Review: This Tender Land

This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This Tender Land is a novel of historical fiction, set during the Great Depression. Four orphans, Odie, Albert, Mose, and Emmy journey from Lincoln Minnesota toward a better life, an odyssey that is imbued with aspects of magical realism. The historical aspects of the story, particularly the horrible treatment of Native Americans, particularly, Native American children, by the US government and off-reservation schools, and the grinding poverty, homelessness, and heartless seizure of farms and land, are all recounted with accuracy and painful detail, as viewed through the eyes of twelve-year-old Odie. Equal parts a coming of age story, a mystery, and an adventure, Krueger leaves us with a keen sense of the spectrum of humanity, good and evil, during the Great Depression. While some aspects of the story are fantastical, the heart of the novel approaches some of the best writing of Norman Maclean and William Maxwell, which is no small compliment.

A beautiful novel, no doubt destined to become a classic when adapted for film. The audiobook, narrated by Scott Brick, was a pleasure.

I received a paper Advanced Review Copy and an audiobook copy of this book from Atria Books and Libro.fm in exchange for an honest review.

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