Another beautifully written saga by William Kent Krueger. This book is a gem! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger is a big-hearted novel that doesn't disappoint.

Four orphans form an unlikely family in 1932 Minnesota: Motherless Odie O'Banion and his brother Albert, are the only Caucasians at the Lincoln Indian Training School, committed there after their father's death; their friend Mose, a Native American boy whose tongue was cut out in an attack that left his mother dead; and Emmy, orphaned at six after a crushing tornado kills her mother. The Lincoln School is a dark place -- DiMarco, a groundskeeper-cum-sadistic enforcer for the school superintendent, Thelma Brickman, also known as the Black Witch enjoys giving the children the belt for infractions large and small, but even more he enjoys isolating them in the "quiet room" where he can do with them as he wishes.

Odie, Albert, Mose, and Emmy eventually escape the Black Witch and her sadistic minions under the cover of darkness in a canoe, each of them searching for something; home, identity, and safety. They are running from the Black Witch, who claims that the older boys kidnapped Emmy. The police are after them, and they must hide their identities.

Krueger has a stethoscope to the heart of each of his characters -- he knows what makes each of them tick, the longings buried deep in their broken and empty chambers, he also knows what each of them needs to become whole. The orphans travel the Gilead to the Mississippi hoping to eventually reach St. Louis where Odie and Albert remember having an aunt -- their mother's sister, Julia.

The cast is filled with remarkable characters: One-Eyed Jack, a hard-drinking farmer who has lost his family and is about to lose his farm; Sister Eve, a kind-hearted faith healer who may or may not be running a scam; and Aunt Julia who harbors more than one dangerous secret.

The novel is framed by an aging Odie, looking back on his early years:
"Our former selves are never dead. We speak to them, arguing against decisions we know will bring only unhappiness, offering consolation and hope, even though they cannot hear. "Albert," I whisper, "stay clearheaded. Mose, stay strong. Emmy hold to the truth of your visions. And, Odie, Odie, do not be afraid."

William Kent Krueger's super power is creating characters with real depth and placing them in stories that reveal truths about what it is to be human in this world. This Tender Land is a novel in the tradition of the Great American Novel. Highly recommended for fans of Mark Twain and John Steinbeck, as well as contemporary author Leif Enger.

Special thanks to Atria Books and Netgalley for providing me with an digital advance review copy for review.

Lin Salisbury is host and producer of Superior Reads and Superior Reviews on WTIP 90.7 Grand Marais, Minnesota and on the web at www.wtip.org and www.superiorreads.blog. Listen to her author interviews and reviews on www.wtip.org and www.superiorreads.blog.

A beautifully written historical fiction tale of 4 orphans in search of a place they want to call home. Odie, Albert, Emmy, and Mose are on the journey of a lifetime in hopes of finding a final place to rest their heads. This story takes place over the course of a summer while the orphans are traveling down the Mississippi River on their way to St. Louis. Along the way they meet people from all different walks of life, some who will help their journey, and some who will hinder it. Regardless of their role, each person met along the way will help shape each orphan into the person they will become.

This story touched on some parts of history that I wasn't aware of. The author's note scraped the surface explaining Native American Boarding Schools and should definitely not be skipped. This book shouldn't be skipped either! Add it to your list, it's long but well worth it.

Hands down the best book I’ve read in 2019!! In This Tender Land, William Kent Krueger has written a novel for the ages!

Set in Minnesota in 1932, This Tender Land follows four orphans and their journey to flee the horrible grasp of a corruptive and abusive “school”. After their father died, Odie and Albert O’Banion find themselves at The Lincoln School, which is an orphanage of sorts for Native Americans (the brothers are the only caucasians in the school). Odie and Albert befriend Mose, who is unable to speak, but communicates with the boys via sign language. The three boys work out in the community to help local farmers and that’s where they meet Emmy. After many horrible and unthinkable situations at The Lincoln School, the foursome decide to run. From that point, I knew I should savor every page because I was in for some literary awesomeness!

