Set in the Great Depression, This Tender Land is destined to be a classic! This is a book that will appeal to such a wide audience and I highly recommend everyone read it!

This Tender Land was so good - I've recommended it to anyone that mentions they liked Whitehead's Nickel Boys. I look forward to catching up on Krueger's backlist as well.

3.5
“ Mrs. Brickman stood over me. . . .
“The stories you hear now are the ones I tell you. And they mean just what I say they mean. Do you understand me?’”

Odie (Odysseus) O’Banion was a good story-teller as a little fella, but the woman who owned and ran the Indian school where he and his orphaned brother lived had other ideas. Odie is twelve, and the narrator of this story, told now that he’s in his eighties. They were the only white boys in the school.

He tells of the beatings and other perverse punishments that were perpetrated on the children of Lincoln School in Minnesota, some of which were designed to turn obstinate rascals into obedient children, but some of which were to take advantage of defenceless young bodies who were ripe for the picking. Most of these things were referred to obliquely, rather than spelled out, which made this more of a YA read, suitable for children.

He may be the central character of his own story, but his older brother, Albert (16) is critical to his welfare because he can fix absolutely anything. He’s a wizard of a mechanic, a natural student who loves learning, as well as a boy with a practical turn of mind. If he doesn’t know something, he knows how to figure it out.

When a little boy disappears from the school, (“ran away” but the boys have their suspicions), the brothers are talking in their bunks one night. Odie wonders if Albert is worried about him.

“’Are you afraid I’ll get taken from you?’ I asked.

‘I’m afraid I’ll get taken from you, and who’d look after you then?’

‘Maybe God?’

‘God?’ He said it as if I were joking.

‘Maybe it really is like it says in the Bible,’ I offered. ‘God’s a shepherd and we’re his flock and he watches over us.’

For a long while, Albert didn’t say anything. . . . Finally Albert whispered, ‘Listen, Odie, what does a shepherd eat’

I didn’t know where he was going with that, so I didn’t reply.

‘His flock,’ Albert told me. ‘One by one.’”

This is a phrase that comes to haunt Odie throughout the book. He decides early on that God is a Tornado God, wreaking havoc. When something bad happens to a character, he is reminded of the one-by-one comment.

The brothers are good mates with Mose, a young Sioux boy, whose tongue was cut out, leaving him mute. Albert and Odie know signing, because their mother was deaf. The fourth member of the small group who make up the heart of the story is a very little girl, Emmy, who suffers the occasional fit and “sees” things.

How they decide to escape the clutches of Mrs. Brinkman and her husband is the main plotline, and the people they meet along the way represent 1932 middle America. The Depression was biting hard, people were ragged, poor and starving, many living in "Hoovervilles”, shanty towns on the mudflats along the rivers.

They have many adventures, changes of heart, differences of opinion, but when there’s a mechanical problem, Albert can fix it. Mose is strong, and Odie with his harmonica is a charming imp. That’s how they get along. Emmy completes their “family”, so she is always protected.

I am not the fan of this that many readers are. There’s too much teaching and preaching for me. I knew very little about it, but as soon as I began reading, I could see what was coming next. People seemed to be Good or Evil, almost caricatures, and Odie’s voice seemed to change from his 12-year-old self to his reminiscing older self, which put me off a bit.

I felt as if every situation was presented as a learning opportunity rather than being part of the natural flow of the story. Here’s a villain, here’s a drunk who might be okay if sober, a Christian healer, an evil farmer, a good-hearted woman, a dirt-poor but loving family, and so on. As I say, “I” read it this way, but it’s obvious most people don’t, so it must be just me.

I can see why a lot of people were swept up in the saga of the Four Vagabonds, as they liked to call themselves, so I’m sure this will remain popular. I sometimes find things corny that others just love. Takes all kinds!

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the preview copy from which I’ve quoted.

This Tender Land was one of the very best books I read in 2019. It's incredible! It tells the story of an orphan boy named Odie, his brother Albert, and their friend Mose. It is 1932 and they are students at the Lincoln School, a Minnesota school for Native American children that is a truly horrible place where abuse runs rampant. After a series of dramatic events., they run away from the school (with a little girl named Emmy in tow) and set out on an epic adventure on the Mississppi River. The cast of characters in the book is fantastic, the action is thrilling, and the writing is absolutely beautiful. I laughed, I had tears in my eyes, and my heart soared. I loved it so much.

