My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman

 

Elsa is seven, almost eight.  She is different from most of the kids at school so she is bullied.  Her best friend is her grandmother who loves her more than anyone else in the world.  She has lived in the same apartment building all her life even when her mother and father got divorced.  Now her mother is remarried and about to have a new baby which Elsa calls Halfsie.  She is used to her life, then her grandmother dies.

Now Elsa is bereft.  Her grandmother leaves a series of envelopes with letters to various people and Elsa is charged with delivering them.  Most of them go to other people in the apartment building.  There is the Monster on the first floor, the wurse (a large dog), the woman upstairs who drinks to forget her past, the taxi driver and the officious woman who thinks she is the boss of everyone.  Along the way, Elsa makes new friends and discovers her family's history.  

Backman is a Swedish writer whose books have found great acclaim.  He prefers offbeat characters, usually with hidden secrets that explain their behavior.  His stories unfold with unexpected connections and leave the reader feeling better about the world.  This book is recommended for all readers.