It flows with a pace you would expect for 1961, a small town pace that reminds you of summer heat and the days before the media outpouring at every way you turn and the days of course where you could pick up a soda with a straw at the local drug store and make it last for hours.Īs I melted into the pages of Frank’s life and his family I had no trouble at all seeing through thirteen year old Frank’s eyes. Ordinary Grace is the kind of book you do not want to put down. Thanks to Wine and Words and Kent’s generous offer to be a part of our debut year, I knew I had to (and wanted to!) read him and Ordinary Grace was told to be a different kind of tale for Krueger. I have over the past several years picked up his books here and there, tales of Minnesota’s North Shore and while I planned on reading him…. He is that author who is writing books that generate followers of his writing yet I had never read him. Why did I want to read this book? William Kent Krueger is a Minnesota legend. What a great down to earth guy! Meet him if you get the opportunity.

William Kent Krueger the end of August 2013 at Wine and Words in Baxter Minnesota signing away. Thirteen year old Frank is about to experience all of the above. At the brink of manhood, Franks thirteenth year was one that changed his way of thinking for life.ĭeath comes in many forms: Accident. In 1961 he lived with his Methodist Minister father of several churches in the area, his mother who never planned on being a ministers wife but that is what she was and while she liked to smoke cigarettes and hold her own identity she did her best as part of the choir at the churches, an older sister with talent that had her heading right towards the awaiting gates of Julliard and a tag along always under foot younger brother who while bothersome, was wise at the most perfect times. The summer of 1961 in New Bremen Minnesota turned out to be the summer of death.įrank, now 40, looks back at this summer of 61 with a sense of peace and awe at the grace of it all. For thirteen year old Frank it started out as a summer of possibilities, but this summer had other plans, plans no one could have foreseen. The Twins were a new team, ice cold frosty mugged root beer was the coveted drink of choice, and Hot Stuff comic books were the way to spend that change that was waiting in your jeans pocket. Like a soft whisper you barely hear, Ordinary Grace brings your senses to full attention – you are on alert for what will happen next and in the end, you were not even close to the truth but wow – what a fantastic journey! Yet I have never across the forty years since it was spoken forgotten a single word.” A grace so ordinary there was no reason at all to remember it.

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