Ordinary Grace

Heart warming, touching and a nicely woven story and mystery. Funny and sad. With some thoughtful passages. Reminded me a bit of a more sober Midwest version of Crazy in Alabama. Which I loved! I gave it four stars only because I thought the plot and who killed One of the main characters was fairly easy to figure out.

I sadly had never heard of the author. When I saw he'd been writing a mystery series for years I bought his first book Iron Lake. OMG it was a fabulous page turner. Many a sleepless night. I plan to read them all.

Do you like poignant historical fiction? This one was set in Minnesota in 1961. Told as a fictional memoir of a man looking back on a summer 40 years ago when he was 13 and endured great loss. A murder-mystery, this book will evoke emotion as you experience life threw young Frank's eyes. This is a story about family. This is a story about grace, ordinary grace. And I loved it.

Set in the small town of New Bremen, Minnesota. A 13 yr old son of a minister comes of age during the hot summer of 1961. A summer filled with root beer floats, swimming at the abandoned quarry, small town July 4th celebrations, and unexpected and unexplained deaths. A coming of age story, a mystery, a moving novel of family loyalties and small town values in the 60's. Good story line, told in believable voice of young teen, good writing -
"....I sidled up to the fence which was a slapped-together affair full of gaps where the warped boards refused to meet. I put my eye to the space created by one of those refusals...." A great image!!

Ordinary Grace is well written and worth your time to read it. The story line is a bit contrived. That summer is quite filled with death. The two young boys learn a lot about life and death. It is not gruesome but I can not imagine two young boys given that much freedom to mettle in their father pastoral care and ministry. It was a crash course in death for the young men. Being an ordained minister myself, I can not believe all that took place in such a short time, though I have dealt with all of it, but not in that compact a time frame. The book needs a little more Christian theology in it.

I read this book for a reading challenge, to satisfy the award-winning mystery and Minnesota author category. Admittedly, I'm a Minnesota native, so more than a little drawn toward books set in Minnesota as well as those by Minnesota authors. As a Christian, I appreciated the title and the faith woven throughout this story. A setting in 1961, just a couple of years before I was born, sealed the deal. Even though I figured out the mystery before the end, it was still compelling. Most definitely I'd read others by this author!

I enjoyed that the author wrote in such a conversational style, without much punctuation obstructing his narrator's thirteen-year old thoughts. I thought it did a great job of explaining the seemingly opposed ideas of pain and joy, and how they mix together and influence each other. As I neared the end of the book, I had an appointment and I didn't want to stop reading. My stylist said I could listen to it (I had purchased it on Audible, as well, because my husband prefers listening to books) and it totally pulled her in. She was so sad that we were done before the book was! I liked the diversity in the characters, their motivations, and their coping mechanisms.

A touching story that deals with Grace, which in this book is not a girl's name. Grace takes many forms and in the summer setting of this book, the characters face experiences that will challenge their ideas about grace. There is a murder and one will not know who did it till the end of the book. The father of the family is a minister. So with 2 young boys, 11 and 13, and a teenage daughter, all are called on to examine their feelings about who deserves their grace and who doesn't as they deal with a murder in a small Minnesota town. Some aspects of this book reminded me of To Kill A Mockingbird. A father leaning to understand his children and vice versa. A good read.

'The heart has reasons that reason does not understand.' - Blaise Pascal. (from the opening of Ordinary Grace)

William Kent Krueger's coming of age novel consumes only the course of a single Minnesota summer, but in its pages we are treated to an amazingly rich and diverse cast of characters. Each growing and blossoming before our eyes. I found myself highlighting truths and scraps of wisdom that I did not want to vanish.

From the first line of the prologue 'All the dying of that summer began with the death of a child', I was hooked. This is indeed a story of No 'ordinary grace', but rather an affirming of the human spirit to forgive and to deal with tragedy unspeakable.

A mystery, romance and family story all in one. Told from the point of view of one brother looking back on his and his brother’s coming of age as sons of a minister. The characters are unique, some unlovable and quirky, but their lives intersect in this small town as a murder unfolds. I enjoyed this novel so much I am now reading his Cork McConnor series.

