Thank you Atria Books, #partner, for the advanced copy of The River We Remember in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Atria Books
Published: September 5, 2023
Summary:
In 1958, a small Minnesota town is rocked by the murder of its most powerful citizen, pouring fresh fuel on old grievances in this dazzling standalone novel from the New York Times bestselling author of This Tender Land.
On Memorial Day, as the people of Jewel, Minnesota gather to remember and honor the sacrifice of so many sons in the wars of the past, the half-clothed body of wealthy landowner Jimmy Quinn is found floating in the Alabaster River, dead from a shotgun blast. Investigation of the murder falls to Sheriff Brody Dern, a highly decorated war hero who still carries the physical and emotional scars from his military service. Even before Dern has the results of the autopsy, vicious rumors begin to circulate that the killer must be Noah Bluestone, a Native American WWII veteran who has recently returned to Jewel with a Japanese wife. As suspicions and accusations mount and the town teeters on the edge of more violence, Dern struggles not only to find the truth of Quinn’s murder but also put to rest the demons from his own past.
Caught up in the torrent of anger that sweeps through Jewel are a war widow and her adolescent son, the intrepid publisher of the local newspaper, an aging deputy, and a crusading female lawyer, all of whom struggle with their own tragic histories and harbor secrets that Quinn’s death threatens to expose.
Both a complex, spellbinding mystery and a masterful portrait of midcentury American life, The River We Remember is an unflinching look at the wounds left by the wars we fight abroad and at home, a moving exploration of the ways in which we seek to heal, and a testament to the enduring power of the stories we tell about the places we call home.
My thoughts:
I fell in love with William Kent Krueger’s writing when I read his last stand-alone, This Tender Land. I knew then that I would be reading more of his books, but of course time got in the way. As soon as I heard he had a new stand-along coming out, I immediately requested it…and I absolutely loved it!
Once again, I found myself completely immersed in the world that William Kent Krueger created for us. This was a story that I did not want to end, that I wanted to take my time with and savor each moment I got to spend with these characters, many that there were. And oh how complex and dynamic they all were, but they were all necessary for the overall story and I loved that. No one that was introduced was superfluous and that takes some serious talent!
While this is most definitely a murder mystery, it is also so much more than that. It is also about secrets and about crimes against women. It’s about racism and how the men handled being back after going to war. There is a lot to unpack with this book. It’s not an easy one to read at times but it is so rewarding in the end.
I cannot recommend this book enough. It’s one I haven’t stopped thinking about since I finished it and know it will be one of my top reads of the year. It’s also one I will be recommending to everyone.
