WHEN THE CRANES FLY SOUTH is a quietly beautiful book that held me in its grip long after I finished reading.

Bo has reached the twilight months of his life. His days pass slowly, at home, his beloved elkhound, Sixten, by his side. Carers come and go, and he drifts in and out of the present, the past, and the truth that he can no longer look after himself or his dog.

He wants to establish his role as captain of his own ship, and yet, “I’m not a captain. I’m a bundle that’s been lashed to the mast in a storm.”

My heart wrenched as he tries to maintain dignity despite a failing body and disordered mind, and reaches for remnants of love with the wife dementia has stolen.

He clings to a life-long friendship reduced to conversations that compare carers, and struggles to find peace with Hans, his 57-year-old son. They have never been close. Bo can’t remember physical contact between them since Hans was a young child. And now, even as Hans arrives to stock the freezer with his dad’s favorite food, they fight over Sixten’s future.

While Bo navigates his final months, my heart broke in the best way.

What a unique meditation on fatherhood and family, regret and reconciliation.

This is definitely a book to gift and share.