Twenty-five years ago, a teenage artist created a painting that would go on to become a priceless work of art, making the artist famous around the world. It's a painting that's ostensibly of the sea, but to troubled orphan Louisa, it's obviously a painting of the three friends sitting at the end of a pier, laughing uncontrollably, even though those three figures are barely noticeable to most people who view the painting. When the painting unexpectedly comes into Louisa's possession, she learns from the artist's close friend Ted the truth about those figures, and the deep transcendent power of friendship and art.
Given that this is a story about an orphan who has just aged out of foster care and just lost her only friend, and a group of teens whose friendship was the only refuge from their poverty-stricken and abusive homes, this book is incredibly uplifting and funny. The way that Louisa and Ted bond over sharing their stories, the way that they see something in each other that most people would overlook... something about it is magical. And I really really wish the painting described in this book was real, because I'd love to see it and connect it to these characters. What a wonderful story from Backman. Highly recommended.
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