
Backman, Fredrik
Anxious People
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
#1 New York Times Bestseller • From the Beloved Author of A Man Called Ove
A brilliantly quirky, heartfelt novel about a failed bank robbery, a group of strangers, and the messy beauty of being human.
In Anxious People, Fredrik Backman, the internationally bestselling author of A Man Called Ove, delivers a hilarious and deeply emotional novel that explores the absurdity of life and the quiet strength of community.
What starts as a routine apartment showing quickly spirals into chaos when a failed bank robber takes a room full of strangers hostage. But this isn’t your average group of captives—they include a feuding married couple, a wealthy banker, a nervous young couple expecting their first child, a fearless 87-year-old woman, a real estate agent who’s just trying to make a sale, and a man hiding in the bathroom.
As tensions rise, so do the secrets, regrets, and hidden fears of everyone in the room. Each character is harboring a private crisis—and none of them is quite who they seem. Over the course of a single day, their stories intertwine in unexpected, heartwarming, and laugh-out-loud ways, revealing that sometimes the people we least expect are the ones who understand us best.
🏠 Perfect for fans of Matt Haig, Emily Henry, and Taylor Jenkins Reid
🏠 A moving, often funny novel about anxiety, forgiveness, and second chances
🏠 A top pick for book clubs that love emotional depth with a touch of humor
Format: Paperback
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Humor, Literary Fiction
Themes: Human Connection, Anxiety, Redemption, Found Family
Audience: Readers who love heartwarming fiction with quirky characters and emotional storytelling
✨ Anxious People is a refreshingly honest, feel-good novel about the power of empathy and the strange ways we show up for each other—even in the most chaotic circumstances.