Ordinary Grace – William Kent Krueger – Not an Ordinary book – an extraordinary book!
So while I have not posted much over the last few days, I have finished three books. Finished first was William Kent Krueger’s Ordinary Grace, which was closely followed up by The Forgotten Room from Lincoln Child. Then today, I finished The Toaster Oven Mocks Me by Steve Margolis. Two novels and a personal memoir, all very good. In this post I will write about the first book Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger. William Kent Krueger is the author of the Cork O’Connor series set in northern Minnesota. I am a big fan of those novels.
Ordinary Grace though is a stand-alone novel and much like Pretty Girls from Karin Slaughter, I put off reading it. If there’s one thing I’ve learned after reading these two great books it’s don’t avoid stand-alone novels from an author whose works you enjoy!
The mysteries that I read typically have somebody chasing a serial killer, or a criminal of some sort. That is not the case with Ordinary Grace. Ordinary Grace is a story about bad things happening to good people, and how they survive unbearable sorrow. Set in New Bremen, Minnesota, it’s the story about the year 1961 when “death came to New Bremen in many forms. Accident. Nature. Suicide.Murder” and the effect of those deaths on the Drum family and the other residents of New Bremen.
The narrator of the story is thirteen year old Frankie Drum, the son of a Methodist minister. Frankie is the middle child, His older sister Ariel is an aspiring musician whose is planning to attention Julliard and his younger brother Jake, whose speech impediment stuttering makes his life a challenge. The two brothers face a myriad of challenges as they roam the streets and byways of New Bremen in the tumultuous year.
To say that this is a wonderful book is an understatement, I love the whole atmosphere of the book, Krueger’s descriptions of 1961 took me back to Beverly, New Jersey in those early 60s A small town with a barber who I sold comic books to, a wonderful bakery and newspaper store – a town, well where most people knew you! I could go on and on about the wonderful characters but I’ll let some others tell you about the book..
“One cannot read Ordinary Grace without feeling as if it is destined to be hailed as a classic work of literature… one of those very rare books in which one regrets reaching its end, knowing that the experience of having read it for the first time will never be repeated. Krueger, who is incapable of writing badly, arguably has given us his masterpiece.”
—Joe Hartlaub, Bookreporter.com [read full review]
“Ordinary Grace is anything but ordinary; an absolutely beautiful book! The plot is suspenseful, yet so touching, and the setting and characters are so vivid that I will feel their impact for some time. It’s beautiful, thought-provoking and engrossing.”
—Kim from Frisco, TX, a Bookreporter.com Sneak Peek reader. Read more reviews by other Sneak Peek readers
“The novel explores faith, mysticism, and rationality in thoughtful, even-handed and open ways that lend itself to recollection and continuing reflection, regardless of readers’ experiences in those areas of life. The characters, and there are many, are carefully and consistently well-drawn. This is a novel of discovery and exploration, for the author and for readers. A well-done reading experience for anyone.”
—Carl Brookins, Agora2 [read full review]
and in the words of Dennis Lehane…
Pitch-perfect… I loved this book.”
—Dennis Lehane, author of Mystic River, Shutter Island, The Given Day
Here’s William Kent Krueger to tell you about Ordinary Grace in his own words….check it out – you won’t be disappointed!!
Links
MPR News:Twin Cities author William Kent Krueger wins Edgar Award
