And Every Morning The Way Home Gets Longer And Longer

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What were your overall impressions of And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer? How did the novella’s tone and structure shape your reading experience?

2. Which aspects of the book did you find most effective or moving, and which parts did you find challenging or difficult to engage with?

3. How does this novella compare to other works by Fredrik Backman or to other literary portrayals of aging, memory loss, or family relationships?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Did any particular scene, image, or line evoke a strong emotional response for you? Why do you think that moment was especially impactful?

2. The book explores fear, love, and letting go. Which of these themes resonated most with your own experiences or beliefs?

3. Have you ever found yourself caring for someone who was changing in ways you could not control? How does the book’s portrayal of care and companionship reflect or differ from your experience?

4. Do you find the characters’ responses to Grandpa’s decline—particularly Noah’s and Ted’s—realistic or understandable? Why or why not?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. In what ways does the novella reflect contemporary attitudes toward aging, illness, and caregiving? Does it challenge or reinforce common societal assumptions?

2. How does the absence of medical language or clinical explanation affect the book’s commentary on cognitive decline?

3. Although the story is deeply personal, what aspects of it feel universal or socially relevant beyond the family at its center?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. How does the vignette-based, nonlinear structure influence your understanding of Grandpa’s experience? Would the story have the same impact if it were told chronologically in a more traditional narrative style?

2. Discuss the role of metaphorical spaces such as the square, the road, space, and the green tent in shaping the novella’s portrayal of identity and memory. In what ways do these spaces change over time, and what do those changes suggest about identity and selfhood?

3. In what ways does the novella blur the boundaries between imagination, memory, and reality? How does this ambiguity affect your interpretation of what is “happening” in the story?

4. How does Backman’s use of repetition—of phrases, gestures, and images—contribute to the reader’s understanding of cognitive decline and emotional persistence throughout the novella?

5. How does Backman use humor throughout the novella to shape its emotional tone? In what moments does humor appear alongside fear, grief, or confusion, and how does this juxtaposition affect the reader’s experience of the story?

6. Analyze the role of intergenerational relationships in the novella. How do the relationships between Grandpa, Noah, and Ted influence the narrative’s treatment of memory, identity, and care?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If this novella were adapted into a film, how would you visualize the imagined spaces of Grandpa’s mind? Would you depict them realistically, abstractly, or symbolically?

2. Imagine the story from Ted’s perspective several years after the novella ends. How do you think Grandpa’s decline might continue to shape his relationship with Noah?

3. Choose one recurring symbol from the book and create a visual representation of it (drawing, collage, or written description). How does your interpretation compare with others in the group?