I never wanted this book to end! This coming-of-age novel tells such a powerful and emotion tale. I was amazed how the novel played out like a movie in my mind! The characters burrowed their way into my heart—this group of “Vagabonds” will absolutely be staying with me! I haven’t read a Willian Kent Krueger novel before (I am kicking myself for not reading him sooner), but I am really looking forward to reading his prior novels! I wish I could give This Tender Land more than 5 stars because it was that fantastic! Everyone should read this book, I really think everyone will love it as much as I do!

This is the best book I have read in 2019. It is good old-fashioned storytelling and is beautifully written. The characters are so well written and developed that I wish I had known them. The author did a magnificent job of describing the feel and realness of the Great Depression. My own parents lived through it, and I well recall their descriptions of the poverty and despair. Mr. Krueger's writing and storytelling is similar to one of my other favorite authors, Kent Haruf. I will certainly bee recommending this book to everyone.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC.
This book is wonderful, I didn't want it to end and it will probably stay with me for a long time.
During the Depression three young people escape from an Indian School where they lived in deplorable conditions. They call themselves The Vagabonds and they embark on an epic journey in a stolen canoe, meeting and interacting with many characters as they manage to slip unnoticed from town to town. Their many adventures and their sheer grit made my eyes well up; it's such an extraordinary, moving story that it was hard to get back to reality and do some housecleaning! Highly recommended!

A tour de force novel deserving of a 5+ Star rating. A heart rendering odyssey of four orphans fleeing from the Lincoln School for Native Americans in Minnesota during the Summer of 1932 .... heralding the onset of the Great Depression. A beautiful novel that I wanted to never end!
It was a time when our government deemed in wise to forcibly separate Native American children from their parents and culture. Two caucasian brothers, Albert and Odie, find themselves mysteriously interned at the school. Odie, the younger, is six years old and full of "piss and vinegar" and frequently is at odds with the stern school superintendent ... who the children collectively term the "Black Witch"
The O'Banion boys flee the school in the company of their best friend, Mose. A mute Native American, whose parents were murdered and his tongue was cut out. They reluctantly included the recently orphaned six year old , Emmy. ... they couldn't possibly allow her confinement- imprisonment in the Black Witch's home. Emmy. "cute as a button" accompanies the trio in a canoe down the Gilead River ... ultimately hoping to connect and follow the Mississippi River down to St. Louis to search for the O'Banion's Aunt Julia.
This odyssey down the waterways leads to multiple encounters and confrontations with both good and bad people. "There's no end to the cruelty in this world, and no matter how far down you reach, there's never a bottom". The exploits of the four Vagabonds while traversing the river expose the tumultuous times facing the populace during the Great Depression.
Krueger proves to be a masterful storyteller ... he explores the multitude of differing ways to cope with extreme adversity during this trying time in our countries history. The story is both tender and sweet and at times brings tears to both women and men readers.
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for supplying an Uncorrected Proof of this gem in exchange for an honest review. Excuse me ,while I immediately go download his previously highly touted novel - "Ordinary Grace"

One of my all-time favorite books is Ordinary Grace, a book I gave 5 stars and have read twice, even though I rarely re-read books. I was highly anticipating the author’s new release and was thrilled when offered a review copy by the publisher.

Four orphans escape an abusive situation at a boarding school and set off on a river trip in a canoe bound for St Louis. The trip is not a leisurely one, as the authorities are hot on their trail. Along the way, they meet a variety of people, all trying to make their way in the world under trying circumstances. Some are good, some not so much, and some are somewhere in the middle. They all have lessons to teach as Odie, the main character, attempts to come to terms with his faith and God in a world he find unfair and where everything and everyone he loves is taken from him.

The author is a wonderful storyteller, the prose is beautiful, the characters well-developed and engaging, and the setting and time period of the Depression years were brought to life. But the story is a long one, my interest flagged and I found myself fighting the urge to skim. The book has gotten plenty of 5 stars reviews so take my review with a grain of salt. The two books mentioned in the blurb as comparisons were not books I enjoyed so it’s likely a case of being the right book, wrong reader. Many thanks to the author and Atria books for the opportunity to read this book for review.

