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A review by book_concierge
Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger
4.0
Digital audio narrated by Rich Orlow.
Adapted from the book jacket: New Bremen, Minnesota, 1961. It was a time of innocence and hope for a country with a new, young president. But for thirteen-year-old Frank Drum it was a grim summer in which death visited frequently and assumed many forms. Accident. Nature. Suicide. Murder. Frank begins the season preoccupied with the concerns of any teenage boy, but when tragedy unexpectedly strikes his family, he finds himself thrust into an adult world full of secrets and betrayal, suddenly called upon to demonstrate a maturity and gumption beyond his years.
My reactions
Krueger is best known for a series of mysteries set in Minnesota. Here he departs from that formula to write a stand-alone novel that explores issues of family loyalty, decency, and faith. The catalyst this particular summer is death – an accidental death, a natural death, a murder, a suicide. Through the Drum family we see how differently people react to death in this small town, where every person, related by blood or not, is somehow close to you and any death affects you.
Frank’s father is the Methodist minister, a steady man who is looked up to and relied upon in the community. His mother is not the typical pastor’s wife; she’s artistic and passionate, and struggles to fit the role she’s been thrust into by her husband’s vocation. Younger brother Jake is nine years old and given to stuttering; he’s a keen observer and a good judge of character. Older sister Ariel is a talented musician, headed for Julliard, if she can bear to tear herself away from her steady beau, Karl Brandt. Karl is the scion of the Brandt family – “as near to royalty as you’d find in the Midwest” – and a star athlete in their high school. The rest of the characters are friends, neighbors and colleagues in the town, and all are as richly drawn as the Drums.
Father Nathan relies on his training as a minister, remaining outwardly calm, despite sometimes being as devasted as someone could possibly be. Their mother tries to escape with her music or alcohol; she rales against the God her husband relies upon for comfort. Frank and Jake struggle to make sense of the tidbits they hear, of vignettes they witness, and of the people they feel they should (or should not) trust. Residents jump to one conclusion after another: “obviously” the Indian did it, or the hot-headed school bully, or ….
The ending is satisfying without being pat. I feel sadness for the culprit, empathy for the victim’s family, and can only hope that I would also be given the grace to forgive were I to find myself in similar circumstances.
I loved the relationship between the Drum brothers. I was ten years old the summer of 1961, my brother was seven, and we were free to roam our neighborhood and the nearby “woods,” exploring and learning. So this aspect of the book really resonated with me.
This is the first book by Krueger that I’ve read. It will not be the last.
Rich Orlow does a marvelous job voicing the audiobook. He has a great pace and is able to differentiate the many characters. I particularly liked how he portrayed Jake, Nathan, Lise and Gus.
Adapted from the book jacket: New Bremen, Minnesota, 1961. It was a time of innocence and hope for a country with a new, young president. But for thirteen-year-old Frank Drum it was a grim summer in which death visited frequently and assumed many forms. Accident. Nature. Suicide. Murder. Frank begins the season preoccupied with the concerns of any teenage boy, but when tragedy unexpectedly strikes his family, he finds himself thrust into an adult world full of secrets and betrayal, suddenly called upon to demonstrate a maturity and gumption beyond his years.
My reactions
Krueger is best known for a series of mysteries set in Minnesota. Here he departs from that formula to write a stand-alone novel that explores issues of family loyalty, decency, and faith. The catalyst this particular summer is death – an accidental death, a natural death, a murder, a suicide. Through the Drum family we see how differently people react to death in this small town, where every person, related by blood or not, is somehow close to you and any death affects you.
Frank’s father is the Methodist minister, a steady man who is looked up to and relied upon in the community. His mother is not the typical pastor’s wife; she’s artistic and passionate, and struggles to fit the role she’s been thrust into by her husband’s vocation. Younger brother Jake is nine years old and given to stuttering; he’s a keen observer and a good judge of character. Older sister Ariel is a talented musician, headed for Julliard, if she can bear to tear herself away from her steady beau, Karl Brandt. Karl is the scion of the Brandt family – “as near to royalty as you’d find in the Midwest” – and a star athlete in their high school. The rest of the characters are friends, neighbors and colleagues in the town, and all are as richly drawn as the Drums.
Father Nathan relies on his training as a minister, remaining outwardly calm, despite sometimes being as devasted as someone could possibly be. Their mother tries to escape with her music or alcohol; she rales against the God her husband relies upon for comfort. Frank and Jake struggle to make sense of the tidbits they hear, of vignettes they witness, and of the people they feel they should (or should not) trust. Residents jump to one conclusion after another: “obviously” the Indian did it, or the hot-headed school bully, or ….
The ending is satisfying without being pat. I feel sadness for the culprit, empathy for the victim’s family, and can only hope that I would also be given the grace to forgive were I to find myself in similar circumstances.
I loved the relationship between the Drum brothers. I was ten years old the summer of 1961, my brother was seven, and we were free to roam our neighborhood and the nearby “woods,” exploring and learning. So this aspect of the book really resonated with me.
This is the first book by Krueger that I’ve read. It will not be the last.
Rich Orlow does a marvelous job voicing the audiobook. He has a great pace and is able to differentiate the many characters. I particularly liked how he portrayed Jake, Nathan, Lise and Gus.