This is a beautiful, meaningful novella, a story told by a father to his son on Christmas Eve. In "The Deal of a Lifetime" a five-year-old girl with cancer is confined to the hospital. In a nearby room is another patient, a very wealthy man, a man who has abandoned his family but by his standards is an important man because in his world, with great wealth comes great worth: "I failed with you," he says of his son. "I tried to make you tough. You ended up kind."
Death visit the cancer ward and the father makes the deal of a lifetime. (No spoilers)
Backman puts so much feeling into such a short novella. His writing is concise and yet so full of meaning.
Death visit the cancer ward and the father makes the deal of a lifetime. (No spoilers)
Backman puts so much feeling into such a short novella. His writing is concise and yet so full of meaning.
So short it was originally published in his hometown newspaper. I enjoyed the illustrations and found the story to be thought-provoking.
Such a nice story! Short (you can read it in one sitting) but wonderful!
man reflecting on his life and relationship with his son while on his deathbed and trying to strike a bargain with death. sweet at the end but even though it was only 65 pages it was a little slow to get there. Not as good as Backman's last novella.
