Helpful Score: 7
This was a very good read. A little different writing then Krueger's O'connor books. The story is based in a small MN town, written in the first person of a 13 year old pastor's son. It showed how people deal with life differently when a child disappears from a family. Even more important is how a pastor and his family deals with it. The book showed the human side of all of us. Krueger does a great job of taking the reader into society in the early 1960's.
Helpful Score: 7
It took me awhile to get into this book and I almost gave up on it. I'm so glad I didn't. By the middle of the book I couldn't put it down and it turned out to be an emotional and satisfying book for me. There is a mystery to be solved but I feel the story is more about feelings and human reaction to hard times. I had the mystery worked out before it was revealed but that did not distract from the book.
Helpful Score: 6
Kent's publishers were worried when he said he wanted to write this book; they worried for nothing. This is a "can't put down" book. It brought me back to my childhood in so many ways. The diversity of characters is excellently blended into each other's lives. As a writer Kent is one of the best. I would read anything he writes. Must read, a great book.
Helpful Score: 4
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Started it and, for the most part, did not stop until I was finished. Primarily what I would term a "character novel", but certainly the mystery of the deaths is a strong, continuing thread. Felt Kreuger's style of prose was well suited to the subject matter and as someone else said, "this is one I will remember".
Helpful Score: 1
With the first sentence, I was hooked. With the first paragraph, I was in love. It's been quite a while since I've pulled an all nighter to read a book. This book was SO good! It would make a great movie. The author takes you into the mind and feelings of the narrator, a young 13 year old boy. His relationships, his life in a small town, and his coming maturity in the face of tragedy are excellent. A beautiful story. I will keep an eye on this author for more. D.
Helpful Score: 1
Glad I started reading this book to get me out of my reading rut. It is an interesting story about a family in the 60's in MN. I enjoy his Cork O'Connor mystery series.
Hmmm, I guess it's well written, but it's rather slow moving, and if I was unkind, I would say it's a ripoff of "To Kill a Mockingbird", Minnesota replacing Alabama, a precocious stuttering brother replacing a precocious neighbor child, and native americans replacing African americans. Anyway, I lasted until I knew who 3 of the 5 people who died were, (we're told early on that there were going to be 5 deaths), and I really didn't care who else did, so I stopped reading.
Excellent writing, a great story well told.
A beautiful tale with so many nuances. It is a murder mystery, a coming of age story, a small town saga, a tale of nostalgia that took me back to my own childhood growing up in the 60s. A family drama of grace and forgiveness for ourselves and for others. I had tears in my eyes at the end. Such good reading!
Great book. I've read the Cork O'Connor series and love it dearly. This was totally different and excellent in the way it was written and the story was fantastic.
Highly recommend - a great read
I noticed that one genre for this book is Christian. Atria published this book and isnt known as a Christian book publisher, it is a division of Simon and Schuster. I also researched the author William Kent Krueger, who is not known as Christian writer.I do believe that this book has been mistakenly labeled Christian because the main character's father is a Pastor of 3 churches in Minnesota.
I was hooked on this book in the Prologue. There is an amazing quote by a Greek playwright, Aeschylus; "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." The author was a Greek Playwright, therefore he was not likely referring to God but a greek god or gods, but it still is a great quote. I was touched by this quote. It is referred to more than once in the book.
If that alone isnt enough to make you want to read more, let me just explain, that this book reads to me much like To kill a mockingbird, or another great coming of age book where a child must come to terms with some of the ugliness of the world.
The main character Frank is telling the story some 40 years after the events in 1961. Because he has 40 years of hindsight, he can tell the story still as he felt as a boy of 13, but with the wise words of person who knows the outcome, and knows a great deal about forgiveness.
If there is one book not to miss this is it. This books is worth your time. I dont give books 5 stars very often.
You might really like this link after you have read the book. It discusses ordinary grace vs Awful grace and a short discussion with some quotes from the book. Since it might contain the most meat of the book or spoilers dont just jump to this link.
https://dwkcommentaries.com/2014/02/26/the-extraordinary-ordinary-grace/
I was hooked on this book in the Prologue. There is an amazing quote by a Greek playwright, Aeschylus; "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." The author was a Greek Playwright, therefore he was not likely referring to God but a greek god or gods, but it still is a great quote. I was touched by this quote. It is referred to more than once in the book.
If that alone isnt enough to make you want to read more, let me just explain, that this book reads to me much like To kill a mockingbird, or another great coming of age book where a child must come to terms with some of the ugliness of the world.
The main character Frank is telling the story some 40 years after the events in 1961. Because he has 40 years of hindsight, he can tell the story still as he felt as a boy of 13, but with the wise words of person who knows the outcome, and knows a great deal about forgiveness.
If there is one book not to miss this is it. This books is worth your time. I dont give books 5 stars very often.
