The Winners - (Beartown) by Fredrik Backman

Book Synopsis

Return to the close-knit, resilient community of Beartown with this "engrossing page-turner" (Woman's World) about first loves, second chances, and last goodbyes--from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Anxious People and A Man Called Ove.

Over the course of two weeks, everything in Beartown will change.

Two years have passed since the events that no one wants to think about. Everyone has tried to move on, but there's something about this place that prevents it. The destruction caused by a ferocious late-summer storm reignites the old rivalry between Beartown and the neighboring town of Hed, a rivalry which has always been fought through their ice hockey teams.

Maya Andersson and Benji Ovich, two young people who left in search of a better life, come home and joyfully reunite with their closest childhood friends. There is a new sense of optimism and purpose in the town, embodied in the impressive new ice rink that has been built down by the lake.

Maya's parents, meanwhile, are caught up in an investigation of the hockey club's murky finances, and Amat--once the star of the Beartown team--has lost his way after an injury and a failed attempt to get drafted into the NHL. Simmering tensions between the two towns turn into acts of intimidation and then violence. All the while, a fourteen-year-old boy grows increasingly alienated from this hockey-obsessed community and is determined to take revenge on the people he holds responsible for his beloved sister's death. He has a pistol and a plan that will leave Beartown with a loss that is almost more that it can stand.

Discover what it means to forgive with this "hell of a conclusion to an outstanding series" (Booklist, starred review).

Review Quotes

"[A] dramatic and highly satisfying novel, building on themes introduced in the first two books and brilliantly drawing the reader deeply into the story. The translation is nimble and idiomatic, perfectly conveying Backman's love of language and his wonderful sense of humor. If this really is the last Beartown novel, it's a hell of a conclusion to an outstanding series" --Booklist, starred review

"Backman leaves no emotion unturned, sweeping up the reader in riveting family dramas that jump the boundaries of hockey-town rivalries. Another winner." --Library Journal (starred review)

"Beartown has been the backdrop to some of the darkest dramas of the human heart, but there are still more secrets, rivalries and resentments to contend with in this final installment." --Bookpage

"Everything Backman's pen touches oozes with insight and heart. The Winners is sure to be another winner." --Amazon Book Review

"Fredrik Backman is known for his engrossing page-turners, and his latest novel follows suit...A story of revenge, loss, and forgiveness." -Woman's World

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.