Beartown

Hockey. I’ve never lived in a small town, and have no interest in hockey, but I recognized the range of familiar behavior in a large cast of characters in Fredrik Backman’s novel titled, Beartown. Set in a rural town in Sweden, the lives of many inhabitants revolve around their hockey team, and their plans for a community renewal after their junior team wins a championship. Along the way, Backman injects class conflict and an accusation of rape on the eve of the big game. Every character in the novel is complex and well-drawn. After a few dozen pages, most readers will feel as if we are living in Beartown and will root for our favorite characters. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Beartown from amazon.com.