The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife: A Novel

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of death, child death, illness, and pregnancy loss.

The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife explores the importance of family in part via its absence. Its protagonist is notably alone in the world as well as mired in sadness as a result of his wife’s death. Though she is not recently deceased, he continues to grieve her loss, due in no small part to the fact that he has no other family nor close friends to support him. While his plight illustrates the pitfalls of loneliness—Fred feels invisible and disconnected—it would seem an unlikely vehicle for considering the joys to be found in family. Yet the fact that Fred has no living relatives ultimately supports the novel’s contention that family need not be defined by blood to be meaningful and life changing.

When Fred is mistaken for Bernard, he inadvertently receives an opportunity to forge connections that he would not otherwise have. For instance, Albert mistakes Fred for his brother—an error that Fred realizes stems from Albert’s dementia but with which Fred willingly plays along. Moreover, the novel indicates that even though Albert is not truly interacting with his brother, the bond he shares with Fred is a meaningful one.