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Anxious People

By: Fredrik Backman
Narrated by: Marin Ireland
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Publisher's summary

An instant number-one New York Times best seller, the new novel from the author of A Man Called Ove is a “quirky, big-hearted novel.... Wry, wise and often laugh-out-loud funny, it’s a wholly original story that delivers pure pleasure” (People).

Looking at real estate isn’t usually a life-or-death situation, but an apartment open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes a group of strangers hostage. The captives include a recently retired couple who relentlessly hunt down fixer-uppers to avoid the painful truth that they can’t fix their own marriage. There’s a wealthy bank director who has been too busy to care about anyone else and a young couple who are about to have their first child but can’t seem to agree on anything. Add to the mix an eighty-seven-year-old woman who has lived long enough not to be afraid of someone waving a gun in her face, a flustered but still-ready-to-make-a-deal real estate agent, and a mystery man who has locked himself in the apartment’s only bathroom, and you’ve got the worst group of hostages in the world.

Each of them carries a lifetime of grievances, hurts, secrets, and passions that are ready to boil over. None of them is entirely who they appear to be. And all of them - the bank robber included - desperately crave some sort of rescue. As the authorities and the media surround the premises, these reluctant allies will reveal surprising truths about themselves and set in motion a chain of events so unexpected that even they can hardly explain what happens next.

Proving once again that Backman is “a master of writing delightful, insightful, soulful, character-driven narratives” (USA Today), Anxious People “captures the messy essence of being human….It’s clever and affecting, as likely to make you laugh out loud as it is to make you cry” (The Washington Post). This “endlessly entertaining mood-booster” (Real Simple) is proof that the enduring power of friendship, forgiveness, and hope can save us - even in the most anxious of times.

©2020 Fredrik Backman. All rights reserved. (P)2020 Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved. Translation Copyright ©2020 Neil Smith. Originally published in Sweden in 2019 as Folk med Angest Published by arrangement with Salomonsson Agency
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Editor's Pick

A locked-room mystery that’s pure Fredrik Backman
After unsuccessfully attempting to hold up a cashless bank, a desperate father accidentally creates a hostage situation after running headfirst into an apartment viewing. From our bumbling would-be robber, to the collection of “regular” folks locked in together, to the father–son cop team who lead the investigation, each character has a story to be told. What’s revealed is pure Backman truth-telling that perfectly captures the human experience with humor, tenderness, and wisdom. And the shining glory of this listen is narrator Marin Ireland’s performance. She simply nails it—all of it: Backman’s uncanny ability to get to the heart of things and in giving each and every quirky character a voice that resonates. I’m still smiling and can’t wait for the next Backman/Ireland collaboration! —Tricia F., Audible Editor