December Read: "My Friends" by Fredrik Backman

An uplifting love letter to the transformative power of friendship and proof that happy endings don’t always take the form we expect . . .

Somehow, one of the most famous (and mysterious) paintings in the world, ends up in aspiring artist Louisa’s hands.

She’s heard the stories of how decades earlier, in a distant seaside town, a group of teenagers sought refuge from their difficult home lives by spending long summer days together. They tell jokes, they share secrets, and they commit small acts of rebellion. These lost souls find in each other a reason to get up each morning, a reason to dream, a reason to thrive.

Not everybody notices the three tiny figures in the famous painting. Louisa does. And while she’s not sure of what to do about her inheritance, she does decide to figure out its true backstory. Louisa goes on a cross-country journey to that seaside town to uncover its secrets.

But the closer she gets to the painting’s birthplace, the more nervous she becomes. What happened to the three boys? And how does it involve her?

438 pages