The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife

Australian debut author Johnston gifts readers a story brimming with every kind of love—everlasting in marriage, buried in broken relationships, treasured among new friends. Fellow Australian Carroll flawlessly intertwines Johnston’s three narratives: earnest Fred, who tries to help a fallen stranger; bewildered Hannah, struggling with family illness; and desperate Denise, barely coping with caregiving challenges at work and home. Fred is the linchpin: he’s nearly homeless since losing his beloved wife to cancer. But on an outing, Denise mistakes him for her look-alike charge, Bernard, and takes Fred back to the care home. Given Bernard’s dementia, no one believes Fred’s repeated attempts to set the record straight. Unlike grumpy Bernard, Fred’s kindness quickly earns him friends (and a warm bed), particularly Albert, who mistakes Fred for his long-lost brother. In Bernard’s stead, Fred has the chance to repair Bernard’s decades-long estrangement with his daughter. But can relationships based on lies, regardless of their good intentions, truly last? Carroll is a wondrous cipher for Johnston’s vast cast, his empathy particularly shines through his own tears during Hannah’s eulogy. Johnston—who reads her own gratitude-inspiring acknowledgements—couldn’t have ordered a more perfect aural incarnation.

Terry Hong, Booklist

An endearing story about an Aussie battler with a heart of gold. This book is like a big, warm hug - I couldn't get enough of Fred Fife and his borrowed life.

Kerryn Mayne, author of LENNY MARKS GETS AWAY WITH MURDER

You’ll be utterly charmed by this stunning debut. We all need a Frederick Fife in our lives.

Amanda Hampson, author of THE TEA LADIES

What a glorious story it is – I absolutely loved it! Anna has created a wonderfully diverse cast of funny, flawed, and completely relatable characters, and she tells their stories with humor, honesty and compassion. Fred is one of life’s unsung heroes – a loveable rogue with a big heart for whom kindness towards others comes as naturally as breathing – and I was rooting for him from the start. It was an absolute joy to follow him on his poignant, hilarious and at times precarious journey to find the happy ending that he so richly deserved.

Ruth Hogan, author of The Keeper of Lost Things

I adored this big-hearted novel that shows it is never too late to find a family. Tender, wise and laugh-out-loud funny, THE BORROWED LIFE OF FREDERICK FIFE is a tonic for the soul.

Joanna Nell, author of MRS WINTERBOTTOM TAKES A GAP YEAR