Grandma why are there two of you

Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. Henning Koch Goodreads Author Translator. Elsa is seven years old and different.

Her grandmother is seventy-seven years old and crazy, standing-on-the-balcony-firing-paintball-guns-at-men-who-want-to-talk-about-Jesus-crazy. She is also Elsa's best, and only, friend. At night Elsa takes refuge in her grandmother's stories, in the Land of Almost-Awake and the Kingdom of Miamas where everybody is different and nobody Elsa is seven years old and different. At night Elsa takes refuge in her grandmother's stories, in the Land of Almost-Awake and the Kingdom of Miamas where everybody is different and nobody needs to be normal.

When Elsa's grandmother dies and leaves behind a series of letters apologizing to people she has wronged, Elsa's greatest adventure begins. Her grandmother's letters lead her to an apartment building full of drunks, monsters, attack dogs, and totally ordinary old crones, but also to the truth about fairytales and kingdoms and a grandmother like no other.

Get A Copy. Hardcover , pages. Published June 16th by Atria Books first published September 4th More Details Original Title. Ulrika , Britt-Marie. Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Fiction Other Editions Friend Reviews.

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. Yes, I understand her special world follows the craziness of her real life - I just cant follow or sympathize. Maybe I'll pick it up later?? Karin Absolutely keep reading. Never mind trying to keep all the places and people straight. It'll all fall into place, and you'll love it! Or try the audio …more Absolutely keep reading. Or try the audio book; it might be easier to follow. The reader, Joan Walker, really brings the characters to live and lets you savor the emotions!

I love this book but want to know if it's age appropriate for my grandson who is 11 and quite an accomplished reader? My grandm …more Despite the fact that so many people say that this isn't appropriate for young children and that children would be bored, I am 11 years old. My grandmother and I saw this at Target and both of us immediately decided to read it. I've been enjoying it thoroughly. I don't think adults should give answers on what children want to read if they really have no idea.

Lists with This Book. Community Reviews. Showing Average rating 4. Rating details. More filters. Sort order. Apr 29, Elyse Walters rated it it was amazing Shelves: literary-fiction , favorite , historical-fiction , netgalley. Elsa is the greatest combinations of both her parents, and grandparents, but mostly she is unique and different. Precocious, and lovable! Grandmother is eccentric, a litt Brilliant Grandmother is eccentric, a little nutty, a superhero She is strong independent woman, who wants to say "I am sorry" to those she loves.

Trolls, dragons, kingdoms, magical treasures, Harry Potter, ice cream, cookies, beer, cinnamon buns, cloud animals, Star Wars, and more The fairytales add to the enjoyment and depths of issues of the heart! The issues at heart are family bonds, Family history, reflections of the past, life lessons, love, forgiveness, acceptance, laughter.

I often reflected back on my grandma Cookie! After my dad died -when I was 4yrs old- her son, Max, was only 34 , She died when I was 7. I may have only had those 3 special years with Granda Cookie.. After my first daughter was born Later-- she wrote a paper about her -great grandmother- from our family history.

I was touched beyond words. I was so incredibly grateful to receive this book from the publisher, and Netgalley, because I was hoping I could save myself some money. However, the opposite has happened. I need to buy at least 3 copies, physical books , to give as gifts.

The first person I can't wait to share this book with is my oldest daughter. She's going to go nuts over it.

I also suggest that if you are a grandparent Ask your grand child how much they know about you. Encourage them to ask questions about your personal life, so that they too can be future storytellers and keep memories alive. Fairytales are not just for children! View all 93 comments. Jun 25, Suzanne Ross rated it it was ok. This one didn't work for me. Too much story telling within the story.

I found myself getting irritated with all of the names of the places in the Land of Almost Asleep. I appreciated the viewpoint of our precocious little protagonist at times, but most often found it frustrating. She could be so insightful about certain things, yet so obtuse in that we seemed to miss big chunks of the greater picture or at least, I did. All of this sleeping in wardrobes and popping out to visit faraway lands l This one didn't work for me.

