Fredrik Backman

Fredrik Backman, who writes his book from the first person, is a loving father who portrays himself as a parent who is slightly in over his head. Judging from the endless stories he tells about leaving his son in the elevator, or taking his son to preschool in a beer-soaked diaper, it is clear Backman would benefit from a parental handbook. However, despite what he might say about his immaturity and preparation for fatherhood, Backman's values are on full display when he wraps each story up with a moral that his son will appreciate when he is older. The audience chalks most of Backman's quirky, irresponsible mistakes to his humor and the amount he cares about his son.

At the beginning of the book, Backman's stories are humorous and extremely relatable for many young parents in the age of technology. He uses soccer to teach his...