From the Bookshelf of Bound Together…

Ordinary Grace

William Kent Krueger

Start date: June 1, 2013

Finish date: June 30, 2013

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Jul 11, 2015 Melanie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: some-of-my-favorites

Yay! 5 stars! I was drawn into this story right away and my feelings never changed. It is a wonderful, but sad, coming of age story narrated 40 or so years after the events take place. I especially liked the character of Gus. I felt right there in the town of New Bremen, MN with everyone. Here are some some memorable lines:

"How could I possibly explain my silence, my complicity in his escape, things I really didn't understand myself? My heart had simply directed me in a way that my head couldn' ...more

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Jun 28, 2013 Irene rated it it was ok

The middle aged narrator of this book recounts the events of one summer in 1961 when he was a 13 year old son of a Methodist minister in a small Minnesota town, a summer with death at its center, a summer that would dramatically shape the emerging adult. Although this story held potential, the author submitted to the allure of the cliché, in the characters, in the setting, in the easy resolution. At first, I thought that, despite the obvious reliance on the clichéd, this was a comfortable book t ...more

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Nov 02, 2024 Susan rated it liked it

Ordinary Grace was my first novel to read by the author. It’s a slow read and took about 100 pages to finally get into the novel. I read it for my book club. I don’t know if he’s other books are better. The novel felt like I was reading about a small sleepy town. I wish the speed picked up. To me it had no point except an adolescent facing tragedy at a young age. How he was able to cope with life and move on as he became an adult.

The mystery I figured out who was the murderer by myself( predict ...more

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Apr 01, 2025 Melanie rated it really liked it

We are taken to the summer of 1961 when the times are simpler. Yet there is death, suicide, and murder - so really are times much better. The story is focused on 13 year old Frank, but there are a few times we hear from adult Frank which made me think of the movie A Christmas Story. The book is well done and engaging.

How did this book find me? Krueger will be at the Topeka Shawnee County Public Library later this month and I wanted to read his books before attending.

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