when writing humor that it can cross the line of gentle and kind to poking fun at another’s expense. Or the characterizations can become stereotypical. A couple of times I felt a bit protective of these dear elderly characters. Other tenderly written older characters I’ve loved include Helen in Sipsworth, Eudora in The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett, Ove in A Man Called Ove. etc.

Content Consideration: Cancer (in the past), baby death (in the past), grief, elder abuse (minimal), unplanned pregnancy

Recommending The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife

Overall, there’s a great deal to love about this quirky story! I’m recommending The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife for fans of older characters and who love themes of kindness and found family. I’m adding this to my book list of favorite older characters. I’m eager to read more from this debut author!

Related:

Meet the Author of The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston

Anna Johnston is a former baby, aspiring octogenarian and emerging Australian author with a love for the heartfelt and hilarious. She grew up in country Victoria before moving to Melbourne where she lives joyously with her husband and daughters by the beach. Anna left an imminent career in medicine to follow her heart into her grandfather’s nursing home where she became the social support coordinator, taking great delight in shaking up the usual program. When injury left her unable to continue working in aged care, she began to write about it, channeling her love for older people onto the page. Anna has enjoyed a lifelong passion for theatre, screenplay, travel, and creative writing.

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QOTD:

Is this quirky story on your TBR or have you read it?

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