Such Good Work

{#partner #freebook Thank you, Simon and Schuster, for the free ARC copy to review. All opinions are my own.}

In a timely book that addresses immigration and addiction, Johannes Lichtman delivers a story that will leave you full of wonder. Jonas is a creative writing professor that struggles with addiction. In an effort to get – and stay – clean, he moves to Sweden, appealing because of its low rate of drug use among its citizens. Once there, Jonas not only focuses on his sobriety, he also finds himself wanting to change – to transform into a new person. He volunteers to help teenage refugees learn Swedish and English in order to help them gain benefits of Swedish citizenship – free college being one of them. As he learns about these individuals, he connects with one in particular and he is a changed man (for the better) forever.

I was immediately drawn into this story due to Lichtman’s superb writing style. The first part focuses on addiction and some of the thought processes that may go through an addict’s mind. I found this interesting and informative, as I don’t know anyone personally who has struggled with addiction. Once Jonas moves to Sweden, the focus switches to the social issues surrounding displaced refugees, specifically Syrian refugees. Seeing the topics through the lens of a Swedish citizen really made me think about what I understand as seen through my American lens. I loved how Lichtman humanized the characters and gave them a face vs just simply identifying a group of people.

People who enjoyed EXIT WEST will also really relate to the contents of this story. I think it’s important to continue to read books that make us think, and more importantly, give us a new perspective about something. This book does that and I’m glad I had a chance to read it!