Finding Friendship, Art, and Inspiration in My Friends by Fredrik Backman
My Friends by Fredrik Backman
A story that celebrates friendship, creativity, and the quiet power of belief.
It’s rare that a book grabs me so completely that I both don’t want it to end and can’t stop recommending it to everyone I know—but My Friends by Fredrik Backman did just that.
I’ve read a handful of Backman’s books over the years. I loved A Man Called Ove and Beartown, and while Anxious People didn’t land quite the same way for me, My Friends reminded me why I keep returning to his writing. It’s thoughtful, layered, and unexpectedly moving. After finishing this one, I’m planning to pick up a few of his other titles to dive into over the summer.
At its core, My Friends is a story about two things I hold dear: art and friendship. It follows two timelines, 25 years apart, woven together by a single piece of art—The One of the Sea. In the present day, runaway teen Louisa is gifted the painting and sets off on a cross-country journey to uncover its origin story. Along the way, she discovers a tight-knit group of four teenagers from the past who once found solace in each other on a weathered pier by the sea.
Despite the pain and trauma in their young lives, what shines through is their unwavering belief in each other. They show up for one another—not with grand gestures, but with the quiet, powerful message: I love you, and I believe in you.
And isn’t that what we all need? That kind of pure, unconditional support—especially from people who are still figuring out their own place in the world. That’s where the magic of this story lives.
What resonated most with me was how these teens, despite their own struggles, saw the spark in one of their friends—the budding artist—and encouraged him to create something beautiful. Their faith in him changed his life. It’s a powerful reminder that when we nurture someone’s passion, we might just help lift them out of something dark and into something brilliant.
“The world is full of miracles, but none greater than how far a young person can be carried by someone else’s belief in them.”
My Friends is a celebration of how art connects us, how friendships can be lifelines, and how simply being there—truly being there—for someone else can make all the difference.
If you’re looking for a read that’s both heartfelt and quietly inspirational, I can’t recommend this book enough.