Across the generations there is a common
thread that binds us all. There is a
moment that defines us. A moment when we
step from childhood into the world of being an adult. For some, that moment comes gently, easing us
from the sheltered arms of youth into the ever-changing world that awaits
us. For others, that moment is thrust
upon us, throwing us headfirst into having to deal with life-changing events
that the innocence of youth cannot prepare us for. We are forced to grow up quickly.
Frank Drum is an ordinary
thirteen-year-old growing up in the small town of New Bremen, Minnesota where
his father is a Methodist minister. It’s
the summer, and Frank’s days are typically filled with baseball games and
hanging out at the soda counter inside of Halderson’s Drugstore with his little
brother, Jake. Everyone knows everyone
else’s business and life flows smoothly from day to day. The lives of New Bremen’s residents are
delicately intertwined in ways that came by the hand of fate, many hiding their
deep, dark secrets behind the walls of their homes. The wealthy, influential
residents remain sheltered in their well-manicured area atop the hill. Others just seem to barely get by. Yet on Sunday morning, they congregate at the
town’s Methodist church, where Frank’s father delivers his sermon. He’s well-respected within the community and
is often called upon to help the townspeople through when hard times
strike. From the outside, Frank’s family
seems idyllic, but beneath the surface lies resentment, disappointment, and
living with the demons of war. Still,
life rolls slowly and uneventfully forward for all.
The summer of 1961, however, would prove
to be one that brought with it “the terrible price of wisdom.” Disobeying their parents’ wishes, Frank and
his younger brother, Jake, go out walking on the railroad tracks, where only a
few days earlier a tragedy occurred. It
was ruled an accident but Frank can’t let go of that annoying feeling that
something about the whole thing just isn’t right. What they accidently stumble upon changes
life as they know it in an instant, setting in motion a series of events from
which there is no turning back. Frank is
thrust into the world of being an adult and must learn to deal with things way
beyond his thirteen-year-old maturity level.
“You
might think I remember that summer as tragic and I do but not completely. My father use to quote the Greek playwright
Aeschylus. “He who learns must
suffer. And even in our sleep pain,
which cannot forget, falls drop by drop upon the heart, until, in our own
despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.
In
the end, maybe that’s what the summer was about…I’ve come four decades since
but I’m not sure that even now I fully understand. I still spend a lot of time thinking about
the events of that summer. About the terrible
price of wisdom. The awful grace of
God.”
The innocence of youth is not the only
thing tested by that summer of 1961. The
very fabric of the Drum family threatens to unwind when tragedy strikes close
to home. His father begins to question
the very thing that he’s built his life around: his faith in God. He must reach down into the depths of his
soul to find the strength he needs to carry on.
Watching his father struggle reminds Frank of a quote from the Greek
playwright, Aeschylus, that his father used often:
“He
who learns must suffer. And even in our
sleep pain, which cannot forget, falls drop by drop upon the heart, until, in
our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of
God.”
In terms of language and writing style,
Krueger matches these two elements perfectly with his thirteen-year-old
narrator. His style is plain and his
language fairly simple, making Ordinary
Grace a novel that could be enjoyed and understood by readers ranging in
age from young adult to seniors. Young
adult readers would be able to relate to the inner turmoil that rages inside of
Frank as he struggles to grow up. Older
readers will relate to growing up in a day and time when life was much simpler,
playing outside on those endless summer days.
His settings are so vivid that it’s easy to imagine actually being there
in the small town of New Bremen.
Krueger
easy style of writing eloquently combines the setting, characters, and diction
with rising conflict and elements of suspense, moving the story forward
effortlessly from scene to scene from beginning to end. Each chapter concludes with a hook, enticing
the reader to turn the page to find out what happens next. His characters are
realistic and believable, displaying age-appropriate emotions and personal
flaws. The jump forward in time at the end of the story offers a well-planned
conclusion. Taking into account all the tragic
events that unfold within the story, it’s hard to imagine how Krueger could
produce some kind of meaningful ending, but he does. Upon reading that final page, it’s hard not
to be reminded that we all go through things in our lives but it’s how we
choose to deal with them that defines us as a person.
Krueger hopes to deliver more than just
another “coming-of-age” story with his novel. Ordinary Grace serves a testament to what “terrible tragedy does to
[a] man’s faith, his family, and ultimately the fabric of the town in which he
lives.” According to Krueger, that is truly what the story is about. Through his characters, Krueger uses Ordinary Grace as an example of the
power of faith in times personal sorrow and loss. In today’s world, where so much has turned
ugly, we can all use a story that uplifts the spirit and reminds us that having
faith in the face of tragedy can help us heal.
William Kent Krueger’s novel, Ordinary
Grace, certainly delivers that message.
Works Cited
Krueger,
William Kent. Ordinary Grace. New
York: Simon and Schuster, Inc. 2014. Print.
MPR
News Staff. “Twin Cities Author William Kent Krueger Wins Edgar Award.” MPR
News. mprnews.org. 2 May 2014. Web.
Accessed 8 September 2016. http://www.mprnews.org/story/2014/05/02/william-kent-krueger-edgar-award
