And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman

It's the story of how to say good-bye to someone you are losing to Alzheimer's.

It's the story of a grandpa and grandson - and their shared love of mathematics and how grandpa tries to define what is happening to him while wrestling with the fear of memories beginning to fade.

📕 Quotes

“Our teacher made us write a story about what we want to be when we're big," Noah tells him. "What did you write?" "I wrote that I wanted to concentrate on being little first." "That's a very good answer." "Isn't it? I would rather be old than a grown-up. All grown-ups are angry, it's just children and old people who laugh." "Did you write that?" "Yes." "What did your teacher say?" "She said I hadn't understood the task." "And what did you say?" "I said she hadn't understood my answer.” ― Fredrik Backman, And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer

“The only time you've failed is if you don't try once more.” ― Fredrik Backman, And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer

“I only had you for the blink of an eye,” he says. She laughs. “You had me an entire lifetime. All of mine.” “That wasn’t enough” ― Fredrik Backman, And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer

“You were never easy, darling difficult sulky you, never diplomatic. You might even have been easy to dislike at times. But no one, absolutely no one, would dare tell me you were hard to love.” ― Fredrik Backman, And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer

“The teacher wanted us to write what we thought the meaning of life was once.” “What did you write?” “Company.” Grandpa closes his eyes. “That’s the best answer I’ve heard.” “My teacher said I had to write a longer answer.” “So what did you do?” “I wrote: Company. And ice cream.” Grandpa spends a moment or two thinking that over. Then he asks: “What kind of ice cream?” Noah smiles. It’s nice to be understood.” ― Fredrik Backman, And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer

That's why we get the chance to spoil our grandchildren, because by doing that we're apologizing to our children. ― Fredrik Backman, And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer