The first installment of the Beartown trilogy bears the same name and was originally published in 2017. With this novel, Fredrik Backman focuses on the isolated town’s do-or-die fixation on the game of hockey, uncovering the inherent injustice that lurks beneath the ostensibly wholesome surface of a small community that places a great deal of emphasis upon the team’s wins and losses. In many ways, Backman transcends the shallow conflicts and plot structure of the typical sports novel by delving into the hidden forces of small-town corruption and politics that drive the leadership figures of Beartown to bury and compromise their ethics for the sake of winning. The town reels in the aftermath of the revelation that star player Kevin Erdahl has raped Maya Andersson, the daughter of the team’s general manager. Additionally, the town leaders’ choice to demonize Maya rather than punish Kevin indicates that the goal of winning hockey has superseded all other considerations. As the story unfolds, many characters undergo a crisis of conscience, and those who are brave enough to tell the truth gain a sense of closure that those who choose to hide their secrets will forever lack.

In the sequel,

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