Book Review - Ordinary Grace - William Kent Krueger
In ‘Ordinary grace’ by William Kent Krueger, Frank Drumm is 13 years old and lives in New Bremen, Minnesota where it’s summertime, a summer that begins with the death of a child on railroad tracks outside the town. More death is to follow, in a summer that will change lives in the small town forever. Frank is looking back at these events forty years later.
Stand by Me
One of the first things that came to mind when reading ‘ordinary grace’ was the Stephen King short story/film ‘Stand by me.’ It’s the death of the child on the first page of the book and then another incident that takes place a little while later. There are also similarities in the way that William Kent Krueger depicts small-town America, and I don’t make that comparison lightly as King is one of the best around at depicting places like this and the characters that inhabit it.
Another book that came to mind was ‘To kill a mockingbird' just in terms of the narrator Frank and the coming of age aspect of the story, and how his father was well respected in the town, this time as the local pastor. There is a race element to the book, and it made me think of another author, Louise Erdrich.
It’s a book with a strong sense of time and place and helps to put the reader right in the center of the story. The rural setting feels comfortable, with its rolling river and oppressive heat. The town's characters feel familiar too, believable enough without being cliched.
Like any small town, secrets are bubbling just below the surface. Some of the men, including Frank's father Nathan, and family friend Gus, are also harboring secrets from the war, and I kept wondering if these would be revealed.
Family
One of the aspects of ‘ordinary grace’ I enjoyed was the dynamic between the family members. Frank's relationship with his brother Jake was particularly rewarding and felt believable. When some of the events begin to tug at the ties that bind the family, the reactions felt natural, especially Ruth Drumm.
It’s also about faith, with Nathan Drumm being a minister, and how people react to the events that take place. Forgiveness is also something that is explored, as it is the ‘awful’ Grace of god.
Thriller
‘Ordinary grace’ does work well as a thriller, starting as a page-turner because you want to know who dies before it turns into a whodunnit. I did guess who had caused the final death, but it didn't matter - there was much more to the book than a build-up to a big reveal. That’s only one aspect of the story though, as it is also about faith, grief, and anger.
It was only after I finished the book that I learned William Kent Kreuger was also a crime writer - he has a mystery series with a protagonist called Cork O’Connor (now that’s an Irish name if ever I heard it) so I’ll likely check those books out at a later stage. This book certainly has more depth to it than the normal run-of-the-mill thriller but you can see the crime writing influence.
Ordinary Grace Summary
‘Ordinary Grace’ is a well-written book, atmospheric, and with rounded and believable characters. A lot of the plot points hinge on overheard conversations, which did irk me a little but I suppose it does happen and children are naturally inquisitive and often in places they shouldn’t be.
This felt like a classic, old-fashioned piece of storytelling from William Kent Krueger - elegant, familiar, and a bit of a page-turner. I found it an engaging read and would definitely recommend it.
book review - Ordinary grace by William Kent Krueger
307 pages
Published March 26th 2013 by Atria Books
Ordinary Grace Book Club Questions
How is faith explored in the book and how much of a part does it play in the characters lives?
By the end of the book, how have Frankie and Jake changed?
Warren Redstone says that the departed are never far from us. What do you think he means by that?
What do you think is meant by the term ‘ordinary grace’ and are there any other small graces present in the book?
What was Nathan saying in his sermon and how important was it to the central message of the book?
Did your idea of the killers identity change over the course of the book and what red herrings did William Kent Krueger include?
Talk about the deaths of Bobby Cole and Karl Brandt - what happened?