I am going to be among the minority here, but I don't understand why everyone is going crazy for this book. I am a fan of historical fiction. I loved Where the Crawdads Sing, Peace Like a River by Leif Enger, and The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah. I feel like these are character-driven novels just as This Tender Land has been described. Regrettably, this book was not for me. I'm not sure if it was the setting, Depression-era Minnesota, or if it was the characters. I know that Krueger is a very respected author, though. I have never read his work but Ordinary Grace is on my TBR list. I will still give it a go, and I won't discourage anyone from reading this. It must have appeal to a lot of people based on all the positive reviews.

450 pages and I didn't want it to end. A beautiful novel about four orphans and their journey during the Great Depression. Their journey is one of survival and suffering, but is not without beauty.

This Tender Land is one of my favorite books of 2019. I loved Mr. Krueger's other standalone book, Ordinary Grace, and This Tender Land was another 5 star read for me. What a wonderful book!

As soon as I heard that Willian Kent Krueger was publishing another book I knew I had to request it. The first and only book that I read from him, "Ordinary Grace," was such an utter delight in the way that he developed his characters that reading that alone put him in my favorite author's list. "This Tender Land," was no different. What I enjoyed so much about "Ordinary Grace," can be found in this novel in abundance. He uses one of my favorite tropes of 'found families' to develop such strong relationships between his characters. Five stars, and highly recommended!

This was a powerful, Huckleberry Finn like tale, Set in the midst of the depression, Odie and his crew of vagabonds escape life at Lincoln School and start on an adventure like no other. The story of these 4 runaway orphans will take you on an adventure you are not likely to soon forget.

This story is over 400 pages but ended up being a quick read. It is well researched and seeping with history and yet give the reader a great tale to hold on to. Overall this is a great read!

Well, I guess this is one of those books where my review goes against the grain. Everyone seems to love this book and I thought it was ok. It was good even, but not great.

Let's start with what I thought was good. The writing was really good. The dialogue was good and the relationships in the story were good. I liked that our main character was a teenager and he seemed to have moments where he was impulsive, annoying, and emotional, basically just thinking and acting like a teen. At the same time, he was likable. He was trying to do his best.

What was I not a fan of? The book was <i>very</i> religious. I don't mind religious stories when that is what I am expecting, but I was not expecting it. Also, it was religious in an almost fantasy sort of way at times. If I had known that my expectations of the novel would have been different.

This is also a slow ride. Be prepared to meander for a lot of the story. Things happen, but not in any hurry. Though, I felt the pacing at the end of the story was a bit faster. It was also a little less realistic. Some of the twists / connections at the very end felt forced.

Overall, I thought it was a good story, but not one I loved. I might recommend it to someone with some information as to the content knowing that many others have loved it.

I absolutely loved this tale of Odie and his friends as they tried to make a new life away from the orphanage that had mistreated them. It reminded me so much of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn! However, there is a lot of mistreatment in this story, and part of Odie’s journey is coming to terms with the cruelty and unfairness that they have been dealt in life. The ending came with a sense of redemption, and I once again was enthralled with William Kent Krueger’s beautiful writing.
Highly recommended!

I would also recommend this novel for high school English classes – so much to talk about and think about in it!
Thank you for my ARC!

This Tender Land was an amazing novel! I enjoyed how the children's adventures during their travels were told and the writing itself. The story is set during the 1930s. Four children who are all orphans set off on their own to escape the horrible situations they have been in. Three of the children have been staying at a children's school that is for Native American children to be kept at. The other child has been staying with the couple who runs the school. The kids take off and set off on a journey in the hope that they can find somewhere safe to stay. Along the way, they meet many different people who will change their lives and help them discover more about themselves. They will meet good people and cruel people during their travels. They will see different towns and how different the people live that they come upon. The story is beautifully written and written in a way that brings the story alive. This is a longer novel than most, but at the end I wanted to know more about the children's stories, and wasn't quite ready for the book to end.

Here's a book that has all the elements of a great read and it didn't disappoint. It's 1932 in Minnesota where the aftermaths of the Depression still continue. Four orphans manage to escape the horrific confines of a residential facility for Native American children and the journey begins.
The plot is filled with such sensitivity and compassion as the children take to the water in a canoe in an effort to reach St. Louis. The humanity of people alongside its worst characteristics are gleaned in the pages. Upon its conclusion (which you hope doesn't come), your faith in people doing what is right is restored. The writing is just beautiful and riveting.

