Scan barcode
A review by littlemiao
The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
1.5
I listened to this because someone lent me the paper edition. It’s not my cup of tea. It is clear the author and many readers think this is a profound portrayal of small town Midwest US life in the 1950s. Racism and sexual violence are used as plot devices to basically show the heroic though flawed character of two law enforcement officials and a handful of other well-meaning townsfolk.
The most quoted passage comes from the ending, and it is revealing:
“We all die, but some of us—those who are blessed or maybe just lucky—have the opportunity before that end to be redeemed. We can let go, forgive others, and also forgive ourselves for the worst of what we are or have been.”
The destructive effects of deep-seated racism, sexual assault in which the perpetrators face no accountability, and multiple murders, all harmonized away in a call for redemptive forgiveness. Such is the nostalgia of the 1950s, where naturally the victims have no voice.
The most quoted passage comes from the ending, and it is revealing:
“We all die, but some of us—those who are blessed or maybe just lucky—have the opportunity before that end to be redeemed. We can let go, forgive others, and also forgive ourselves for the worst of what we are or have been.”
The destructive effects of deep-seated racism, sexual assault in which the perpetrators face no accountability, and multiple murders, all harmonized away in a call for redemptive forgiveness. Such is the nostalgia of the 1950s, where naturally the victims have no voice.