The River We Remember: A Novel
AN EDGAR AWARD NOMINEE
In 1958, a small Minnesota town is rocked by a shocking murder, pouring fresh fuel on old grievances in this dazzling novel, an instant New York Times bestseller and “a work of art” (The Denver Post).
On Memorial Day in Jewel, Minnesota, the body of wealthy landowner Jimmy Quinn is found floating in the Alabaster River, dead from a shotgun blast. The investigation 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 mid-century American life that is “a novel to cherish” (Star Tribune, Minneapolis), The River We Remember offers 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.
In 1958, a small Minnesota town is rocked by a shocking murder, pouring fresh fuel on old grievances in this dazzling novel, an instant New York Times bestseller and “a work of art” (The Denver Post).
On Memorial Day in Jewel, Minnesota, the body of wealthy landowner Jimmy Quinn is found floating in the Alabaster River, dead from a shotgun blast. The investigation 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 mid-century American life that is “a novel to cherish” (Star Tribune, Minneapolis), The River We Remember offers 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.
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Community Reviews
On Memorial Day, in 1958, the people of Jewel, Minnesota gather to remember and honor the sacrifice of so many sons in the wars of the past. But then, 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 directly to Sheriff Brody Dern, who is himself broken from the war.
Sheriff Brody Dern, a decorated war hero himself, is left to untangle the many lies and secrets behind Quinn’s death. Almost everyone in the town has a reason to want Quinn dead!
We watch as this small town is torn apart by anger and mistrust. There are many characters to discover, a local newspaper man who desperately wants to uncover the truth, an aging deputy and a female lawyer who all struggle with their own personal histories.
I always appreciate Krueger’s honest look at the beauty but also the hardship of life in these small farming communities in Minnesota. The Book investigates topics such as racism, love, abuse, loss, and especially PTSD. This book brings forth the many people who struggled with mental health conditions in the past (as we are finding with most war veterans), in different forms, from Felix, who constantly talks about the war and gets drunk whenever he can, to Brody, who holds his tongue about all the horrible ways there are for people to die. I really enjoyed how the author handled PTSD in this story, and I loved the end and the epilogue.
My thanks to Atria Books, The Author, William Kent Krueger, as well as NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of The River We Remember.
Sheriff Brody Dern, a decorated war hero himself, is left to untangle the many lies and secrets behind Quinn’s death. Almost everyone in the town has a reason to want Quinn dead!
We watch as this small town is torn apart by anger and mistrust. There are many characters to discover, a local newspaper man who desperately wants to uncover the truth, an aging deputy and a female lawyer who all struggle with their own personal histories.
I always appreciate Krueger’s honest look at the beauty but also the hardship of life in these small farming communities in Minnesota. The Book investigates topics such as racism, love, abuse, loss, and especially PTSD. This book brings forth the many people who struggled with mental health conditions in the past (as we are finding with most war veterans), in different forms, from Felix, who constantly talks about the war and gets drunk whenever he can, to Brody, who holds his tongue about all the horrible ways there are for people to die. I really enjoyed how the author handled PTSD in this story, and I loved the end and the epilogue.
My thanks to Atria Books, The Author, William Kent Krueger, as well as NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of The River We Remember.
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