Ordinary Grace

By: William Kent Krueger

Narrated by: Rich Orlow

Length: 10 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

Award-winning author William Kent Krueger has gained an immense fan base for his Cork O’Connor series. In Ordinary Grace, Krueger looks back to 1961 to tell the story of Frank Drum, a boy on the cusp of manhood. A typical 13-year-old with a strong, loving family, Frank is devastated when a tragedy forces him to face the unthinkable - and to take on a maturity beyond his years.

©2013 William Kent Krueger (P)2013 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

“Krueger aims higher and hits harder with a stand-alone novel that shares much with his other work.” ( Kirkus Reviews)

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I’ve both read and listened to this novel. The characterization is second to none, and the style, though spare and lean, is sprinkled with powerful metaphors. The protagonist’s spiritual odyssey holds the book together in a beautifully flowing stream. I don’t care for Krueger’s politics, but it’s still a damn fine novel.

I could not stop!

Engaging, touching, honest. This story, the characters, the location, all seemed so real to me. I could not put it down.

Excellent Read

The story line was wonderful and narrator was the best I've ever heard! He brought each character to life!

Awesome personal feeling coming of age story

Capturing the time perfectly, a beautiful read filled with excellent characters and storytelling prowess loved the lens through which this story is told

Best book I have read in at least a decade.

i loved this book! Character and plot development were impeccable. While I did figure some twists out early, I was captivated until the end with the marvelous way the characters managed pain, trauma, loss, guilt and shame and how they navigated their way through to find new way of being.

Listen to the author interview first

Mr. Krueger does an excellent job of making you see the town, the countryside and every character so plainly you feel you are walking right beside them. It is the kind of book that leave you in a contemplative frame of mind. The narration was perfect. When you get half-way or 2/3s of the way through, you may wonder why you picked this book. But hang in there, it is worth the read. And when you listen to the author’s interview again after you read the book, you will know Mr. Krueger accomplished his goals in writing this book. You will be reminded that no matter what problems come your way, we need to be more thankful to God for the abundance of His “Ordinary Grace” that is bestowed upon us daily.

I was caught up in the story from the first words

You will not be disappointed if you get this one. It's not just a book about two very likable young boys who have some major growing up experiences over the course of one summer. It's an engrossing mystery, or series of mysteries. The characters are extremely well drawn, even the minor ones, and the narrator does a fantastic job of bringing them to life. A great writer and a great narrator - the combination is beyond great!

Ordinary Grace is not the type of book I usually choose, but I enjoyed it as much as any I have listened to.

Full, rich characters

The author does a beautiful job developing rich characters and the narrator does an amazing job bringing them to life. Well done and an interesting read (listen).

Beautiful, Satisfying and True...

Risking inflated praise, the author has delivered a classic coming of age story from the same rare air as stories like Of Mice and Men. It is dramatic w/out melodrama; a poignant look back at life in somewhat rural America. Though the narrator's performance was restrained, he ably made the story and characters visible to me. More please Mr. K.

Loved it!

My sister recommended this book. I wasn't sure a book about a 13-year-old boy was going to be very interesting, but I thought I'd give it a try. It turned out to be a wonderful story of a young boy coming of age. With a little mystery and intrigue woven throughout, the author did an expert job at keeping this reader's interest from beginning to end.
The narration was delivered perfectly. I don't think anyone could have done a better job.