This Tender Land

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Synopsis

1932, Minnesota — the Lincoln School is a pitiless place where hundreds of Native American children, forcibly separated from their parents, are sent to be educated. It is also home to an orphan named Odie O’Banion, a lively boy whose exploits earn him the superintendent’s wrath. Forced to flee, he and his brother Albert, their best friend Mose, and a brokenhearted little girl named Emmy steal away in a canoe, heading for the mighty Mississippi and a place to call their own. 

Over the course of one unforgettable summer, these four orphans will journey into the unknown and cross paths with others who are adrift, from struggling farmers and traveling faith healers to displaced families and lost souls of all kinds. With the feel of a modern classic, This Tender Land is an enthralling, big-hearted epic that shows how the magnificent American landscape connects us all, haunts our dreams, and makes us whole.

Synopsis source: StoryGraph

Review

Genre(s): Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction
HB&W Rating: 5 stars
View on StoryGraph | Goodreads
Buy on Barnes & Noble, Amazon

“Odyssey” really is the perfect word to describe this book. This novel is a journey of many kinds — physical, spiritual, and emotional. Narrated by Odie, a natural storyteller, the tale is steeped in both overt and subtle Greek references that enrich the reading experience and give the story a timeless feeling, like reading a modern classic.

William Kent Krueger weaves a story that touches on social injustice, religious hypocrisy, morality, faith, and forgiveness. He illustrates both the best and worst of humanity and reminds us that we’re all capable of both. The novel explores guilt, brotherhood, and family — both the kind we’re born into and the kind we choose — as well as mysticism, miracles, and the tension between personal faith and organized religion.

“Tender” is another perfect descriptor for this book. Krueger writes his characters with such compassion and empathy that their pain and triumphs feel achingly real. Each trial they face is rendered with care, making the moments of hope and redemption even more powerful.

Part historical fiction, part mystery, part adventure, This Tender Land is literary fiction at its finest. It breaks your heart and mends it again, showing that there is always hope, even in the darkest of times. This book left me wanting to weep at its beauty. After only reading two of Krueger’s books, I can confidently say I am a fan for life.

Until next time,

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