You might really like this link after you have read the book. It discusses ordinary grace vs Awful grace and a short discussion with some quotes from the book. Since it might contain the most meat of the book or spoilers dont just jump to this link.
https://dwkcommentaries.com/2014/02/26/the-extraordinary-ordinary-grace/
I very much enjoyed this book. It's written in the mind of a thirteen year old boy, even though he is reminiscing about many years ago. Kind of reminds me of a coming of age tale, such as Stand By Me or others of that genre. There is a lot of sadness, murder and suicide talked about. Mostly a heartwarming tale of two young brothers growing up in Minnesota in the 1960's . I suggested it for book club because we were all coming down from The Women.
Profoundly moving, powerful, touching story. I can't get the echoes of the characters and story out of my mind. An absolute must read. Beautifully written. A book that delivers all of the hype around it. It won't let you down.
Ordinary Grace is a lyrical evocation of a time (1961) and a place (small town America). I was a child in 1961, and when I entered the world William Kent Krueger created, everything was utterly familiar to me; there were no false notes. This book is also a marvelous coming-of-age tale reminiscent of classics like To Kill a Mockingbird or Stand by Me. Frank Drum begins as a typical teenage boy who might be in trouble a bit more than he should, but as the summer progresses, he finds himself trying to make sense of the adult world of lies and secrets that he's been thrust right in the middle of.
Ordinary Grace is also a strong mystery. Frank and anyone who picks up this book wants to know who is responsible for that summer's deaths. As Frank learns more and more from his talent for being a fly on the wall, he suddenly wants to stop sneaking around to learn things and to be treated as an adult instead. As this summer of tragedy and wisdom and grace flows from one day to the next, Frank sees the members of his family in a new and more understanding light, and he is forever changed-- as are readers who have been caught in the spell of this beautiful and powerful book. Highly recommended!
Ordinary Grace is also a strong mystery. Frank and anyone who picks up this book wants to know who is responsible for that summer's deaths. As Frank learns more and more from his talent for being a fly on the wall, he suddenly wants to stop sneaking around to learn things and to be treated as an adult instead. As this summer of tragedy and wisdom and grace flows from one day to the next, Frank sees the members of his family in a new and more understanding light, and he is forever changed-- as are readers who have been caught in the spell of this beautiful and powerful book. Highly recommended!
In all honesty I can say this is the most profound book I have ever read in all of my life! It for me had a deep meaning and brought things to light that I hadn't thought of before. There is much to learn from reading this book if all of us take the the time to reflect once we are done, and how in our own lives yet different than the life of the Drum family, there can be understanding that all of us go through difficult trials and learnings in our own lives. I guess that is part of living life. There were a couple simple statements and facts of life that added understanding to my own life and the meaning of it. I urge you all to read this book as for me it brought me to a deep understanding of my own life and hopefully maybe in a different way it will to yours too! I am a huge fan of William Kent Krueger's books, but his mysteries I read for pleasure as I love his main character Cork O'Connor, his family, and the colorful characters that surround him. This book being different and stand alone we read about Pastor Drum, his fmaily, and the events that take place in 1961 New Bremen, MN. It is told through the eyes of the son thirten year old Frank Drum and with it comes the realization and the understanding of the hardships and truths facing us all as we live life. If you take the time to read this wonderful book, stick with it as the first half of the book sets it all up and can be slow, then you embark on a journey full speed ahead for the rest of the book, and simply I could not release the book from my hand till the very end!!
Enjoyed the book. In fact, I enjoyed it so much I ordered a copy for my BFF! She is a reader like me and likes a book that restores and encourages her faith in people and God.
Good novel. Story of growing up as a kid in the 50's, with family issues, closeness to his brother, death but written as an adult looking back.
I can't say I either loved or hated this book. I can tell you it was well written. I didn't put it down until I finished it. It was interesting Wish I could give you more in this review.
This is a very good, touching story about a family with struggles. However, their faith helps them through.
I really enjoyed this book. It has subtle Christian tones, but not in your face. Great mystery and the characters are well developed. You find yourself really liking and caring about the family.
Such a wonderful story of life and a pleasure to live the characters of the book.
New Bremen, MN is a made-up name, along with Cadbury, although the Minnesota River is real. I think Granite Falls, in SW Minnesota, is the closest to being like New Bremen, since it has the flats.
This book wasn't overly dramatic, some humor and the journey of a young boy learning boundaries. Loved the story of the Dad and his relationship with his brother.
Summer, 1961...a small town in Minnesota is shaken to the core by tragedy. A small boy, an itinerant and, later in the summer, two more victims are all found dead. The book's narrator, a 13 year old pastor's son named Frank, does some sleuthing on his own accompanied by his little brother. As I neared the end of the book, knowing questions were about to be answered, I found it hard to put down. In 2013, Ordinary Grace, by William Kent Krueger, received the Edgar Award, given by the Mystery Writers of America in recognition for the best novel published that year.
Starts very slow and doesn't get much better after 50 pages, couldn't stay with it.
