When Paula Durko, manager of Nonesuch Books & Cards in Biddeford, Maine, read Fredrick Backman’s A Man Called Ove, last year, she thought that it was a book she could really get behind. Her hunch paid off. As of this week her store, along with a second Nonesuch in South Portland, have sold 1,000 copies of the paperback since its May release, making the novel the stores' top selling title for over six months.
The Swedish bestseller, which received a starred review in PW for its “winning charm,” was named the 2015 Nonesuch Book of the Year. For Nonesuch, Backman's novel has now out-sold such national bestsellers as Harper Lee’s Go Set a Watchman and Dr. Seuss’s What Pet Should I Get?
Nonesuch owner Jon Platt called the stores’ sales of A Man Called Ove “a real testament to the trust our customers place in our staff, and in our reading recommendations.” He also thanked the book's publisher, Simon & Schuster, for its “excellent marketing support,” noting how the company supplied bookmarks and posters for the Nonesuch’s Book of the Year displays.
Nonesuch's 2015 campaign for its Book of the Year has, according to Platt, been its most successful one to date. He also predicted that A Man Called Ove, helped along by the store's distinction, will continue selling at a fast pace.
