The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger

THE RIVER WE REMEMBER by William Kent Krueger is a very reflective piece of writing. Just like a river flowing, there is often a calm leisurely pace interspersed with swift action. Krueger says, “I love this story... My heart and soul are in [it].” Set in rural Jewel, Minnesota during 1958, Krueger crafts a puzzling whodunit complete with strong character development and a definite feeling for the time. Attitudes toward “the other,” including women, Native Americans, and immigrants, are explored when an unpopular landowner is found dead and the sheriff, ex-soldier Brody Dern, seeks to find the cause. Kruger relays traumatic life experiences of a former prostitute and of soldiers having returned from World War II; all the while, the local prejudices are simmering in the background. The overall tone of this stand-alone mystery is definitely melancholy and there are multiple subplots with themes of sexual abuse and racial discrimination. THE RIVER WE REMEMBER received a starred review from Booklist (“recognition that postwar America was filled with shattered veterans and war widows”). Another well-written adventure (e.g., see Fox Creek, Lightning Strike, This Tender Land,) from a prolific, talented writer.