#009: "A Man Called Ove" by Fredrik Backman (with guest host, Meggie Lee Calvin)

Michelle and guest host, Meggie Lee Calvin, discuss A Man Called Ove: A Novel by Fredrik Backman. Their conversation covers death, grief, joy, and more.

From the back cover: "Meet Ove. He’s a curmudgeon—the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him “the bitter neighbor from hell.” But must Ove be bitter just because he doesn’t walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time? Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove’s mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents’ association to their very foundations. Fredrik Backman’s novel about the angry old man next door is a thoughtful exploration of the profound impact one life has on countless others. “If there was an award for ‘Most Charming Book of the Year,’ this first novel by a Swedish blogger-turned-overnight-sensation would win hands down” (Booklist, starred review)."

About Meggie: "Meggie Lee Calvin (Meg) is an Amazon Bestselling Author, Wife, Mom, Speaker, Podcaster, and Coach who helps her fellow Spiritually-Attuned Go-Getters find confidence and certainty in who they were meant to be. After serving as a Minister to Children and Families at a mainline protestant church for over a decade, she now serves as Director of Engagement for the Institute for Discipleship. Her days include such fun as recruiting participants and instructors for BeADisciple.com, producing and co-hosting the Listening Chair Podcast, coaching content creators in the creation and marketing of their content, and writing and speaking over grit and grace to her fellow spiritually-attuned go-getters and recovering holy-rollers. Her second book, I Am My Own Sanctuary, reads like Seth Myers and the Benedictine nun, Joan Chittister conceived a book-baby. This, “Full-steam comedic rant”, as Dr. David Dault of the NPR Show, Things Not Seen called it, was written for other “recovering holy-rollers” and encourages them to own the power of the Divine within to take back the power from others in their lives. Meg has been featured on NPR, and has served as a workshop presenter at both state-wide and national conferences."