From the Bookshelf of Retro Chapter Chicks …

Ordinary Grace

William Kent Krueger

Start date: May 1, 2021

Finish date: May 31, 2021

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September-October 2025: The River Knows Your Name
By Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Jenn Ƹ̴… , Founding Retro Chick · 1 post · 8 views

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What Members Thought

Jan 01, 2015 Candi rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, mystery-crime

I adored this book. It stirred so many emotions within me, and for that I have to give it 5 stars. It is a wonderful coming-of-age story, complete with a small-town atmosphere and a mystery surrounding the quiet, unassuming community of New Bremen, Minnesota. We are told on the very first page that “It was a summer in which death, in visitation, assumed many forms.” But, this book is about much more than just the mystery; it is a story about friendship, brotherhood, family dynamics and bonds, de I adored this book. It stirred so many emotions within me, and for that I have to give it 5 stars. It is a wonderful coming-of-age story, complete with a small-town atmosphere and a mystery surrounding the quiet, unassuming community of New Bremen, Minnesota. We are told on the very first page that “It was a summer in which death, in visitation, assumed many forms.” But, this book is about much more than just the mystery; it is a story about friendship, brotherhood, family dynamics and bonds, death, faith, and “the awful grace of God”.

Thirteen year old Frank Drum, our narrator, bums around in the summer of 1961 with his younger brother, Jake. Running around the neighborhood and town without parental supervision, playing softball with big groups of friends, eating Sugar Pops, Franco-American spaghetti, and Jello-O salads, drinking root beer in frosty mugs, watching television, reading books and comics, laying awake at night in the stifling heat of a non-air-conditioned bedroom, and overhearing bits and pieces of conversation meant for adult ears only – all these things evoked my own memories of childhood summers where the days stretched long before you and the hours were filled with ideas of fun you devised on your own.

Frank relates this story forty years after the summer the events of this book occurred; so we learn his perspective as an adult looking back at his own reflections of his youth and his brief introduction to manhood once tragedy is thrust into the midst of his family. This family includes his quieter brother, Jake, who suffers from a stutter, his faith-filled, minister father, Nathan, his perhaps disillusioned mother, Ruth, who struggles with her own faith, and his destined for musical greatness sister, Ariel. One of my favorite characters, aside from Frank and Nathan, is the wonderfully-flawed Gus. A friend and keeper of Nathan’s old war secrets, Gus is the person everyone, especially Frank and Jake, can turn to for support and advice.

When dealing with loss, each person will experience a range of different emotions; anger, hope, despair, forgiveness, guilt, and faith are all explored by William Kent Krueger. He does this with such beautiful prose that all his words just resonated within me. Faith can be steadfast, it may be lost, and it may be re-gained. Tragedy can tear a family apart but the strength of love and family bonds can heal our wounds. “He who learns must suffer. And even in our sleep pain, which cannot forget, falls drop by drop upon the heart, until in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful graces of God.” I highly recommend this book; it will make you think about your own beliefs and even the power of your own “ordinary grace”.
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Jan 07, 2020 Kris (My Novelesque Life) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction, historical-fiction, america, elibrary, book-club, audiobook, 1960s, mystery, literary, coming-of-age

NOTE: This is my Jan 2020 book so I will post review and rating after the meeting. 📚

RATING: 5 STARS

My first book by Krueger was Iron Lake, the first book in his Cork O'Connor series (mystery/suspense). I almost gave up right there and then - as the story didn't really work that well for me, but the characters got me. Even before I could acknowledge it, I was invested in them. They were flawed characters that made them realistic and sometimes I disliked them. As I went through the whole series, I NOTE: This is my Jan 2020 book so I will post review and rating after the meeting. 📚

RATING: 5 STARS

My first book by Krueger was Iron Lake, the first book in his Cork O'Connor series (mystery/suspense). I almost gave up right there and then - as the story didn't really work that well for me, but the characters got me. Even before I could acknowledge it, I was invested in them. They were flawed characters that made them realistic and sometimes I disliked them. As I went through the whole series, I would like some stories more than others, but the characters continued to grow and kept me reading. Boy, can Krueger write characters! Last year I picked up This Tender Land, a standalone historical fiction novel (set in the 1930s), I was blown away with Krueger's writing. The story broke my heart, made me laugh, had me rooting, and biting my nails at the suspense. It's the kind of book that takes you into a different place. My next book club meeting I suggested Ordinary Grace as our new year pick, and was excited that they said yes.

Do NOT start this novel unless you have a couple of hours to read. This novel sucks you in with the story and characters. I cannot think of one thing I did not like about this novel. I listened to this one on audiobook, just so I could read it in time for the meeting. There were times I just had to sit down and listen as the story became more involved. The story takes place in New Bremen, Minnesota, in 1961. Frank Dunn is telling the story of the summer when he was thirteen years old. He lives with his father who is the Paster, his mother who originally is from New Bremem, his older sister, Ariel who is a talented musician and on her way to Julliard, and his younger brother, Jake who has a lisp that gets him teased. Each character will take a part of your heart as they all deal with their own issues and trying to fit into New Bremem. And, the secondary characters are so well developed even for characters that make slight appearances.

One thing I loved about this story was that it was told from a young boy's point of view. This is a true coming of age story. There are moments when the adult Frank steps in, but most of the book is from 13 year-old, Frank. I not going to say too much about the story as I don't want to reveal a spoiler. Everyone in my book club enjoyed this book and it was a great one to discuss. There have only been several books, over 16 years, that we have agreed on and even fewer than we liked and can discuss for awhile. It had such big themes of life, death, religion, right and wrong, I could go on and on. I cannot wait for the next standalone by Krueger, but need some time to recover from the emotions of this book.

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May 12, 2015 Celia rated it really liked it

Shelves: christian-book-club, vero-book-club, sharon-kindle, historical-fiction-read

Ordinary Grace came to my attention because it is listed on the 10 most popular books being read by book clubs. I can see why.

Part crime novel, part mystery, its story is woven beautifully, with compelling characters and many twists and turns. I found myself thoroughly loving some of the characters and thoroughly despising others. The character development was complete and real to me.

The book is also recommended because it has won the following awards:

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
WINNER OF THE 2014 ...more

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Sep 12, 2018 Book Concierge rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, family, coming-of-age, audio, minnesota, library, concierge, racism, social-commentary, murder

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 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.
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Nov 03, 2017 Phair rated it it was ok

Shelves: book-club

2.5* This was the selection for a f2f Mystery Discussion group so I felt a bit "ripped off" on finding that it didn't really feel like a mystery at all. In fact, this book forced me to almost give up by the middle and turn to the epilogue to see if the ending even warranted reading the rest. Then I only skimmed the latter chapters to see how the various characters ended up as depicted in the epilogue. As a coming-of-age story it was OK. I was close to the same age as the narrator in 1961 so coul ...more

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Feb 11, 2014 Nancy rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2014-books

"It took me awhile to get into this book and I almost gave up on it. I'm so glad I didn't. By the middle of the book I couldn't put it down and it turned out to be an emotional and satisfying book for me. There is a mystery to be solved but I feel the story is more about feelings and human reaction to hard times. I had the mystery worked out before it was revealed but that did not distract from the book." ...more

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May 25, 2021 Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Jenn Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Schu rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-fiction, mysteries-of-all-kinds

Beautifully written novel. Characters are well developed as are their relationships.
Mystery unfolds with multiple layers of depth and each depth reveals the biases and beliefs of the townspeople. Enjoyed this story immensely and highly recommend.

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