Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Every once in a while, a reviewer uses the superlative assertion: “If you only read one book this year, it should be…” I’ve never made this assertion (because, frankly, I can’t imagine such a circumstance) but if I were to recommend a singular, VERY IMPORTANT BOOK, it would indeed be “This Tender Land” by William Kent Krueger. This novel really has everything one could wish for: vivid characterizations, historical verisimilitude, an intricate and fast-moving plot, and honest confrontation with the reality of good and evil as it is played out in the lives of ordinary people challenged by the ordeals of the Great Depression. Although some might question the authenticity of the maturity levels attributed to the two youngest children, “almost” 13-year-old narrator Odie and 4-year-old Emmy, it doesn’t come across as in any sense contrived. These are children already aware that while fantasy can lighten challenging circumstances, there is a base line of grim reality which must be negotiated. This story also has a unifying thread of spirituality, love and hope which – while never intrusive or preachy – powerfully enriches the narrative. The two vignettes of the children’s encounters with Sister Eve and her healing ministry as well as with the Schofield family in the shanty town of “Hopersville” give deep insight into the ways in which community and compassion provide the impetus for survival even in the darkest times. In addition, though the book lays out the infamous history of the betrayal of the Indian people (specifically the Sioux, given the upper-Midwestern setting of the story) by the Government and greedy, abusive whites, it allows forgiveness and redemption to play a significant role. Author Krueger has accomplished a marvel of a work which simultaneously challenges, convicts, and uplifts.