When the Cranes Fly South

Bo’s narration is a prolonged attempt to remain in control of a life that seems increasingly determined by others. His introduction to the reader is his announced desire to cut Hans out of his will to ensure that his own son “doesn’t get a penny” (7). While Bo never does disinherit Hans, the tensions between them immediately introduce the novel’s exploration of the need to preserve agency in old age.

Bo’s narration is addressed to Fredrika, his wife who is now living in a care home due to her dementia. Bo’s visits with Fredrika intensify his own sadness and fear that, as he grows older and frailer himself, he may also lose his agency—and his memories—just as she did. In narrating his daily experiences and recalling memories from his past, Bo attempts to assert a degree of control over his life and remind himself of who he is. His first-person account insists that he is still the subject of his days, while the carers’ notes register him as an object of routine. “[T]he home help” feel both invasive and unhelpful (12), yet there is little that Bo can do to keep them away—a fact that he often resents.