There is some good writing in this, enough to keep you interested. But it is an overly romanticized rehash of pastoral southern style mid 20th century fiction draped on a wildly improbable murder mystery.

This is my first novel by William Kent Krueger and I will try others. Choosing to tell this family saga and murder mystery through the eyes of a 13 year old boy was heartwarming, yet very adult in it's portrayal. I found myself stealing off somewhere to read this book. It was warm, complex and I fell completely for each unique character. He is a master of description and characterization, yet Krueger uses restraint when emotionally revealing parts of the plot or the personality of the characters. The story steadily develops, climaxes and ends creatively without rushing or stopping abruptly like some novels do. It is award winning for a reason. I highly recommend it for a wonderful summer read.

An honest reflection on the human condition that wrestles with the complexities of life, loss, faith and redemption. This is a story that captures the unique and detailed influences so common to every life and the amazing brevity of it all and the ease with which so much is lost to our individual memories.

This novel about family ties was so well written. It kept me captivated throughput the entire book. Every character is important. Mother, a musician, father a minister, beautiful Ariel, the talented teenaged daughter and two younger brothers. The boys witness several upsetting crimes during the summer of 1961 in a small Midwest town. Story lines keeps you guessing until the end. Excellent story!

Beautify told story with a strong sense of place. Wonderful depiction of family relations . Ariel's kindness to her brothers and the brothers own special relationship. One where they care for one another and their different sensibilities are appreciated. The mystery of Ariel's death is carefully crafted and remains a surprise until the end. Woven throughout the story are the themes of moral courage and ordinary grace.

This book is a classic. The narrator, a young boy trapped in a complicated web of family and community, speaks the truth (and brings his little brother along) as one after another death comes to a small town. Others have compared it to "To Kill a Mockinbird," and I agree. This author is able to create character and place, develop suspense, and move plot while remaining behind the eyes of a young teenager.
The book contains a spiritual message without being preachy, and it is instructive on the topic of caring for those who are weak in society (children, the homeless, minorities, mentally ill).
The father figure will stand as a model for years to come. I wish Gregory Peck could play him in the movie.
I have already given away my copy, and I recommend it to everyone.

Good coming of age tale about two brothers their sister and parents during one summer in the early sixties. The author spins a good yarn that kept my interest from the first page to the last. Interesting characters that come to life thanks to excellent character development, especially the boys who grow up quickly because of the circumstances they have to deal with in the course of the summer. Their relationship with each other feels true to life, as does the dialogue of boys their age.

This is a good, fast summer read. If coming of age stories appeal to you, give this one a try. I think you will enjoy it as I did.

I loved the characters. Each one was a well developed individual who I felt I got to know and was sad to loose when the book ended. The story pulled me in and was as well developed as the characters. The sentences were rich and full. The whole book came together in a perfect balance that kept me up at night turning the page waiting to see what happened to Frank and his family. It is a coming of age story, as every review points out. It is also a very emotional story about how a boy, a family and a town deal with death, and grief as cutting as a knifes edge. There is also great compassion within it's pages. You will not be disappointed in this book.

I thought the character development in this novel was stronger than in most I've read, in quite some time. The story is set in 1961, though it feels
like it could have occurred in another time, and still been essentially the same story. It is interesting how the death of a family member, changes, or does not change, the family.

I absolutely loved this book! I had been looking for an author who could really write, and I found him in William Kent Krueger.
His writing touched my heart, and he strings words together beautifully. I have ordered the first two books in his series, and
I hope they are as good as this book!

Totally enjoyable. I read it twice. First to follow the plot and solve the mystery. The second time was to re-experience the skillful writing. I'd read only one of his Cork O'Connor books, which was okay. IMHO Ordinary Grace is a much better read.

I was not expecting to find this novel so engaging. I found the simplicity of the story telling, and the comfortable writing style refreshing. At the end I wanted more! This would make a great coming of age novel for a school curriculum, but as an adult reader, I though the themes were also spot on! Definitely worth a read!