All of this sleeping in wardrobes and popping out to visit faraway lands left me thinking along the lines of 'The Lion, Witch and Wardrobe. There's much more I could say here, but why go on? There are more books to read! View all comments. Apr 13, Angela M rated it really liked it Shelves: edelweiss-reviews. I was taken by Elsa and her grandmother from the very beginning.

It's the story of the beautiful legacy that a grandmother leaves her granddaughter. Granny may seem crazy but she is such a very loving grandmother to Elsa that the things she does while they seem crazy , can be so easily forgiven by the reader once her story unfolds and you see what a good person and really a humanitarian she is. Granny does all she can to help Elsa through a hard time.

Her parents are divorced and her mother and new partner are expecting a baby but worst of all Elsa is having a rough time at school. She has no friends and is constantly bullied. Granny gives this lonely little girl the gift of love and friendship and teaches her to cope by giving her a fairytale world in the Land-of-Almost -Awake. It captivated me at first but then I couldn't keep up with the details of the characters and the rules of this complex kingdom.

But at some point I understood better who these characters were and just went with the flow because what is divulged about Granny's past will make you love her in spite of everything. There is a cast of characters living in the same apartment house and at first you think you know who they are , but then their complex stories and connections are told as the story progresses.

The author has cleverly , actually very creatively, woven their stories together and we learn that they have more in common than the same address. Their stories will break your heart. I have to admit at times , I was not into the fairytale but once I got what the stories were really about , I saw it in a different light. The precocious Elsa is definitely beyond her years but it was hard at times to believe that a 7 year old would be as wise and knowing about people as she was.

She's so smart and astute that you sometimes forget she's only seven until we see the insecurities and vulnerabilities of a seven year old dealing with her parents' divorce, confronting grief and death and her anxiety over having a half brother or sister and fear that she won't be loved as much.

This may not be for everyone but if you loved A Man Called Ove , although a different story , you will find the same humanity here with imperfections, vulnerabilities and triumphs of spirit.

This is about a little girl and fairytale but this is definitely a book for grownup kids. View all 77 comments. I almost didn't give this book a star rating at all. As I listened to it I couldn't really figure out if I like it or not.

It has shades of books I cannot stand and shades of books I love. In the end, I couldn't bring myself to leave the star rating blank, but I am not sure you can trust my experience to match the experience you might have. Because of this I went into this with high expectations.

While this has some I almost didn't give this book a star rating at all. While this has some similarities to A Man Called Ove, it is definitely a very different book.

While Ove is a fairly straightforward story, this one ventured back and forth from reality to make believe that I found a little bit hard to stay interested in. I mention make believe, and at times this book ventures into the realm of magical realism.

Usually my experience with magical realism is a positive one, but I did not care for it much here. I think the reason might be that it frequently reminded me of Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane , which I didn't care for at all.

So, if you are a fan of that book, you may enjoy this one, too. I did like all the different characters and exploring all of their personalities. I think this is the biggest thing that carried over from Backman's other stories. Each person is a side story unto themselves and it is fun watching their tales all get woven together. In the end, I cannot say for sure if I recommend this one or not.

If you liked other Backman books, don't go in expecting the same. If you are a fan of fairy tales, you might like it. If you don't like odd stories that stray a bit from reality, this is not the book for you. View all 56 comments. I love this authors books! And there was some Britt-Marie!! I know I spelled that wrong. I listened to the audio from the library instead of reading my books as I'm trying to beat the clock.

Hopefully I will come back around to all the books I'm reading at this time and do them justice!! Absolutely loved it! Happy Reading!! View all 18 comments. Mar 07, Julie rated it really liked it Shelves: fantasy , , contemporary-fiction , e-book , humor. It was suggested to me several times that I should go back and read this book because Brit-Marie is a secondary character here and this book is a segue into BMWH.

After having read several books in a row with melancholy themes, this book brightened my mood significantly. There are plenty poignant and emotional moments expertly woven into this humorous and whimsical story which features a precocious seven -year old girl named Elsa.

Every seven -year old deserves a superhero. For Elsa that is her seventy-seven year old grandmother who regales her with stories that become like a secret communication between them. Her grandmother always comes to defense, is always in her corner, something Elsa desperately needs because she is a little different. This, of course, sets her up for a great deal of bullying at school, and causes her mother a good deal of exasperation at times. Elsa is not only sad, but is also angry that her grandmother has abandoned her.

