The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife Audiobook By Anna Johnston cover art

The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife

A Novel

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The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife

By: Anna Johnston
Narrated by: Tim Carroll
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About this listen

A zany case of mistaken identity allows a lonely old man one last chance to be part of a family in this warm, life-affirming debut novel.

“A funny, heartfelt story about found family and seeing the silver lining in life. Fans of Fredrik Backman’s A Man Called Ove and Shelby Van Pelt’s Remarkably Bright Creatures will especially enjoy this new novel.”—Library Journal

“Would you mind terribly, old boy, if I borrowed the rest of your life? I promise I’ll take excellent care of it.”

Frederick Fife was born with an extra helping of kindness in his heart. If he borrowed your car, he’d return it washed with a full tank of gas. The problem is there’s nobody left in Fred’s life to borrow from. At eighty-two, he’s desperately lonely, broke, and on the brink of homelessness.

But Fred’s luck changes when, in a bizarre case of mistaken identity, he takes the place of grumpy Bernard Greer at the local nursing home. Now he has warm meals in his belly and a roof over his head—as long as his poker face is in better shape than his prostate and that his look-alike never turns up.

Denise Simms is stuck breathing the same disappointing air again and again. A middle-aged mom and caregiver at Bernard's facility, her crumbling marriage and daughter's health concerns are suffocating her joy for life. Wounded by her two-faced husband, she vows never to let a man deceive her again.

As Fred walks in Bernard’s shoes, he leaves a trail of kindness behind him, fueling Denise's suspicions about his true identity. When unexpected truths are revealed, Fred and Denise rediscover their sense of purpose and learn how to return a broken life to mint condition.

Bittersweet and remarkably perceptive, The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife is a hilarious, feel-good, clever novel about grief, forgiveness, redemption, and finding family.

©2024 Anna Johnston (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers
Family Life Friendship Literature & Fiction Marriage Heartfelt Feel-Good Funny Witty

What listeners say about The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife

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Love and humor

Excellent narrator. Interesting story development. Wonderful characters. Warm, humorous takes on some of the hardships of life… loss of loved ones, dementia, aging, addiction.

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5 people found this helpful

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Love and kindness great for the soul

I absolutely loved this book! It was the most beautiful, heartwarming story I’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to. Also written with the cutest touch of humor. The narrator for Fred’s character was pure perfection! I grew to love Fred more and more with every chapter. Be prepared to cry your eyes out! Give this beautiful story a listen. I guarantee you will love it.

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Heartwarming, humorous, and real

From page 1, I fell in love with Fred. This book is heartwarming, tackles hard topics in a kind manner, and feels so real. The characters jump off the page and into your heart.

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5 people found this helpful

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The wonderful interaction of people

I loved every bit of this story. It is so well written. It truly tugs at your heart strings.

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3 people found this helpful

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book club material

I liked this book and narrator so much my book club is reading it! Great writing, thank you Ms. Johnston, engaging narrator, fun and endearing story. sad, happy, witty dialogue, lots of tears and giggles. I look forward to reading her future books or seeing the movie!

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I laughed - I cried

What a delightful book! The story and narration were a perfect fit. I loved this book and feel like its characters will now be lifelong friends. It is a very easy listen- I could not stop listening! I was sorry to reach the end even though the ending was very satisfying. I strongly recommend this book.

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Heartwarming Story!

Very Hallmark-ish, but so very heartwarming! It’s rare to read a story that ties up all loose ends. It was a pleasant story with a happily ever after ending.

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7 people found this helpful

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A New Favorite

I will be listening to this book again. I don’t want to leave Fred’s world. This is one of those books I couldn’t put down, but I didn’t want to end. I hope we’ll all be blessed with more books by this very talented author.

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This Book Was Like A Warm Hug!

Love love loved this book so much. Fred’s character just melted my heart and it was so much fun to read. I loved his humor and how he responded to everything and everyone with kindness, humor, and joy. We all have something to learn from Fred.

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Beautiful

This was a beautiful story. Character development was perfect. I laughed with them and cried with them. Such a moving story. I will recommend it to my friends and family. I know I will listen to it again.

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