I don't casually use the word "magnificent" for a book, but Ordinary Grace is just that, as well as moving, touching, and extremely readable. My lifelong best friend from Alabama recommended the book, and since she is not and never has been an avid reader, I was intrigued. Now I fully understand the recommendation. We grew up in a small town in the 1950s and '60s, and this book is so on target with life as it happened in those days. And for someone like me who spends much of my time working with genealogy, the last sentence of this book says it all. "The dead are never far from us. They're in our hearts and on our minds and in the end all that separates us from them is a single breath, one final puff of air."

A beautifully written story that brings back memories of childhood. This book is an interesting perspective on how people deal with tragedy. It isn't action movie or media hype...it's how real people deal with life when it gets hard. Everyone faces situations differently and there were some lovely examples written into the dialogue. You can feel the heat and smell the rain. The only reason I gave it four stars instead of five is because it was slow for me in places but all in all a valuable, worthwhile read.

Krueger reaches into the depth of "normal lives" to find really good things, amidst tragedy and warmth. Growing up, becoming men, loosing a close relative to a cruel murder and finding the inner thoughts of a pair of young kids that become these men provided a wonderful central theme for this fine book. Sure, there is mystery and murder involved, but it is secondary to the story. I totally enjoyed the book, found it to be a worthwhile read, and recommend it without reservation. And, it fits audiences from teens to Generation Rx as the boomers and war babies are now being called. The now older generation who are familiar with things like Pakards, and non-air conditioned, standard shift, smelly cars will feel right at home. The now teens, and young adults will see a bit of their parents or grand parents young lives. Well done!

This book could be considered a "Young Adult" book, as its narrator is a 13 year old boy, living in small town MN, where he is faced with a series of deaths that he is trying to comprehend. It is a wonderful portrayal of the characters and of small town life with all its benefits and drawbacks.

This book will stay with you. It's subject matter and writing style reminded many in my book club of the content and style of To Kill a Mocking Bird. The story alone is great but the subjects it touches on from the early 60's make it worth a read and thought. It Krueger's other books are half as good they will be good reads.

Extraordinary literature!! Exquisitely well-written: tight story line, well defined characters, perfect flow, etc., etc., etc. One of the very best books I have read in ages. So very sad that this is a stand-alone book of this author. I sincerely hope that William Kent Krueger will product more of this type of novel in the future, rather than the on-going series that is probably becoming all too comfortable for him to "churn out." This man has written, what I consider to be, a classic in every sense. -B. Hill

There is so much to reflect on this well wtitten, humorous and yet profound book all done through dialouge. The main characters all had their perspective on life and the many ways to deal with death. A delicate topic in real life situations especially when there is family tragedy.

I chose to read this book because of the positive reviews I saw and I'm so glad I did. This is topping my list for books I've read so far this year. The storytelling is beautiful and complex and the characters are so well developed, I felt like I knew the Drum family. This novel has that magic that makes a novel a true success - it is beautifully written but also extremely read-able, as in it has an engaging and interesting story/plotline. I'd recommend this to anyone who is a fan of literary fiction and enjoys a good novel.

Mr. Krueger writes about a solid family in Minnesota living in the early 1960s. His descriptions of the people, events, and beauty of the setting are seen through the eyes and mind of a teen-age boy. A lot of memories will be stirred among readers who were in their teens during this period. I found the first half of the book a bit slow as the characters were developed and the story line set up. Still, the mastery of the writing carries the reader easily into the second half of the book where the story quickens and deepens. The family is devastated by the discovery of one of them murdered. There are a number of possible suspects and both the family and the community are fractured in the response. The ending will provide a bit of surprise and I assure you, you will put the book down with one thought, - what a well written book.

I loved this story. It has enough mystery to keep the reader intrigued and most of all, it folds the reader into the fabric of a family that loves despite tragedy. My time with Frank and his little brother Jake was filled adventure, fun, and sadness.

I highly recommend spending time with them.

Beautifully written. Real mysteries to keep your interest. Refreshingly optimistic and spiritually elevating , showing the goodness of people rather than the dirt. Shows that a popular book can make the grade without resorting to bad language, graphic sexuality, and violence. Both I and my wife loved this book.

