Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove presents a heartwarming novel about a crime that never happened, a bank robber who vanishes into thin air, and eight strangers who discover that they have more in common than they ever imagined.

A real estate open house isn't usually a life-or-death event, but a failed bank robber takes hostages at an apartment open house. A recently retired couple is one of the captives, hunting for fixer-uppers to avoid having to face the painful reality that their marriage cannot be saved. Both couples are about to have their first child but can't seem to agree on anything - from where to live to how their relationship began. One couple is too busy to care for anyone else, while the other is about to have their first child. A woman who is 87 years old, a real estate agent who has just realized that he has to make a deal, and a mystery man who has locked himself in the apartment's one bathroom make the group the worst hostages in the world.

Each of them carries a lifetime of secrets, hurts, and passions simmering in the depths of their hearts. There is a lot more to each of them than meets the eye. Including the bank robber, all of them are desperate for some sort of rescue. These reluctant allies will now reveal surprising truths about themselves as they are surrounded by authorities and the media. This will trigger a series of events so unexpected that even they can scarcely comprehend what follows.

Anxious People is an intelligently crafted story about friendship, forgiveness, and hope-the things that save us even in our darkest moments, thanks to Fredrik Backman's "pitch-perfect dialogue and an unparalleled grasp of human nature" (Shelf Awareness).