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Tuesday, November 5, 2024

The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife

The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife (#1,270) is a novel of mistaken identity set in Australia.  A down on his luck senior citizen is caught up by the staff of a nursing home who think Frederick is a wheelchair-bound resident named Bernard.  Much as Fred tries to tell them that he's not, he winds up at the home where he learns he bears an uncanny resemblance to the man whose body he had discovered by the river.  But for someone who has just been evicted from his apartment, and who has not eaten a square meal in days, the temptation to enjoy the food and the comfort of the bed is too much.  Maybe he'll just stay for a day or two...

But as he gradually makes friends and a difference to the nursing home community, one member of the staff is suspicious.  Bernard has never been this nice - and what about his incontinence?  It's suddenly gone.  But Denise has problems of her own.

The story itself is very touching, but after hearing this book described as "cute", I was surprised by the pre-adolescent glee the author, Anna Johnston, takes in including bodily functions at every, and I do mean every, opportunity.  To be honest, it almost put me off reading beyond the first few pages.  But I hung in there and was glad I did for the uplifting ending.

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