Beartown by Fredrik Backman

“Difficult questions, simple answers. What is a community?

It is the sum total of our choices.”

This new novel from Fredrik Backman may be his best yet. Beartown is a thought-provoking and emotional story of a small town that is on the verge of disappearing, with businesses closing, jobs dwindling, and trees slowly taking the place of abandoned structures. But the one thing Beartown does have, is the love of hockey. For the first time in many years, their junior hockey team has a shot at the title, and this possibility may be the opportunity Beartown needs to get itself back on the map and prosper. Their hopes and dreams rest on the shoulders of a team of young boys, which includes two rising superstars. When a shocking event and violent act leave a young girl traumatized, the small town is in chaos, leaving no resident unaffected.

“Hate can be a deeply stimulating emotion. The world becomes much easier to understand and much less terrifying if you divide everything and everyone into friends and enemies, we and they, good and evil. The easiest way to unite a group isn’t through love, because love is hard. It makes demands. Hate is simple.”

Beartown is an incredibly well crafted novel that drew me in from the first page and completely captivated my attention throughout. What first caught my eye with this novel was that it centred around hockey, which I am a fan of and the description on the book really spoke to me. Everything surrounding the hockey aspect was portrayed brilliantly, but there is so much more to this novel. Ultimately it is not a book about hockey, but rather a story of a small community, of hope and courage, and the choices we make. Through writing that is thoroughly engaging, the author brings to life each character, each emotion, and the town itself. Quite simply, Beartown does what great books do; it makes you feel.