This book had a little bit of a slow start for me, but picked up. The story was one of the more sad ones I’ve read in awhile.

My great grandfather was born just 19 years after Dorris is said to have been born. He, much like Dossi for Jenny, has been one of the few constants in my life. I moved in with him at the age of 18, and stayed there until 21. Those three years were the hardest I’ve experienced in my personal life, but I never could have made it through without his consistency. He tells me stories of his life, a life much like Dorris’ was. He served in Germany and France immediately post-WWII, and he hates Paris as much as Dorris did when she first arrived. He loved Germany, and the Swiss Alps were his favorite place he visited while on tour. Reading about Jenny coping with her inner child during the wake of her only living family member dying… her having to care for her own baby while she recalled all the times Dorris cared for her… discovering the truth of her conception and the product of sexual assault that Dorris, too, carried into the world… It was all a lot for me. It’s a beautiful read, an inspiring read. Well worth the time. I feel so blessed to have heard these words just when I need them most.

3.75 for this one. They actually did a nice job with the back then & now. Loved the concept of the book and the main characters journey through life. Recommend this one.

Life takes many paths for the central character, Doris, and the telling of the story through an address book makes for an interesting way to shift though time, place and characters.
With Doris close to death Jenny, the grand niece, becomes a more pivotal character and the story becomes the unraveling of her childhood and future.
At times the story seems a bit lost and the ending is a bit too tidy but still worth the read.

Compelling storytelling has elderly woman’s lifelong reflections stem from her worn address book. This unique approach uses a gift received from her beloved father, who died when she was a teenager, to list each memorable person in her long life. As she nears the end of her life, the address book serves as a reminder of everyone she has loved and lost. The book is gripping and very moving as it plays out across the 20th Century. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley and enjoyed it very much. -Suzanne R.

96-year-old Doris has nobody left in her life, save her great-niece who lives halfway around the world. A bad fall sends Doris to the hospital and Jenny, her niece, hops on the next plane to Stockholm to be with her. Upon Jenny's arrival, she finds that Doris has chronicled her life in stories through people listed in her little red address book. Next to the name of each person is the word "dead,"- a theme throughout the book as Doris struggles with loneliness. Each person and story are integral to Doris' journey in four different countries, in a world at war, and of a lost love. A quick read with a bit of a cliche ending but nonetheless enjoyable. – Hanna G.

94-åriga Doris ser tillbaka på sitt händelserika liv och skriver ner sina minnen till sin systerdotter Jenny. Handlingen växlar mellan nutid, där Doris blir omhändertagen av varierande kvalitet av hemtjänsten, och dåtid, där hon reser från Sverige till Paris som 13-åring och vidare därifrån ut i världen.

Alltid spännande med livsöden, verkliga som påhittade. Jag tycker också att det var en fin beskrivning av Doris situation i nutiden, ensamhet och hur utlämnad en äldre person kan känna sig när hon behöver hjälp för att klara sig.

Om man gillar feelgood så kan den kvala in till det, även om det är en del sorg också.

I don't often give a book five stars, but when it leaves me with tears streaming down my face and a reluctance to close the cover then it definitely qualifies.

Such a beautifully crafted, sentimental story! I see a really big book hangover coming on.