The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife
  • Published:
    Sep-2024 (Hardcover)
    Oct-2025 (Paperback)
  • Formats:
    Print / eBook / Audio
  • Main Genre:
    General Fiction
  • Pages:
    336
  • Rating:
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“A funny, heartfelt story about found family and seeing the silver lining in life. Fans of A Man Called Ove and Remarkably Bright Creatures will especially enjoy this new novel.” -- Library Journal

A zany case of mistaken identity allows a lonely old man one last chance to be part of a family.

“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.
People / Creatures
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EDITIONS
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    •  
    • Oct-2025
    • HarperCollins
    • Trade Paperback
    • ISBN: 0063397307
    • ISBN13: 9780063397309
    • First Edition
    • Sep-2024
    • William Morrow
    • Hardcover
    • ISBN: 0063397293
    • ISBN13: 9780063397293
    •  
    • Penguin
    • eBook
    • ISBN: 1761347608
    • ISBN13: 9781761347603
    •  
    • Sep-2024
    • HarperCollins
    • eBook
    • ISBN: 0063397315
    • ISBN13: 9780063397316
    •  
    • Sep-2024
    • William Morrow
    • eBook (Kindle)
    •  
    • Sep-2024
    • HarperCollins
    • Trade Paperback
    • ISBN: 0063410613
    • ISBN13: 9780063410619
    • Large Print



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