From the Bookshelf of Big Book Summer Reading Challenge 2022…
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What Members Thought
4.5 rounded up.
This is a meandering 'odyssey of 4 vagabonds' with lots of take-aways and some really deep thoughts about many topics from how Native Americans have been treated and the consequences today, to the nature of faith. The blurb go me thinking things would kick off faster than they did, but once they did, I really enjoyed the journey, and, by the end of the book, I found myself sad the story was coming to a close.
(As a sidenote: I admire the amount of research the author put into this ...more
This is a meandering 'odyssey of 4 vagabonds' with lots of take-aways and some really deep thoughts about many topics from how Native Americans have been treated and the consequences today, to the nature of faith. The blurb go me thinking things would kick off faster than they did, but once they did, I really enjoyed the journey, and, by the end of the book, I found myself sad the story was coming to a close.
(As a sidenote: I admire the amount of research the author put into this ...more
Nov 15, 2019
Emily
added it
So much love for this book. A group of four young orphans flee the Lincoln School (a home for Native American children) during the Depression era. A classic adventure story that starts off in Minnesota via canoe but becomes much more complicated. I fell in love with the fantastic cast of characters that the orphans encountered, as well as the orphans themselves. A compelling story that is a true page turner. I was sad when it was over and still think about the characters.
If you are a fan of John ...more
If you are a fan of John ...more
This book snapped me right out of a reading slump! I could not not stop turning the pages on this beautifully written story of two orphaned brothers. They runaway from the abuses of an Indian school they were placed in after their parents die. Odie and Albert along with Mose and Emmy take off in a canoe along the Mississippi river heading to St. Louis. As the "vagabonds" travel they meet up with various friends and foes and are also wanted for kidnapping Emmy. There are many side stories through
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I rated this wonderful novel a perfect 10! Thoughtful, suspenseful historical fiction about a group of orphans traveling by canoe in 1932 - full of adventure and heart! I loved every moment and never wanted it to end.
My full review and a sample of the audio, which sounds great:
https://bookbybook.blogspot.com/2022/... ...more
My full review and a sample of the audio, which sounds great:
https://bookbybook.blogspot.com/2022/... ...more
I might have given this 5 stars if it weren't for the narrator who I felt was too melodramatic. Yes, it was a melodramatic story of children who escaped horrors from an Indian school and set out to find their aunt in St. Louis, but just a normal telling would have been fine. Strong spiritual foundation.
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Read this for my personal book club and I liked it. It was on the melodramatic side and was the second book we read recently about young boys travelling on their own, so as a genre, I am done with that for now. The four main characters were sad and charming and you felt for all the people trying to survive in the Great Depression as well as the World War I veterans. A few too many difficult times befell the young travelers but overall, a good story, where good mostly and eventually overcomes evi
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4 1/2 stars. Could not put this one down.
4.5 stars
I have to admit something: I'm a William Kent Krueger stan. I loved his first standalone, Ordinary Grace, and am burning through his Cork O'Connor series. So, the question is...why did this book sit on my TBR bookshelf for almost 3 years? I can't say I have a good answer for that. But now that I have finally read this, I'm kicking myself. This book is a treasure!
Many people compare this to Huck Finn; if you read the Author's note, you know this is not a coincidence. However, this book s ...more
I have to admit something: I'm a William Kent Krueger stan. I loved his first standalone, Ordinary Grace, and am burning through his Cork O'Connor series. So, the question is...why did this book sit on my TBR bookshelf for almost 3 years? I can't say I have a good answer for that. But now that I have finally read this, I'm kicking myself. This book is a treasure!
Many people compare this to Huck Finn; if you read the Author's note, you know this is not a coincidence. However, this book s ...more
The Great Depression, orphans and Native American schools
Sep 05, 2020
Robin Gustafson
marked it as to-read
Sep 09, 2020
Stacey
marked it as to-read
Sep 28, 2020
Cheriee Weichel
marked it as to-read
Oct 20, 2020
Carmela devito
is currently reading it
Apr 24, 2022
Janet Smith
marked it as to-read
