A Novel Book Club: ANXIOUS PEOPLE

Schedule

Wed, 20 May, 2026 at 07:00 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

387 Perkins Ext, Memphis, TN, United States, Tennessee 38117 | Memphis, TN

Advertisement
A Novel Book Club invites you to a meeting on Wednesday, May 20 at 7PM to discuss ANXIOUS PEOPLE by Fredrik Backman. All are welcome, whether you've ever attended a meeting or not. No registration required!
Use coupon code BOOKCLUB10 to get your 10% book club discount when purchasing online here: https://novelmemphis.com/book/9781501160844
In store book club book purchases will also receive a 10% discount.
If you prefer ebooks, your purchase at Bookshop.org benefits Novel when you make us your home store and purchase here: https://bit.ly/4cwf3Ne
And if you prefer audiobooks, purchases from Libro.fm benefit Novel as well when you make us your home and purchase here: https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781797105833-anxious-people
Description
An instant #1 New York Times bestseller, the new novel from the author of A Man Called Ove is a “quirky, big-hearted novel….Wry, wise, and often laugh-out-loud funny, it’s a wholly original story that delivers pure pleasure” (People).
Looking at real estate isn’t usually a life-or-death situation, but an apartment open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes a group of strangers hostage. The captives include a recently retired couple who relentlessly hunt down fixer-uppers to avoid the painful truth that they can’t fix their own marriage. There’s a wealthy bank director who has been too busy to care about anyone else and a young couple who are about to have their first child but can’t seem to agree on anything. Add to the mix an eighty-seven-year-old woman who has lived long enough not to be afraid of someone waving a gun in her face, a flustered but still-ready-to-make-a-deal real estate agent, and a mystery man who has locked himself in the apartment’s only bathroom, and you’ve got the worst group of hostages in the world.
Each of them carries a lifetime of grievances, hurts, secrets, and passions that are ready to boil over. None of them is entirely who they appear to be. And all of them—the bank robber included—desperately crave some sort of rescue. As the authorities and the media surround the premises, these reluctant allies will reveal surprising truths about themselves and set in motion a chain of events so unexpected that even they can hardly explain what happens next.
Proving once again that Backman is “a master of writing delightful, insightful, soulful, character-driven narratives” (USA TODAY), Anxious People “captures the messy essence of being human….It’s clever and affecting, as likely to make you laugh out loud as it is to make you cry” (The Washington Post). This “endlessly entertaining mood-booster” (Real Simple) is proof that the enduring power of friendship, forgiveness, and hope can save us—even in the most anxious of times.
About the Author
Fredrik Backman is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry, Britt-Marie Was Here, Beartown, Us Against You, Anxious People, The Winners, and My Friends, as well as two novellas and one work of nonfiction. His books are published in more than forty countries. He lives in Stockholm, Sweden, with his wife and two children. Connect with him on Facebook and X @BackmanLand and on Instagram @Backmansk.
Advertisement

Where is it happening?

387 Perkins Ext, Memphis, TN, United States, Tennessee 38117

Event Location & Nearby Stays:

Icon
Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.
Novel Memphis

Host or Publisher Novel Memphis

Ask AI if this event suits you:

Discover More Events in Memphis

Open House - Memphis
Wed, 20 May at 10:00 am Open House - Memphis

Concorde Career College - Memphis

WORKSHOPS
Learn and Apply: Accounting
Wed, 20 May at 11:00 am Learn and Apply: Accounting

Ridgeway Business Center

WORKSHOPS
Copy of Next Generation Workforce Day: National Apprenticeship Kickoff
Wed, 20 May at 11:00 am Copy of Next Generation Workforce Day: National Apprenticeship Kickoff

761 Doctor M.L.K. Jr Ave

Strangewaze
Wed, 20 May at 05:30 pm Strangewaze

Medical District Park

MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Advanced Burn Life Support - ABLS - at Regional One Health
Thu, 21 May at 07:30 am Advanced Burn Life Support - ABLS - at Regional One Health

Regional One Health

WORKSHOPS HEALTH-WELLNESS
North Branch 3rd Annual Community Health Fair
Thu, 21 May at 09:00 am North Branch 3rd Annual Community Health Fair

Memphis Public Libraries North Branch (North Branch)

HEALTH-WELLNESS FESTIVALS
IP S.A.V.V.Y.\u2122   WS # 3 - Content Creators and Designers (In Person)
Thu, 21 May at 11:30 am IP S.A.V.V.Y.™ WS # 3 - Content Creators and Designers (In Person)

Epicenter Memphis

ART WORKSHOPS
INDIANA JONES & THE TEMPLE OF DOOM on the Giant Screen
Thu, 21 May at 05:30 pm INDIANA JONES & THE TEMPLE OF DOOM on the Giant Screen

Pink Palace Museum and Planetarium

ENTERTAINMENT POP-UPS
A Novel Book Club: EVERYTHING IS TUBERCULOSIS
Wed, 15 Apr at 07:00 pm A Novel Book Club: EVERYTHING IS TUBERCULOSIS

387 Perkins Ext, Memphis, TN, United States, Tennessee 38117

ART LITERARY-ART
"Cookbook Club" Community Pot Luck - Spring 2026!
Sat, 18 Apr at 02:30 pm "Cookbook Club" Community Pot Luck - Spring 2026!

Muddy's Bake Shop

FOOD-DRINKS ART
Books at the Lamplighter Lounge
Tue, 21 Apr at 05:00 pm Books at the Lamplighter Lounge

Lamplighter Lounge

Crosstown Arts and Books in Memphis!
Wed, 22 Apr at 10:00 am Crosstown Arts and Books in Memphis!

Crosstown Arts

ART
Dog-Eared and Adopted!
Fri, 24 Apr at 12:00 pm Dog-Eared and Adopted!

Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library

NONPROFIT
Once Upon a Time, a Fairytale Adventure
Sat, 25 Apr at 10:00 am Once Upon a Time, a Fairytale Adventure

2525 Central Ave, Memphis, TN, United States, Tennessee 38104

TRIPS-ADVENTURES
Hogwarts Tea Social \ud83e\uded6\u2728
Sat, 25 Apr at 01:30 pm Hogwarts Tea Social 🫖✨

Memphis Rox Climbing + Community

ENTERTAINMENT
Spillit Slam: Clues
Sat, 25 Apr at 06:00 pm Spillit Slam: Clues

novel., Perkins Extd, Memphis, TN, USA

The New Romantics Book Club: RITES OF THE STARLING
Sun, 26 Apr at 02:00 pm The New Romantics Book Club: RITES OF THE STARLING

387 Perkins Ext, Memphis, TN, United States, Tennessee 38117

ART LITERARY-ART
Book event with R. Scott Williams, "Townmania: Marcus Winchester & the Making of Memphis"
Fri, 01 May at 01:00 pm Book event with R. Scott Williams, "Townmania: Marcus Winchester & the Making of Memphis"

824 South Dudley Street , Memphis, TN, United States, Tennessee 38104

SPORTS ART
THE FAMILY MATTERS EXPERIENCE - Memphis, TN
Fri, 01 May at 07:00 pm THE FAMILY MATTERS EXPERIENCE - Memphis, TN

Reformation Memphis

ART LITERARY-ART
Bookstock: Memphis Area Authors Festival
Sat, 02 May at 11:00 am Bookstock: Memphis Area Authors Festival

Memphis Public Libraries - Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library (Benjamin L. Hooks Central)

FESTIVALS ART

What's Happening Next in Memphis?

Discover Memphis Events