Ordinary Grace

By: William Kent Krueger

Narrated by: Rich Orlow

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)

Extrodinary Novel

This book works on many levels. It is a mystery story, you won't want to put it down. Most of all Ordinary Grace is an extraordinary work of fiction. It is a coming of age story with themes of family, sorrow, justice, resiliency, forgiveness, and perhaps most of all faith.

If you like any one book of any one of the following authors I think you will like this book: John Irving, Kent Haruf, Leif Enger, Marilynne Robinson, David James Duncan.

Also, I really appreciate when audible adds the author interview after the reading, this one was interesting.

Amazingly captivating and eye-opening.

If you could sum up Ordinary Grace in three words, what would they be?

Transformative, gracious and enlightened.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The stuttering younger brother with his down to earth honesty and sensibility.

Which scene was your favorite?

The fathers sermon after the death of his daughter.

Any additional comments?

The reader did a magnificent job distinguishing the different characters and lending honesty to the description of people in distress and confusion without ever over dramatizing any one person or event. Well done.

It was a pleasure to listen to.

This is not your typical mystery...

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, while it is not the typical mystery with the "edge of my seat" excitement, it did involve trying to figure out "who done it."

The book takes you back to a simpler time. Kids went outside and rode their bikes. They did not play video games all day.

I purchased this book just because of the author's name, I have all of his " Cork O'Connor" series and enjoyed them all.

This book entertains and that is why I buy books! Well worth the time and credit. Enjoy!

Almost perfect

This is a book that makes you want to write one of your own, based on your childhood memories. But you could never do as well as William Kent Kreuger has done here. I was completely immersed in the Minnesota landscape, I could feel the heat and the worry, and the darkness. It's not often that I cry while listening to an audio book, but I cried many times while listening to the extraordinary work.

The only nit I would pick is that it becomes almost unbelievable that the young hero is always present (through eavesdropping, or overhearing, or circumstance) in all of the key plot developments.

Go ahead, and buy this one. It's almost perfect.

I truly enjoyed

I was traveling and did not want to turn off the car. When I had too couldn’t wait to get back to this book.

Minnesota -- Dakota Sioux's "sky-tinted river"

An enjoyable quasi-murder mystery, quasi-Bildungsroman set along a river and railroad in a rural Minnesota community in the summer of 1961. With its 14-year-old preacher's son as protagonist, this tale called in me reflections upon growing up and how the mind either magnifies or trivializes the memories of our youth. It caused me to also contemplate the role of religion in coming of age, the bonds between siblings, and, to a somewhat lesser degree, white's relations with American Indians, racism, suicide and bigotry toward those who are "different," specifically, based on deafness, race, sexuality, blindness, and physical deformities.

In other words, the book is loaded, but in a good way.

The narration was perfect.

Wonderful surprise!

If you could sum up Ordinary Grace in three words, what would they be?

An uncommon pleasure.

What other book might you compare Ordinary Grace to and why?

That's just it, I cannot compare it to any books that I have read. It stands alone in an uncommon way.

Have you listened to any of Rich Orlow’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No I have not, but would very much like to again. He was terrific.

Any additional comments?

This was the first book I have read from this author. I just hope that he continues to write with the passion that obviously went into this book.

Nothing Ordinary about this Book

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

The depth of character development and the themes explored are worth the investment of time.

What did you like best about this story?

The themes that are explored are universal in life. The author has a deft touch in exploring these themes and is in touch with the emotions they evoke.

Have you listened to any of Rich Orlow’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed and cried at the beauty of the words and the depth of exploration.

Any additional comments?

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to explore forgiveness and grace. The author knows this subject not just intellectually but personally.

Nice Little Coming-of-Age Story

This book is a gentle treatise on love and forgiveness, wrapped in a coming-of-age adventure. It's a fairly simple story and somewhat predictable but I can see why many compare it to a distaff version of To Kill a Mockingbird. It's told from the point of view of a preteen boy named Frankie whose father is a wise and kindly minister. During the summer of 1961, Frankie recounts five different deaths that occurred and how they affected him and his family.

It's filled to the brim with atmosphere and interesting characters and the overall theme is engaging. It's not the best book I've ever read but the author created characters I cared about and it kept my interest till the end.

The narrator did a nice job representing the cadence of the area but I found that some of his voices sounded similar to each other so it was sometimes difficult to distinguish characters. Still, he is clear and easy to understand.

A interesting, inoffensive look at real problems

Would you consider the audio edition of Ordinary Grace to be better than the print version?

Probably, the reader does a great job of differentiating characters without distracting from the story

What did you like best about this story?

I enjoyed the 60's time frame being 60+ myself, and the compassionate way this story addresses everything from religion, sexuality, issues of physical appearance, impediments, family and marriage issues, friendships, and coming of age issues.