Beartown
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4.5 • 380 Ratings
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- $10.99
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove returns with a dazzling, profound novel about a small town with a big dream—and the price required to make it come true.
People say Beartown is finished. A tiny community nestled deep in the forest, it is slowly losing ground to the ever encroaching trees. But down by the lake stands an old ice rink, built generations ago by the working men who founded this town. And in that ice rink is the reason people in Beartown believe tomorrow will be better than today. Their junior ice hockey team is about to compete in the national semi-finals, and they actually have a shot at winning. All the hopes and dreams of this place now rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys.
Being responsible for the hopes of an entire town is a heavy burden, and the semi-final match is the catalyst for a violent act that will leave a young girl traumatized and a town in turmoil. Accusations are made and, like ripples on a pond, they travel through all of Beartown, leaving no resident unaffected.
Beartown explores the hopes that bring a small community together, the secrets that tear it apart, and the courage it takes for an individual to go against the grain. In this story of a small forest town, Fredrik Backman has found the entire world.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Beartown is the kind of chatty, enveloping novel that swallows you whole. Swedish writer Fredrik Backman—author of the 2012 breakout hit A Man Called Ove—is back with the tale of a hockey-obsessed small town simmering with secrets. Backman wields the same charm evident in his previous books, but this time around he's married his signature amiability to a creeping, very Scandinavian kind of darkness. The combustible result elevates the work of this exceptional storyteller to a whole new level.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The bestselling author of A Man Called Ove tells a poignant story of a hockey town paralyzed by scandal. Jobs are disappearing and Beartown is slowly dying, so for its citizens, hockey is everything. Backman asks, "Why does everyone care about hockey? Because hockey tells stories." This is the story not just of hockey, but of a 15-year-old named Maya Andersson, whose father, Peter, the general manager of the hockey club, loves hockey, but loves his family more. Seventeen-year-old Kevin Erdahl is the star of Beartown, with a chance to go professional. One night, after a huge win, Maya goes to a raucous party at Kevin's house and is thrilled at his attention, but things get out of hand, and what takes place changes Beartown forever. Lest readers think hockey is the star here, it's Backman's rich characters that steal the show, and his deft handling of tragedy and its effects on an insular town. While the story is dark at times, love, sacrifice, and the bonds of friendship and family shine through, ultimately offering hope and even redemption. Backman veers close to the saccharine, but readers may be too spellbound to notice.
Customer Reviews
Beartown
One of the best books I have read in a long time! My grandson has played hockey since 5 years old and has played for 20 years. Raw and real about small town hockey and its politics.
Beartown
Poignant remarkable storytelling. Pants small town living just as I remember
Bear Town
Backman creates characters and worlds, and invites readers to share in these more real than imaginary creations.