The writer is very skilled at giving you the feeling that you are really there in the book seeing what the story teller, one of the sons, is describing about the setting and the characters. You go from thinking that there could be the one obvious perpetrator of one or more crimes. Or could the deaths be accidental as a result of poor judgement on the victim's part? But slowly as you begin to understand the characters of those involved in in this community, and near the very end as characters unfolded in interaction with others, you start to get a hunch of what happened in each case. There is suspense in the novel that builds to a crescendo,. Seeing this story recounted through the minds of the young boys on the threshold of manhood, reminds you of that time in your own journey to adulthood. The thoughtful and common sense of the father is worth quoting and remembering, in that way there is thoughtfulness and hope also in this novel. I enjoyed it very much.

I postponed reading Ordinary Grace, simply because it wasn't part of the Krueger mystery series, and I didn't think I'd enjoy it. WRONG! It's a sensitive, beautifully written coming of age novel set in a small Minnesota town. The protagonist, a young man, son of a pastor, has a rebellious streak, and he comes to life on the pages. He's loyal to his brother, who has a stuttering problem, confused by his sister's mysterious behavior, and curious about his father's war experiences, which have obviously affected his life, but who won't speak about it. The plot is a page turner, and keeps the reader up long after the book should have been laid down in favor of sleep. I seldom rate a book this high, but Ordinary Grace is a great read, and I strongly recommend it.

I can see why William Kent Krueger's novel, Ordinary Grace, won the Edgar Award for Best Novel. The story is told in the first person of a young boy living in a small town in Minnesota. The boy describes from his own view the lives and deaths of people in that town,one summer. Some of the circumstances of the lives and tragic deaths do not become revealed until later in the story, but you are drawn into the novel by a desire to get to know the people better, family members as well as neighbors. It is certainly is not a gruesome nor violent story but one that challenged my discipline to put the book down and continue reading the next day.

William Krueger beautifully sculpts and crafts his characters, even the seemingly minor ones, in a manner that suggests the reader should take a breath before jumping to conclusions or making assumptions on any one's character or motivations. A suspenseful and often heart wrenching story that explores complicated love, bias, and faith with 'hope' often circling about, I truly enjoyed and found it a great book club read.

This is my favorite book for this year! Great story line, well written, could not put it down and it discusses, through its characters, deep questions about " Why does God allow -----". I love that the characters are so complex and no one is perfect, not even the pastor. Yet the pastor is able to keep his faith in the grace of God even in the midst of deep despair and lead others to continue their faith in a God who is good. Not all the characters can continue to believe and some are lost.. The suspense will keep you guessing until the very end.

This is my favorite book for this year! Great story line, well written, could not put it down and it discusses, through its characters, deep questions about " Why does God allow -----". I love that the characters are so complex and no one is perfect, not even the pastor. Yet the pastor is able to keep his faith in the grace of God even in the midst of deep despair and lead others to continue their faith in a God who is good. Not all the characters can continue to believe and some are lost.. The suspense will keep you guessing until the very end.

Perhaps the appeal of Mr. Krueger's novel is that the lead character, Frank Drum, & I are of the same vintage, growing up in small towns, with life questions outpacing life answers. I kind of like the way the author tells us enough about Frank's father & his friend, Gus to help us understand how life situations beyond our control, shape us forever; without telling us the details. We see the strength of God's grace in the life of Nathan Drum and how his resulting life impacts a whole community in a positive way. Much as Mr. Krueger introduced the Cork O'Connor series lead character as a beaten, broken man, he paints the picture of Frank's father, Nathan, on the verge of losing all that is precious to him, while trying to perform the duties of his calling; a modern day Job, if you will. In the end, we see fruit of his faithfulness and the tremendous impression left on his children. If you enjoy mystery of tragic circumstances, and want to close the back cover with a big smile on your face and an optimistic outlook for life . . . read this book!

This might be his best ever! William Kent Krueger has built a community filled with familiar yet surprising characters. I spent my childhood summers in a similar town and his books always bring me home. His characters are real people with complicated lives whose intertwined stories build the plot rather than populating it. Krueger is that rare writer whose series you don't need to read in order. Without awkwardness, he explains the back-story of his recurrent characters as part of the plot. Read every one of his books. You will come away knowing more about yourself.