But, via a series of apology letters her grandmother wrote to various people she felt she had wronged, Elsa is sent on an adventurous journey that will enlighten her, challenge her perception of her beloved grandmother, and change the dynamics of her relationship with her mother and other family members, opening a door towards forgiveness and acceptance. Elsa stole my heart, as was intended. I enjoy seeing children portrayed as trailblazers in a way, because they refuse to give in to conformity.

That she related to those characters, is a testament to how stories and books can offer relief and comfort, as well as influence and teach. But overall this is a story of family and its complexities and mysteries, the regrets and mistakes, and triumphs and sacrifices made over the course of a lifetime, atonement, understanding, forgiveness, and embracing individuality.

I was thoroughly entertained by this novel, and enjoyed experiencing the wealth of and range of emotions and it evoked. This is a delightful story, full of charm and hope!! View all 42 comments. May 16, Margitte rated it it was amazing.

Seven-year-old Elsa was a good combination of the two. Wild, naive, and philosophical. Precocious, brattish and different. Elsa knew very well what grown-ups meant when they described her as 'very grown-up for her age'. What they actually meant was 'she is massively annoying for her age' , which they directed at her parents with strained smiles spread all over Children's characters, such as Pippi Longstocking, and Sophie of Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder , comes to mind, reading this book.

What they actually meant was 'she is massively annoying for her age' , which they directed at her parents with strained smiles spread all over their faces. They treated her as though she was mentally impaired. All she did was correct their spelling, or something similar.

What was so wrong with that, I beg you? She was not as thick as other seven-year-olds. Her extraordinary intelligence counted against her. Her parents were divorced. They were both living in new blended families. Her mother was pregnant again with Halfie half-sister or brother ; George, the step-dad, could prepare eggs and jog, and loved wearing his jogging shorts over his leggings; Her dad lost touch with reality along time ago when he fell in love with fonts.

The chances of him delivering any graphic designs on time is zero. The choice of fonts prevented him from finishing anything. Otherwise, he found happiness with Lizette and her two young children. Elsa felt threatened by the new baby, and lost in her dad's new life. Her grandmother was a dysfunctional superhero in Elsa's world. A retired, year-old doctor, who triggered the smoke-alarms at the airports with her smoking in the ladie's room with an open door; was asked to retire after refusing to stop smoking in the operating theater; spilled Fanta on Elsa's iPhone and tried to dry it out in the toaster; climb fences at the zoo in the middle of the night; threw policemen with turds; traveled all over the world to save lives when everyone else was rushing to get out and away from dire war situations.

Creating fairy tale-metaphors for little Elsa, was her grandmother's way of teaching the hard realities of life in story form to the little girl without friends. Nobody understood this bright child, not even the teachers and headmaster at school, where she was constantly bullied.

Her busy parents did not know what was happening to her. Granny knew, and taught Elsa how to handle it through the fairy tales. Elsa learnt to run. Run very fast. She learnt to observe everything. She learnt to read and write properly. Grandma expected of her to read books to her while grandma drove her ancient rusting Renault around town, without a driver's license.

Grandma could not spell. Almost-eight-year-old Elsa constantly had to correct granny's writing for her! Elsa started correcting everyone's writing. Even the notices at restaurants. The words she did not understand, was added to her dad's word jar.

When your child or children are the favorite: Talk to the grandparent or grandparents in question. Cousin playdates and sleepovers are fun for those who live nearby; those who live faraway can be pen pals or keep up via Skype. Request that grandparents keep equality in mind. This particularly applies to doling out gifts, college fund contributions or other types of support. Shift your own focus from the unequal treatment to helping your kids create fond memories with their grandparents, regardless of favoritism.

This article was originally published in , and updated in September Read Next. Sexual Abuse: When a Child Tells. Related Topics Dads. Share this article with your friends! About the Author. By Malia Jacobson Malia Jacobson is an award-winning health and parenting journalist and mom of three who contributes regularly to more than 90 national and regional publications and has written two books on sleep. United States. Type keyword s to search. Today's Top Stories.

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