You’ll cry, you’ll smile…

When the Cranes fly South

If two of your favourite authors recommend a book, you read it. At least, I do. I don’t know about “wanting to give it to everyone you love” — Fredrik Backman’s words. Because it is as heartbreaking as it is beautiful — Richard Osman’s words, I wouldn’t give it to anyone feeling unstable.

The blurb

Bo is determined to live his own life in his own way. But his son has other ideas…

Bo lives a quiet existence in his small rural village in the north of Sweden. He is elderly and his days are punctuated by visits from his care team and his son. Fortunately, he still has his rich memories, phone calls with his best friend, and his beloved dog Sixten for company.

Only now his son is insisting the dog must be taken away. The very same son that Bo is wanting to mend his relationship with before his time is up. The threat of losing Sixten stirs up a whirlwind of emotions and makes Bo determined to resist and find his voice…

Even if you don’t love animals, I think you will cry for Bo’s loss of independence. But I urge you to keep with it, because the ending makes it all worthwhile, even though you’ll still be crying. I was. I wonder what the tears were, perhaps just for the sadness of inevitable endings. But also for the beauty of connections. And forgiveness.

Memory Lane (De terugkeer)

I can’t believe we had this one on our list of recorded movies since 31 December 2025. And by the way, what a perfectly apt time to watch this road movie in which a couple travel to their beloved holiday destination Spain after decades of not visiting.

It’s daunting; the decision to leave the highways and travel on less busy roads was a solid decision . It’s funny; smoking roll-your-owns one last time on a mountain overlooking Barcelona… But what I found the most beautiful was how the two got rid of their current selves and in all their frailty, became their best versions again and enjoyed life. De Terugreis means The journey back, and I prefer that to the words Memory Lane because the two become themselves again in their current age, if that makes sense.

Check where you can stream Memory Lane in your country.