Open yourself to every possibility, for there is nothing your heart can imagine that is not so. It may even seem off-putting for the fans accustomed to Krueger’s fast-paced detective thriller series featuring Cork O’Connor. The story moves along very slowly – maybe too slowly.

While it understandable that the author bides his time in world-building, it is hard to deny that the book is a slow starter. WHAT WE DID NOT LIKE ABOUT THIS TENDER LAND All in all, the plot of This Tender Land effortlessly evokes feelings of self-identity, friendship, and hope. The author has captured the picturesque landscapes of America from the era of the 1930s. WHAT WE LIKED ABOUT THIS TENDER LANDĮven though the story revolves around the kids and their struggle, the author has done a fantastic job of capturing the dark era of the Depression in the form of the adults that the children come across from time to time. They negotiate the long Gilead River, meeting several people along the way. They then embark on a quest to find a place they can call home. Tired of the harsh and unruly regime of the Brickmans, the school administrators, the four kids look for the perfect opportunity to flee. The brothers find unlikely companions in the form of a speechless boy, Mose, and a cute little girl, Emmy. The two brothers, Odie and Albert, are the only whites in a school populated by black kids. This was the place where Native American children were being tutored after being forcefully separated from their parents. He shares the journey undertaken by the four kids, all orphans, to escape the Lincoln School. Odie nostalgically narrates the story of his escape, in which he was accompanied by his brother and two friends from a boarding school in Minnesota. The story begins as a tale of reminiscence, with old Odie reflecting on his past. The story is narrated by Odysseus O’Banion, one of the four characters in the story. This Tender Land is a historical fiction saga set in the era of the Great Depression, when many people were rendered homeless and were struggling to find a way to survive.

He then worked on an altogether new story, which is what This Tender Land was. Interestingly, Krueger spent three laborious years writing the novel, only to toss it into the trash can. These include The New York Times, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal, among others. A companion of Krueger’s first standalone novel titled Ordinary Grace, This Tender Land has topped several bestseller charts since its release. William Kent Krueger has been known for his mystery and crime-fiction series revolving around the main protagonist named Cork O’Connor.

This tender land book review