What a beautiful, enriching saga; I cannot say enough how fortunate I was to be selected to read this ARC. I. Loved. It—every word...every adventure...every impact it made on me. From the depths of my bounding heart: I loved it, for it was absolutely magnificent!! It will feed your soul, as you confirm in your mind that a family is not defined by blood, but rather who you choose to protect, love and to whom you pledge yourself. This family you create ensures you’re “never alone”.

In William Kent Krueger’s, “This Tender Land”, you will meet characters that will stay with you long after you’ve reached the last sentence of the epilogue. We begin by meeting orphan brothers Odie and Albert who are sent to The Lincoln Indian Training School in Minnesota in 1932 after the death of their father. The horrors that await them there are the reason why the central family comes to being. Odie and Albert soon build a family with Moses and Emmy and they all embark on this adventure, deciding to run away from the atrocities that are at the school. They leave via the Gilead River with the hopes of traveling to St Louis to begin a new life; their journey is nothing short of awe-inspiring.

I loved the language of this drama. The characters were richly developed and the pace was perfect. Filled with as much hope as sadness, it’s a lesson of kindness and love and family in which we all need reminders: We need each other and we need to be responsible for others.

Thank you to Netgalley, Atria Books, and William Kent Krueger for enriching my life and allowing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. On sale September 3, 2019.

3.5 stars

There's a lot to like about "This Tender Land" --the writing is lovely and stories of children on the move during the Depression is always moving and brings Tom and Huck to mind. Author Krueger throws in a brutal Indian school in Minnesota, a traveling revival show and even a wicked witch.

Several things bothered me. The six-year-old girl is able do things that such a small child would not be able to do--she could help make a complete chicken dinner (with pie) but I doubt she could do so herself. Most of the other kids are skilled beyond their years and circumstances. If the children were a few years older, the story would feel more authentic, less simplistic.

This felt like a middle school novel, which is not necessarily a bad thing--there's a lot of quality stuff on those shelves. It would be interesting to hear the takes of children the same age in current time. on the journey of Odie and his friends. A history lesson, an engaging struggle in a difficult time, and characters who work to be true to themselves would be a strong addition to those reading lists.

I’d give this one more than five stars if I could. I am a huge fan of Willian Kent Krueger and absolutely loved Ordinary Grace. I wasn’t sure anything could top it. Well, hard to say if this is better, but it’s equally as good. WKK is just such an amazing writer. He’s got it all, well turned phrases, engaging plot, characters that draw you in immediately and feel so real you’re convinced you’ve met them.

“Home is where the heart is.” And Odie, Albert, Moses and Emmy are all looking for their own versions of home. Odie, Albert and Moses are all orphans at the start of the book and never really had homes. Emmy loses her mother in a freak accident. When they’re all forced to flee, they take to the river. Told over the course of one summer, the book paints a perfect picture of the 1932 Midwest - farmers desperate to survive, faith healers, folks living in Hoovervilles.

This book tugs at your heart. I will admit to crying more than once. It deals with loss in so many forms, but also the faith to survive and move forward and the need to forgive. “Of all that we’re asked to give others in this life, the most difficult to offer may be forgiveness.”

This book seems destined to be a modern day classic. WKK cites Twain, Homer, Sinclair Lewis and Dickens as sources of inspiration. He has done an inordinate amount of research, which he outlines in his Author’s Note. But as he also states, “the river voyage upon which Odie O’Banion and his fellow Vagabonds embark in the summer of 1932 is a mythic journey.” Or as Odie says at the end of the book, “in every good tale there is a seed of truth, and from that seed a lovely story grows. Some of what I’ve told you is true and some...well, let’s just call it the bloom on the rose bush.” Run, don’t walk, to buy this one as soon as it becomes available. I truly can’t tout it enough.

