[2] The plot of the novel focuses on a "nag-hag" woman who has recently left her cheating husband and has taken on a job in the city of Borg, working at the recreation center.

There, Britt-Marie finds herself responsible for a group of children in an impoverished area of town in need of revamping.

Somebody, a 40-year-old alcoholic, runs the hub of the city out of the local pizza shop and occasionally dabbles in selling illegal goods.

Backman has always played fast and loose with internal logic; without the smart pacing displayed in his previous books, the problem is more glaring here.

Johnson also praised the author "who understands people and watches society closely"[5] A film adaptation, starring Pernilla August and directed by Tuva Novotny, was released in 2019.