In January of 2021, I wrote a recommendation on the book, This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger. At the end of my post, I said I wanted to read more of his books because I enjoyed that title so much. I kept my word and read Ordinary Grace, which was one of his earlier works, published in 2013. It’s another winner!

The story takes place in the summer of 1961 in a small town called New Bremen, Minnesota. Frank Drum is 13 years old and the book is told from his perspective, 40 years later. You’ll get to know Frank’s family which includes his mom, his dad, who is a preacher, younger brother Jake, and sister Ariel. 

That summer was not an ordinary one in the heat of the midwest. It was filled with grief, unexpected happenings, and death which touched many families in their community. Ordinary Grace is a work of fiction but also reads like a mystery.  The characters have so much depth to them and the plot reads quiet and soft, yet it’s so intriguing. 

I really enjoyed the connection between all the characters and the story development. I read some of the book’s reviews and one by Crime Fiction Lover compared the story to the movie Stand By Me. After reading the book, I feel that the analysis was 100% accurate. If you ever watched that film, this book has the same kind of vibe. 

I also thoroughly enjoyed when Krueger slipped the title of the book, Ordinary Grace, into the context of the story. It’s subtle but present and he did the same thing in This Tender Land. It’s fun to keep your eye out for it and how the name of each book has its place in the story. The epilogue was also a favorite part of mine. It took the book from the summer of 1961 to the present day and wrapped the story into a neat little bow. When I completed reading the 307 pages, I was sorry the book ended. 

William Kent Krueger has become a new favorite author for me. I highly suggest picking up a copy of Ordinary Grace or This Tender Land, which are his books I have read to date. I hope you enjoy his storytelling as much as I do. Enjoy!