The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife

A Novel

By: Anna Johnston

Narrated by: Tim Carroll

“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, at age eighty-two, there’s nobody left in Fred’s life to borrow from, and he's broke and on the brink of eviction. But Fred’s luck changes when he's mistaken for Bernard Greer, a missing resident at the local nursing home, and takes his place. Now Fred has warm meals in his belly and a roof over his head—as long as his look-alike Bernard 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.

Heartwarming, humorous, and real

From page 1, I fell in love with Fred. This book is heartwarming, tackles hard topics in a kind manner, and feels so real. The characters jump off the page and into your heart.

The wonderful interaction of people

I loved every bit of this story. It is so well written. It truly tugs at your heart strings.

book club material

I liked this book and narrator so much my book club is reading it! Great writing, thank you Ms. Johnston, engaging narrator, fun and endearing story. sad, happy, witty dialogue, lots of tears and giggles. I look forward to reading her future books or seeing the movie!

I laughed - I cried

What a delightful book! The story and narration were a perfect fit. I loved this book and feel like its characters will now be lifelong friends. It is a very easy listen- I could not stop listening! I was sorry to reach the end even though the ending was very satisfying. I strongly recommend this book.

Amazing and heartwarming!!

This book was funny, tear provoking, and a beautiful story about love! I didn’t want it to end. Highly recommended!