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My Friends

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My Friends

By: Fredrik Backman
Narrated by: Marin Ireland
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About this listen

‘A stunning, sweeping, extraordinary story of connection, love, and the unbreakable bonds that guide and shape us. Full of humour and heart, My Friends is simply wonderful’ Chris Whitaker

The beautiful new novel that will make you laugh and cry, from the global bestselling author of Anxious People and A Man Called Ove. Fredrik Backman returns with an unforgettably funny, deeply moving tale of four teenagers whose friendship creates a bond so powerful that it changes a complete stranger’s life twenty-five years later...

* AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER *
* ONE OF GOODREADS READERS' MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2025 *
* A BARNES AND NOBLE NATIONAL BOOK CLUB PICK *

You have to take life for granted, the artist thinks, the whole thing: sunrises and slow Sunday mornings and
water balloons and another person’s breath against your neck. That’s the only courageous thing a person can do.

In the corner of one of the most famous paintings in the world three tiny figures sit at the end of a pier. Most people don’t even notice them. Most people think it’s just a depiction of the sea. But Louisa, an aspiring artist herself, knows otherwise.

Twenty-five years earlier, in a distant seaside town, a group of teenagers seek refuge from their bruising home lives by spending long summer days together. They tell jokes, they share secrets, and they commit small acts of rebellion. These lost souls find in each other a reason to get up each morning, a reason to dream, a reason to love.

Out of that summer emerges a transcendent work of art, a painting that will unexpectedly be placed into 18-year-old Louisa’s care. Determined to learn how it came to be and to decide what to do with it, Louisa embarks on a cross-country journey. But the closer she gets to the painting’s birthplace, the more nervous she becomes.

In this stunning testament to the transformative, timeless power of friendship and art, Louisa is proof that happy endings don’t always take the form we expect.

©2025 Fredrik Backman (P)2025 Simon & Schuster UK Contemporary Editors Select Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Funny

Editorial Review

Uncontrollable tears and laughter at the same time
Sometimes the bonds we make when we’re young stay with us for a lifetime. In My Friends, Fredrik Backman weaves a dual-timeline narrative centered on a group of four teenagers: Joar, Ted, Ali, and a boy simply known as “the artist.” Twenty-five years ago, they found escape and comfort in one another during long days on a forgotten pier in a quiet seaside town. In pure Backman form, the messy parts of being human are front and center—simultaneously ugly and beautiful and so true to life. He explores the meaning and impact of art, how it can connect us as well as change us. Those days on the pier are captured in a painting—one that would go on to become a masterpiece and, unexpectedly, change the life of a girl named Louisa decades later. I could listen to narrator Marin Ireland’s retelling of the old stories and Louisa’s new adventures on an endless loop! As always, Backman has left me wrecked and rebuilt in the course of one novel.—Tricia F., Audible Editor

What listeners say about My Friends

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Moving and Beautiful

I've just finished listening to this and am going to immediately start listening again. A magical magnificent tale, eloquently told.

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Perfection.

Absolute perfection. Fredrik has a way of creating such deep, relatable characters. This story will always be in my heart.

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Another winner

I am an avid fan of Backman and have read all of his books. I do believe that this is my favourite. The characters have taken a place in my heart. I was filled with tears, laughter, suspense and deep joy as I read. Do yourself a favour and read it immediately.

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A wonderful read

As with any and all of this authors books this one is a gem. Uplifting, heartbreaking at times, but also so optimistic. Do yourself a favour and give this one a go.

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Best book of 2025

I don’t feel articulate enough to express just how deeply this book moved me—no words I write can truly do it justice. My Friends is achingly beautiful it made my heart ache & smile in equal measure; I cried, really cried... Backman has such a profound understanding of the human condition & his words are like poetry—his books always stir up a storm of feelings, but this one is something truly special. Friends is a powerful tribute to the people who shape us, the memories we carry, It’s sweet, funny, & utterly heartbreaking. More than just a story, My Friends is a love letter to friendship.

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Perfect

Perfection! I have no other words other than THANK YOU ! 🙏 Do yourself a favour you may meet parts of yourself you didn’t know were missing.

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I've never been this sad to finish a book

Marin Ireland made this book and the Friends come alive for me, It was funny, sad, an emotional rollercoaster but mostly it was about love - love of all things, people, art, life. I was upset when it finished as I wanted more but I thought Backman did an excellent job with the ending, there were no loose ends to ponder over.
Please do your self a favour and read this one especially if you've liked his other books, to me this is his best and I've loved all of his novels.

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Memorable

I laughed out loud.
I cried on the inside.
Beautifully written story about the best and the worst in people.

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One of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read

This is a wonderful, warm, funny, moving, deep book full of characters you will love. For the young, for the old, for the artists and the ratbags. They will be your humans. Read or listen to this book!

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