This beautiful little story about a cranky old man, love, and family made me cry like a big blubbering buffoon. And I'm not even mad about it. 
 It was simply written, but every now and then a sentence or two would make me stop and think for a few minutes. Backman has an amazing ability to make you legitimately FEEL for the characters in this story... even the minor ones. I look forward to reading more from him!