From the Bookshelf of La Crescent Public Library…

[close] Lightning Strike was the library's April book club pick and it was definitely the majority favorite of books read so far this year. There was a handful of members whose introduction to the Cork O'Connor series was this prequel, and the rest were all fans of the series.

There's lots to discuss and being set in Minnesota we enjoyed talking about the state as a character and how it lends to the setting of the story. It wouldn't be the same if set anywhere else! There's also a lot of actual character development (especially since this prequel was written several years into the existing series). Many members were able to share and identify with the moments of culture shock, generational trauma, and implicit bias as a learned reaction. The key themes in the book we talked about most were how the Ojibwe tried to communicate with Liam O'Connor, the white sheriff, in order for him to understand what clues meant culturally and spiritually and the significance of place in our stories. There were many times that characters' hearts were at odds with their heads and yet they all shared a kind of truth.

Because Cork is 12 years old in this book, it also lent to discussion around coming of age and pivotal moments in a child's life that shift them from adolescence to adulthood. The book covered a lot of difficult topics for any child to face: murder, domestic violence, alcoholism, and cultural differences.

Ultimately, there was a lot to talk about in terms of perspective and whose eyes you looked through to hear the story. Definitely a great read and book club selection with old and new fans of the series.