A Summer Book Review Ordinary Grace by

William Kent Krueger

SINCE THE SUMMER is upon us again, and that means time to read more, I decided I would offer my two cents on a book that I recently read. I read a lot of books. Some have substance, while others have absolutely none. That works for me because I love any kind of story, and once I start a book, my OCD demands I finish it. Thus, when I read something that stands out, I take note. Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger stood out to me. I like a mystery or unexpected twist, and with that, I love odd and unforgettable characters. This book is complete with both.

Set in a small Minnesota town during the summer of 1961, the story is told through the eyes of 13-year-old Frank Drum, whose world is upended by a series of tragic events that shake his family and community to their core. Frank’s father, Nathan, is a Methodist minister whose enduring faith in God and mankind and wisdom gave me Atticus Finch vibes from the very beginning. Minister Nathan Drum, with his own secret struggles from World War II, serves as the foundation and source of inner conflict for Frank as he confronts the devastating realities of loss, guilt, and, inevitably, forgiveness and understanding.

Krueger’s style allows the story’s emotional weight to unfold while weaving in spiritual themes with a cast of quirky characters, including a stuttering younger brother, a troubled alcoholic War friend of their father, a local bully whose downright cruelty stirs up all kinds of tension, and neighbors whose secrets slowly come to light, which I didn’t see coming, frankly. As Frank is pulled deeper into an ugly adult world, he struggles with questions of life and death, justice and mercy, God’s presence, or absence, as he often believes, while people suffer. Ordinary Grace deep-dives into the complexity and beauty of faith and the resilience of humans as they face inexplicable tragedy. It’s a novel that exceeds genre. It is not just a mystery; it’s a thoughtful look at what it means to grow up, to endure, and to find grace in unexpected and often ordinary places.