Kirkus Style Review for A Man Called Ove

   

When new neighbors move in across the street, Ove's story begins to unwind and weave its way into your heart.

Ove was a creature of habit who followed his daily routine faithfully. He didn't take kindly to anyone or anything who disrupted it. Ove spent his days enforcing the rules of his homeowner's association, confronting neighbors and visitors, leaving notes on poorly parked cars. Everyone has a "story" behind his life. What begins with the neighbors accidentally flattening his mailbox is the heartwarming, moving, and often hilarious tale of how a single act of kindness is like the ripples created by dropping a pebble in a puddle of water. You will laugh and cry as Ove teaches the pregnant mother to drive and her husband to back up a U-haul, comes to terms with a stray cat, and ultimately becomes the friend he never had.

Chances are, we all have an Ove in our lives. Reading his story will give you pause to think, reasons to laugh as well as shed a few tears, and you will learn how far a little kindness can go.