A huge thank you to netgalley and Atria Books for an advance copy of this book.

Another wonderful story from William Kent Krueger! This is a great adventure tale written about a time of many troubles in our past.

This Tender Land invites obvious comparisons to Huckleberry Finn, with orphans piloting a canoe down the Mississippi while fleeing the law, but it really is more like Charles Dickens, if Dickens wrote in Depression era America. It contains all the hallmarks of a classic Dickens tale: An orphaned boy, living a tortured life in an orphanage with a cruel headmistress, prone to being locked in a basement with only a rat for company. Odie has only three friends in the world: his big brother Albert, a fellow orphan named Mose, an Indian boy found as an infant with his tongue ripped out and now forever mute, and Cora Frost, a sweet widowed teacher who is the sole example of goodness in a twisted adult world.

Odie’s terrible life takes an even darker turn; after a tornado literally turns the one good thing in his life upside down, and a dark night leads to a shocking act of violence, Odie is forced to flee the orphanage, along with Albert, Mose and Cora’s young daughter Emmy.

Accused of vicious crimes and hunted as kidnappers, the four kids make their way down the Mississippi through the heart of the country in the heart of the Depression. Along the way, they encounter criminals, Hooverville families, and, most memorably, a traveling faith caravan that may or may not be a huge sham.

There is much to like about this novel. The plot elements as I laid out above are strong and compelling, and Mr. Krueger is a thoughtful, precise writer, with a real sense of place. The river itself, and the plight of the kids making their way down it, is well crafted. Each orphan, of course, is searching for something: for a sense of identity, for home, for a place to belong. And the novel unfolds in a series of set pieces in their stops along the way.

Some of the set pieces work better than others; a supposed romantic interlude for Odie fell flat for me. And there were times in which the story, like the Mississippi itself, seemed to be drifting slowly, with no real purpose. There is not too much of a sense of escalation — instead it’s like a series of short stories, involving these characters. But some of the stories — especially the extended interlude with the faith caravan, and the tribe of believers (or scammers) who live in or follow that world — are really quite powerful.

The novel opens and closes with Odie, now a very old man, talking about the power of stories, including the story he is telling in the pages between. There is a late-breaking mystical element to the story, which didn’t work as well for me, but some might disagree. And when Odie talks about how you can tell a story in any way that you want, to create the ending you seek, it has a sweet kind of resonance.

God Is A Tornado!
JUNE 26, 2019KERRINHP EDIT

This is my favorite book of 2019 (I know it’s only June, but this book will be hard to top as my favorite)
How special it is to find one of those rare and beautiful books that etches a place in your heart. This Tender Land is certainly one of those books for me. I have a feeling once released, it will be on the best seller list for quite a while. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books, for my advanced reader copy. And thank you to the author, William Kent Krueger, for sharing your heart with this book.

The book starts with the narrator, Odie O’Bannion, looking back upon events from the great depression. He tells the reader to open themselves to every possibility, for there is nothing your heart can imagine that is not so. Then he promises a tale of killing, kidnapping, children pursued by demons (and a very persistent Black Witch), courage, cowardice, love, betrayal, and of course hope. And boy does he deliver a magical story!

It is an odyssey of four orphaned children who escape a horrible existence at an Indian School in Minnesota and try to travel via canoe to St. Louis, Missouri in 1932. Odie, along with his brother, their best friend Mose, rescue a young girl, Emmy, and take off with some stolen cash and a gun, knowing they will be chased by the law. As they follow the twists and turns of the great rivers they paddle, the four learn more and more about themselves. There are many well wishers, who always say to them “God be with you”. There are also several evil people, who shake their belief system entirely.

Odie O’Bannon, who was only 12 years old, tries to understand God, who had taken away his last hope of happiness with a tornado that killed Emmy’s mother who was his favorite teacher. He felt like at every corner of the journey the Tornado God had its ultimate purpose to deny the boy a happy ending. But as the journey continues, he realizes he can’t pin down God. The most important truth he learns is that when he yields to the river and embraces the journey that he finds peace. The other 3 children are also able to come to peace with their purpose, and to find a place they could call home.

