Sofia Lundberg - The Red Address Book

The Borough Press

An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk

First published in Great Britain by HarperCollins Publishers 2019

Copyright © Sofia Lundberg 2017

English Translation © Alice Menzies 2017

Jacket design © HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 2018

Jacket illustration © Shutterstock.com

Sofia Lundberg asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

Alice Menzies asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this translation

A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Source ISBN: 9780008277925

Ebook Edition © JANUARY 2019 ISBN: 9780008277949

Version: 2021-03-30

‘Written with love, told with joy. Very easy to enjoy’

Fredrik Backman, New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove

‘[A] Swedish romance steeped in memory and regret … The Red Address Book is just the sort of easy-reading tale that will inspire readers to pull up a comfy chair to the fire, grab a mug of cocoa and a box of tissues and get hygge with it’

New York Times Book Review

‘Wise and captivating, Lundberg’s novel offers clear-eyed insights into old age and the solace of memory’

People Magazine

‘With an ingenious hook and a glorious heroine, this book is a delicate balance of heartwarming and heartbreaking and a timely reminder to hold on to those you love in case they get away. Enchanting’

Veronica Henry

‘In this tender and heartfelt story, Sofia Lundberg offers a reminder that those we too easily dismiss, such as the elderly, have rich histories and lives that we can learn from … Completely engrossing from start to finish, The Red Address Book is a poignant tale of memory and how those things we carry in our heart work together to create our own life stories’

New York Journal of Books

‘In a reader’s lifetime, there are a few books that will be companions forever. For me, The Red Address Book is one of them. It will comfort you, and remind you of all the moments when you grabbed life with both hands. It is also an homage to the wisdom of women who have lived longer than most of us. One is never too old to learn that love is the only meaning of life – let’s listen to these women’

Nina George, author of The Little Paris Bookshop

‘Doris’s life story is magnetic, and it’s her strong personality and pearls of wisdom … that drive the book … Fans of Fredrik Backman will find much to like here’

Publishers Weekly

‘A warm and tender story about life, memories, and the power of love and friendship. A novel with heart and humor!’

Katarina Bivald, author of The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend

‘The relationships [Doris] forms along the way, from the tortured gay artist who becomes a lifelong friend to the charismatic young man whose love drives Doris to battle enormous odds in an attempt to find him during WWII, are beautifully brought to life in this sweetly elegiac novel’

Booklist

‘Romantic … fabulous’

Lucy Dillon, author of Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts

‘ The Red Address Book is a love letter to the human heart. Full of tenderness and empathy, Lundberg has created more than just a novel – she has created a window into the soul’

Alyson Richman, author of The Lost Wife and The Velvet Hours

‘A charming, fragile romance’

Kirkus Reviews

‘Readers who enjoyed Eleanor Brown’s The Light of Paris or Nina George’s The Little French Bistro will delight in seeing Doris’s life unfold in this charming, tender tale’

Library Journal

For Doris, heaven’s most beautiful angel You gave me air to breathe and wings to fly.

And for Oskar, my most precious treasure.

Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Praise for The Red Address Book

Dedication

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Epilogue

Keep Reading …

About the Author

About the Publisher

The saltshaker. The pillbox. The bowl of lozenges. The blood-pressure monitor in its oval plastic case. The magnifying glass and its red-bobbin-lace strap, taken from a Christmas curtain, tied in three fat knots. The phone with the extra-large numbers. The old red-leather address book, its bent corners revealing the yellowed paper within. She arranges everything carefully, in the middle of the kitchen table. They have to be lined up just so. No creases on the neatly ironed baby-blue linen tablecloth.

A moment of calm as she looks out at the street and the dreary weather. People rushing by, with and without umbrellas. The bare trees. The gravelly slush on the asphalt, water trickling through it.

A squirrel darts along a branch, and a flash of happiness twinkles in her eyes. She leans forward, following the blurry little creature’s movements carefully. Its bushy tail swings from side to side as it moves lithely between branches. Then it jumps down to the road and quickly disappears, heading off to new adventures.

It must almost be time to eat, she thinks, stroking her stomach. She picks up the magnifying glass and with a shaking hand raises it to her gold wristwatch. The numbers are still too small, and she has no choice but to give up. She clasps her hands calmly in her lap and closes her eyes for a moment, awaiting the familiar sound at the front door.

“Did you nod off, Doris?”

An excessively loud voice abruptly wakes her. She feels a hand on her shoulder, and sleepily tries to smile and nod at the young caregiver who is bending over her.