This Tender Land takes the reader on a roller coaster ride, along with the four young orphans, as they set out on their own to escape the lives they have found themselves in. There are plenty of ups and downs along the way but they are resourceful and loyal to each other, so somehow they get by.

This is a beautifully written story that follows the adventures of these four amazing young people. You will be rooting for them, crying with them, fearful for them, and celebrating their victories as they journey along their way.

William Kent Krueger has written an exquisite piece of literature that I highly recommend. I loved every word of it!

This book is incredible. It swept me into another world, one bounded by sadness, cruelty, poverty, and ultimately the beauty of the human spirit. The characters are drawn with a fine brush, showing us ALL their dimensions of good, bad, weak, and strong, and all the contradictions of human nature. It is an amazing journey, and the four young sojourners, Odie, Albert, Mose, and Emmy, carry the story with finesse. After fleeing from a horrible situation, they make their way in search of family and a home. The river cities and towns are almost characters too, and serve to show the struggles of those living through the depression. This Tender Land makes you a better person for having read it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Shuster for this ebook in return for an unbiased review.

Atria Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of This Tender Land. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

In the author's note, William Kent Krueger explains how he intended this novel to have a Huckleberry Finn type of feeling, just updated to take place during the Great Depression. Odie O'Banion and his brother Albert are orphans, sent to live among Native American children in the Lincoln Indian Training School in Minnesota. Odie can do no right in the eyes of the superintendent, landing himself in hot water time and time again. When circumstances force Odie, Albert, their friend Mose, and sweet little Emmy into a canoe on the Mississippi, will the group be able to find a place to call home? As they journey into the unknown away from their problems, will new dangers lurk around every corner?

This Tender Land is a richly imagined story, with well developed characters and a smoothly paced plot. Sometimes, the adventure can mean more than the destination, which is true in this novel. The author does a great job of describing the time period and the landscape of middle America during the early 1930's. Although there were a lot of characters, both main and periphery, I never had a moment of confusion. I thoroughly enjoyed This Tender Land and would recommend it to other readers.

A heartfelt story of four young orphans running away from an abusive Indian training school, trying to get to St Louis, where they hope to find a place of safety.

Well-written and fast paced, with a wonderful cast of characters and a sense of innocence, this is a story that almost everyone will enjoy. The backdrop of the great depression is extremely well done and was a perfect setting for this coming of age tale. I’ve not read any books set in this era before and was shocked at the scale of poverty in America, but the author does a brilliant job in showing how most people stay hopeful in the worst of circumstances. The scenes set in the shantytowns were especially powerful.

If you enjoy novels like The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell, you will love this. It was a bit sweet for my taste, and one of the characters were almost childishly evil, so it loses one star, but still a brilliant read.

"...this beautiful, tender land"

"Sure this is hard work, but it’s good work because it’s a part of what connects us to this land. This beautiful, tender land."

I loved this story. It tells of four young people (three of them orphans placed in a government Indian boarding school in Minnesota). It is 1932 in the middle of the Great Depression. Children at the school are treated horribly with beatings, slave labor, solitary confinement, and sometimes worse.

So the four young people run away - with the school and the law on their heels - escaping in a canoe and headed to St. Louis.

The story tells of their ordeals, the good and bad people they meet, as they all try to find a safe home.

This book reminded me in many ways of a few of author Joe Lansdale's standalone novels. He often has young protagonists too and the writing styles are similar to me. And that's a huge compliment from me because Lansdale is one of my favorite authors.

I highly recommend this story to readers that want to experience a moving journey via the pages of a book.

I received this book from Atria Books through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

So much love for this book. A group of four young orphans flee the Lincoln School (a home for Native American children) during the Depression era. A classic adventure story that starts off in Minnesota via canoe but becomes much more complicated. I fell in love with the fantastic cast of characters that the orphans encountered, as well as the orphans themselves. A compelling story that is a true page turner. I was sad when it was over and still think about the characters.

If you are a fan of John Irving, this book will appeal to you.

This will be discussed on Episode 90 of the Book Cougars podcast.
www.bookcougars.com

I am clearly in the minority on this one but I didn’t care for this book. It went on for too long, lacked the rich character development I was expecting and was unrealistic - something I’m not a fan of. Also for not being a Christian book I felt like I was being hit over the head with religion the entire book. Not what I was expecting.