On a scale of 1 to 5, I give this 10 stars. I really loved this book. It will be published on September 3, 2019. Be sure to add it to your “To Read List”!

This is a book that is destined to be placed on a "keeper" shelf. I couldn't help feeling like I was slipping on a old sweater that was warm, comforting and enveloping. Krueger has written a coming of age tale of 4 Vagabond orphan children who make their escape from a horrible orphanage for Indian children though only one of them is Indian. They travel by canoe trying to escape the authorities, while meeting a cast of characters along the way. It is hard to put into words how special this book is. The characters are so well drawn, the grappling with G-d,family,injustice,forgiveness and discrimination permeate throughout the book and color the landscape. You want to hug these kids ,hold them tight, and never let them go. Thank goodness that we can revisit them again and again.

Set during the summer of 1932, This Tender Land is a story that embraces tragedy and cruelty, kindness and love, murder and salvation. Most of all, it is about hope. Hope that we can find home, hope that we will find love, hope that life offers more than terror and injustice and cruelty. Hope that we can forgive and be forgiven.

This mythic story is a combination of Huckleberry Finn for its river journey and episodic adventures, with characters and events encountered from The Odyssey, and the darkness of The Night of the Hunter with children under threat fleeing downriver. And it recalls to mind the Book of Job as Odie grapples with the nature of God.

In 1932 Minnesota, orphaned brothers Albert and Odie are sent by their aunt to a Native American school, where she believes they are being well taken care of. The Brickmans run the school, siphoning off funds for themselves and allowing cruelty and abuse to reign. The boys befriend the mute Native American boy Mose. Albert and Mose are hard workers, but Odie rebels and is often punished. They have a friend in the teacher Voght, and the kind, widowed music teacher who offers to take the boys into her home to help run her farm. But a tornado takes her life, leaving her daughter Emmy in the hands of the cruel school headmistress.

The 'tornado god' wrecks more disaster in Odie's life, leading to an accidental death. The children together flee down the Mississippi River in a canoe, pursued by the headmistress of the school and the police who believes the girl Emmy was kidnapped.

William Kent Krueger writes, "I love this book every bit as much as I loved Ordinary Grace," and that offering this book he is "offering his heart." I, too, loved it every bit as Ordinary Grace, if not more.

It's a big 400-page book, engrossing and beautiful and heartbreaking. There is a lot of 'God talk' between Odie and the people he met who help him understand the timeless problem of why God allows evil in this world.

I was given access to a free egalley by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

William Kent Krueger's follow up story to Ordinary Grace is outstanding and a true masterpiece of literary fiction.
I highly recommend this book..

NO SPOILERS...

“This Tender Land”, is a mesmerizing tale with wonderful characters, rich themes, extraordinary storytelling, delicious writing....with dialogue that sprinkles gold nuggets in our hearts, gut, and mind.
A couple of times I thought: “Stand By Me” - meets “Deliverance”....meets Huckleberry Finn. It has those ‘type’ of a ‘feelings’.
I’m pleased as a pickle—to say this novel is every bit as good as “Ordinary Grace”...( another book by Krueger that’s one of my favorites).....
starting with a wonderful note to the readers by the author...to the very end....and the wonderful Epilogue.

The experience of having read this novel is pretty special. Its definitely one of the best books this year.,

Twelve year old Odie Banion, narrates the story. Albert, his brother, is four years older than Odie. We get to know these brothers well, as well as many other characters.
The heart of this story focuses on four children - [the Vegabonds]...
Mose and Emmy are the other children that are part of the gang.

There are so many great things to say about this book - the charm of the kids -
Odis’s gift for storytelling himself - his harmonica playing - (music gives him and others solace)....his grappling with God and religion. ( there are many scenes about God: believing or not)...
Themes of grief....loss of parents...coming of age...injustice/ abuse/ and cruelty....family, love, faith... hope....forgiveness...... sacrifice....racial inequality, economic hardships...self-identity...the basic understanding of human nature....
and kinship of protecting those we love.