Ordinary Grace is an axtraordinary book full of questionable characters, lovable characters, and full of great life lessons if you read and think about what you are reading. It pulled at my heart strings and took my emotions in many different directions. An absolutely delightful book!

“Sometimes, as an author, you’re given a story. It comes, just comes, and it’s so compelling that it haunts you until you’ve written it. For me, that was “Ordinary Grace”…I put everything I know about storytelling into this book,” said William Kent Krueger about his 2014 Edgar Award winning novel.

Those of you who read my reviews know that awards do not faze me. I did not care too much for Goldfinch and I could list the Man Booker Award winners I thought worthy on one hand and perhaps with two fingers. This time, however, the judges got it right. Congratulations to the Edgar Awards for recognizing an excellent book.

There is so much to like about Ordinary Grace that you should immediately go out and get it without reading further. I will, however, share what I found most compelling.

First of all the writing was the best you'll read. It felt more literary than commercial fiction. Here are some of my favorite passages:

"To this day there are pieces (of music) I cannot hear without imagining my sister's fingers shaping the music every bit as magnificently as God shaped the wings of butterflies."

". . . birds so ordinary and profuse that they fill the air like dandelion fluff."

"He seemed old to me because his hair was no longer black but the dull color of a long-circulated five-cent piece."

". . .eyes whose blue was so intense it was as if he'd purchased pieces of the sky for their making."

"The dead are never far from us. They're in our hearts and on our minds and in the end all that separates us from them is a single breath, one final puff of air."

This is the story about a summer in a small Minnesota community. The protagonist, a thirteen-year-old boy tells us about that summer which begins with the tragic death of a child. He tells the story as a storyteller. The reader senses his adult presence throughout the book and yet the story is told in the words of an adolescent child.

The characters are sensitively drawn. We understand their struggles and feel attached to each.

There is mystery here, but it isn't so much the mystery that keeps the reader reading. Sure, we want to find our more about the perpetrators of the deaths but even more, we want to find out what happens to the people we grow to love.

Krueger does everything an author should do. He does not tell us too much. He does not cheat the reader. The final conclusion brings satisfaction and a clear understanding of what happened during that summer in 1961.

Ordinary Grace is a tragic story but a beautiful story. The title captures much more than its literal reference in the book. Krueger showed us what ordinary grace is.

If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would.

The characters are deeply developed and you empathize with them. The plot is richly woven around them and the eventual outcome.
While the narrative is simple, it evokes the time, place and the person. These characters ring true. The story turns the page.

This beautifully written novel, both heartbreaking and uplifting, reminds me a bit of another favorite, "Peace Like A River", albeit with a well crafted mystery driving the plot. Kruger says his favorite book is "To Kill A Mockingbird" and one can certainly see the influence. Yet even with reminders of these two great novels, "Ordinary Grace" stands very much on its own. The characters are superbly drawn and real; even the most dislikable (and there are a few of these) resonate deeply. It is often a tough, brutal novel, dealing with death and depression and the wrenching brutality of life. Yet the title is breathtakingly true. This is a great novel.

Honestly, I think this has become a favorite book....I hadn't heard of Mr. Krueger before and didn't realize I was reading a mystery writer's book because it's so beautifully written (not to slam mystery writers, a genre I do love)...great book, gorgeous stuff here. Highly recommend it. Thanks, Mr. Krueger! Am about to order another of yours. Wish I knew which one :-)

William Kent Krueger may have outdone himself with ORDINARY GRACE. I've read a few other popular novels by this author,and ORDINARY GRACE is by far the best. If you like Kreuger's books, you'll love this one.

You may hesitate to read this, as I did, because the narrator is recalling the summer when he was 13-years-old, and coming-of-age stories bore you. Fear not. ORDINARY GRACE does not come across as a coming-of-age story. This is a story told by a 53-year-old man. He writes as an adult recalling what happened that summer to his family and others in his small community when one murder after another took place.

But ORDINARY GRACE mainly observes the narrator's father and brother, so full of ordinary grace.

An austere mystery novel, recounted by a pre-teen and set in an unremarkable region of the Upper Plains though apparently sufficiently appealing to some talented people whose life unravels for no apparent reason.