When their older sister is murdered, their innocence is lost forever and their world seen through more cynical eyes. They meander through a hot Minnesota summer with the freedom of youth kept in check by the obligations of being the sons of the local pastor. Frankie, wise beyond his thirteen years, Jake, the socially inept younger sibling who has a debilitating stutter. The mystery and confusion that is adolescence. How that summer shaped his entire life, and turned his world asunder. A mystery novel, but not… more a literary rendering of a bygone summer in the life of a son of of Methodist clergyman. Set in 1961, this novel was written with equal parts nostalgia and wisdom. I have to admit that after reading this novel I questioned myself why I had not tried this author sooner. Renowned for his Cork O’Connor mystery series, this is one of his ‘stand-alone’ efforts. “ Ordinary grace” is the first novel I’ve read by William Kent Kruger. It is only when illness, death, or some other traumatic event interrupts our lives that we yearn for a simple, regular routine. With busy lives to lead most of us do not appreciate the ordinary.
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