Ordinary Grace

by William Kent Krueger

“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 grace of God.”

I first heard this quote—though it’s actually a misquote—when Bobby Kennedy delivered it at his brother’s memorial service. It seemed such a profound, and in a way, profoundly sad view of growing up, of awakening from the sleep of childhood, that it stayed with me across decades. In writing my novel, the words struck me as a compelling way to bring readers into a story about boy on the cusp of manhood, and the tragic summer that would change him forever. Often, when I speak about the book, I’m asked about that quote and what I think is the meaning of “awful grace,” a term that seems a bit oxymoronic. It’s the word “awful” that trips people up, I believe. As Nathan tells Frank near the end of the story, awful isn’t meant in a terrible way. In Nathan’s view, it’s simply that the grace of God is beyond comprehension and is so amazing that we can only stand before it with awe. And wisdom? It never comes without pain, but it brings its own graces. Which is the essence of the novel.