I discovered symbolism & wisdom.....even from a little rat named “Faria”.....

So much to enjoy about the characters:
Alberta’s intelligence - and awareness-
Emmy’s sweetness and incredible wisdom for such a little girl - all of age six -
Mose who can’t verbally speak - rather speaks sign language ( the other children are also fluent in sign language)....

A rich mixture of adventure - tragedy- and healing......infused with transformative verities.

William Kent Krueger’s novel moves in a current - slow or as tumultuous as whitewater rapids.

ONCE IN A GREAT WHILE, A BOOK COMES ALONG THAT HAS SUCH WONDERFUL CHARACTERS AND MARVELOUS PROSE..... that we read it as much for the pure joy it offers on every page as to find out how it ends. THIS IS THAT BOOK!!!

Odie ...LOOKING BACK:
“From the height of a certain wisdom acquired across many decades, I looked down now on those four children traveling a meandering river whose end was unknown to them.
Even across the distance of time, I hurt for them and pray for them still. Our former selves are never dead”.


Thank You Netgalley, Atria Books, and William Kent Krueger

The best historical fiction doesn’t just take me to the time and place depicted in the story. It takes me into the heart and soul of people who lived there and then. This is precisely what William Kent Kruger has done in this beautifully written story of four orphans on their journey to find safety, home, and love while discovering themselves along the way. He does this with characters who are everything to this telling of history, whose stories tell of the extreme hardships of the Great Depression, of the injustices and harm done to Native American children in the government sponsored boarding schools, a blemish on our history; with characters whose faith is tested in the meaning of home, of friendship, of family, of forgiveness, of God. Twelve year old Odie O’Banion is a story teller and what a storyteller he is - conveying what happened to him and his his older brother Albert, along with Mose, the strong American Indian boy who can only speak by signing and little Emmy who is special in so many ways, when they escape the harms done to them at Lincoln Indian Training School.

This book is over 450 pages and there’s not a wasted word. I’ll leave plot details to others but just say that on their journey from a small town in Minnesota to St.Louis, they encounter dangerous situations and trials, mean spirited people like the ones they are running from, but also kind and generous people who will restore theirs and the readers faith in humanity. They find people suffering the losses of the Great Depression, some of whom have lost homes, reminders of the awful things done to Native Americans, but there will be the beautiful music that Odie plays on his harmonica and the fabulous stories he tells of The Vagabonds to help get them through some of the harder days. While the book reflects so much that is true, it is a work of fiction and there will be times when your imagination will be tested, but it is worth the testing.

You shouldn’t skip the author’s note in the end which describes his research process, not just reading books but by traveling to places where the characters traveled. In a letter to readers at the beginning of the book, Kruger writes, “In asking you to read This Tender Land, I am, in a way, offering you my heart.” What can I say to that except, thanks to you for touching mine.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, Atria via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was a little skeptical about Ordinary Grace and whether it would be a little bit on the religious and spiritual end of the storytelling spectrum for me. In the end, I was pleasantly surprised that it worked for me and I was engrossed and entertained by the novel.

On reading this new, second book the same author, I will admit that I was not able to turn the blind eye on all of the God references that perhaps I did on that first book. Maybe I was expecting it and it was too much in the forefront of my mind as I read along. The confusion withinthe main protagonists thoughts about God and his place in the world as he saw it was kind of heavy and often included in most chapters. It did wear me out and as an atheist I can tolerate religion but I didn't really need to be so heavily whacked on the head with it at every turn.

Aside from all of that, the story of the ill treated orphans who go on a huge adventure along the Gilead River was great to read and the author has a knack for creating evil characters that you just can't help hating and wishing a reversal of fortune on them, which obviously is exactly what happens. A page turner for sure but probably a tad too long for my liking.



------------

Atria Books, thanks for this. Talk about jumping the TBR queue...