Review by Booklist Review
Australian debut author Johnston crafts a poignant tale of second chances and the lies we tell. After losing his wife to cancer, depleting his savings on her treatment, and facing the threat of losing his home, 82-year-old Frederick Fife has hit rock bottom. Bereft and alone, Fred meets Bernard Greer, a man who looks remarkably like him, and life takes an unexpected turn. Everyone believes Fred to be Bernard, a dementia patient in a nursing home, dismissing his claims of being someone else. So Fred seizes an unusual opportunity and assumes Bernard's identity. As Fred navigates his new life, he brings joy and positivity to those around him. However, his newfound peace is disrupted by the arrival of Bernard's estranged daughter, Hannah. Fred is faced with a moral dilemma: continue the deceit and build a relationship with Hannah, or reveal the truth and risk losing everything. This touching narrative explores themes of community, family, and the redemptive power of new beginnings, illustrating the impact of past choices and the potential for personal transformation.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Johnston debuts with a sweet story of mistaken identity and second chances. The narrative begins with a failed rescue attempt, as impoverished widower Fred Fife tries to help a nonresponsive man, who turns out to be nursing home resident Bernard Greer, away from a river's edge. After Bernard falls into the river and is carried out of sight, a harried nursing home employee ushers Fred, who looks just like Bernard, back to the home. Because Bernard exhibited signs of dementia, nobody believes Fred's insistence that he doesn't belong there, and when Bernard's body is discovered with Fred's wallet, which fell into the river during the botched rescue attempt, he's identified by the police as Fred. After Fred's initial resistance, he settles into the relative comfort of the home, befriending fellow resident Albert, who, in his dementia, believes Fred is his brother. When Bernard's estranged daughter, Hannah, appears at the nursing home, Fred, who always longed for children and deeply misses his late wife, decides to lean into his lie to offer Hannah a happy and supportive version of the man who abandoned her. Johnston places the painful realities of grief and aging alongside Fred's puckish antics and lands a convincingly hopeful ending. The result is a triumphant last act story. Agent: Stacy Testa, Writers House. (Sept.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
DEBUT Johnston's first novel is a heartwarming story about growing old, grief, and learning to navigate life's many challenges. Eighty-two-year-old Frederick Fife is at rock-bottom. Still grieving the loss of his beloved wife and without any family to lean on for support, he is on the brink of homelessness and starvation. One day in the park, while he tries to help a nursing home patient named Bernard Greer, things go awry. Bernard is washed away in a nearby river, and Frederick is mistaken for Bernard at the nursing home. At first Frederick tries to set the staff straight, but he soon takes Bernard's place--and life--at the nursing home. Frederick begins to enjoy his new residence and the people who surround him. Always a kindhearted and considerate person, Frederick makes friends immediately--he's Bernard's complete opposite, personality-wise--which soon raises suspicions from one of the nurses. VERDICT This book is the perfect summer read for those looking for a funny, heartfelt story about found family and seeing the silver lining in life. Fans of Fredrik Backman's A Man Called Ove and Shelby Van Pelt's Remarkably Bright Creatures will especially enjoy this new novel.--Kaitlyn Tanis
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