People see Britt-Marie as an old bat and a nag-bag: she obsesses over the order of forks, knives, and spoons in the cutlery drawer, insists on using a specific brand of window cleaner, and is “socially incompetent.” Newly divorced and unemployed at age sixty-three, Britt-Marie finds herself in the small community of Borg, a town of deserted pizzerias and bizarre car repair stores. A football to the head greets her, she accidentally wrecks a coffee machine, and soon she’s sobbing alone in a recreation center, trying not to drip tears onto the floor.
Britt Marie Was Here by Swedish author Fredrik Backman was written in 2016, featuring Britt-Marie, a side character from a previous novel, as the protagonist. As a reader, I found this book difficult to get into at first, but slowly began warming to Britt-Marie as I learned her story. She insisted on using Faxin window cleaner and bicarbonate of soda to clean messes, because when she was younger, cleaning was the only way to evoke a response from her parents. It was necessary to evoke a response from them because they were wallowing in grief, one depressed and one unfaithful, after the death of their older daughter, Ingrid.
Borg’s inhabitants and their antics open the next chapter of Britt-Marie’s life: comical, fresh, and unapologetically coarse. There are almost-twin teenagers, Vega and Omar, their older brother Sami, and his best friend Psycho. There’s a young boy with his father in prison, and a cantankerous lady in a wheelchair named Bank. A shy police officer Sven and a rat who loves Snickers. The initial clashes between them and Britt-Marie creates some of the funniest encounters I’ve ever read about. And after these rough introductions, just when hesitant friendships are beginning to form, in comes the request for Britt-Marie to coach the Borg youth football team. The story then plunges into a wild ride of football drills, confessions over tacos, emotional football matches, and gun barrels.
Like Britt-Marie, Borg’s inhabitants all have their own stories. Alcoholic parents, mentally unstable friends that they just can’t abandon. Unfaithful husbands and a man in a BMW who comes to insult them. Amidst the humor and swearing are raw emotions and childhood trauma, things that everyone there are familiar with. I was awed, once again, by Backman’s ability to pull together the most eccentric characters and dark backgrounds into one heartwarming story. The encounter with a robber armed with a gun, and the sudden murder of a much-loved brother, terrified and sickened me as if I’d witnessed these events. Through it all, Britt-Marie and the people of Borg stood together, and I loved them for it.
And like a single road ran through the tiny community of Borg, the love for football ran through the veins of every character, leading to an incredible climax.
Britt-Marie Was Here blended the worst kinds of emotions with the best kinds of people. It told many stories within one, and made it clear that all stories are valid, imperfect, and beautiful. With irresistible humor and numerous plot twists, it was an unforgettable journey, not just of a sixty-three-year-old woman but of an entire community.
I think Britt-Marie might say: cherish your story. Go out, meet people, listen to their stories and tell them your own. Don’t let people forget that you were here.
