“They say that a person’s personality is the sum of their experiences. But that isn’t true, at least not entirely, because if our past was all that defined us, we’d never be able to put up with ourselves. We need to be allowed to convince ourselves that we’re more than the mistakes we made yesterday. That we are all of our next choices, too, all of our tomorrows.”

“You don’t have to prove anything to anyone anymore. You’re good enough.”

“But when you get home this evening, when this day is over and the night takes us, allow yourself a deep breath. Because we made it through this day as well.

There’ll be another one along tomorrow.”

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

I wanted to highlight these quotes from Fredrik Backman’s latest book Anxious People because they made me feel the most. Like, the hand-over-your-mouth-with-tears-in-your-eyes feels after a long day of work during a global pandemic and divisive political election. Just … lots of feelings.

It’s been a rough year for all, and when I first heard of Anxious People, I was admittedly … anxious about it. A book about mental health? Would it be too triggering for me? Would I have trouble reading it? Will I like it?

The answer to all of these questions is yes. It was hard to read. Some moments, I needed to put the book down and read something else for a few days. The story, however, was so intricate and powerful that I needed to learn what happened to these likeable, sometimes unbearable characters. I needed to work through that pain and discomfort, for in the end it was worth it. The ending was so beautiful! It was restorative.

I laughed out loud the first 5 pages of this book (something I never do). I cried during this book (something I usually do not do). I just really enjoyed reading it. I heard the audio is fantastic, and consider listening to it down the road as a reread.

Backman has a gift for writing about the intense, raw moments of being a human. (A Man Called Ove? I still get choked up) In this book, like all of the others, of the characters were flawed and are written in such a unique way. He really has a gift. I am grateful I had the chance to read it with a group of insanely sweet bookstagram friends. Have you read this one?

Synopsis (pulled from Goodreads):

This is a poignant comedy about a crime that never took place, a would-be bank robber who disappears into thin air, and eight extremely anxious strangers who find they have more in common than they ever imagined.

Viewing an apartment normally doesn’t turn into a life-or-death situation, but this particular open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes everyone in the apartment hostage. As the pressure mounts, the eight strangers slowly begin opening up to one another and reveal long-hidden truths.

As police surround the premises and television channels broadcast the hostage situation live, the tension mounts and even deeper secrets are slowly revealed. Before long, the robber must decide which is the more terrifying prospect: going out to face the police, or staying in the apartment with this group of impossible people.