I'm writing this review with tears falling down my face. I just finished this incredible book and I had to write a review immediately while the story is still so fresh in my mind.

This book is everything I could ever want in a book, and I'm not typically a fan of historical fiction. Set in 1932, Odie and Albert are two white orphaned teenage brothers who live at the Lincoln Indian Training School in Minnesota where orphaned Indians are taken in. The school is run by terrible people and after a series of tragic events (including a tornado ripping across the land) Odie, Albert, their mute friend Mose, and a young girl name Emmy find themselves on an epic journey down the Mississipi river.

This book tells the story of their journey, the trouble they face, and the good and bad people who they meet along the way. But more than that, it is a story of what it means to belong. It is a story of family, both the family you are born into and the family you choose.

This book has a story that pulls you in from page 1, a lot of heart, and characters you can't help but care and root for. I can't imagine anyone not appreciating what the author did with this story. Odie, Albert, Mose, and Emmy brought tears to my eyes as I read their fates and I was so sad this wonderful book had to end. Do not hesitate to add this one to your TBR list!

This is a beautifully written journey, This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger, of four orphans running from a horrible prison like boarding school. They travel over a summer on the river Gilead toward Saint Louis. It's a heartbreaking tale of Albert, Mose, Odie and Emmy; reminding me of Twain, although the scrapes are deeper and the adventures more trying. A lovely coming of age story and the fight for the Native Americans is not lost in this poetic tale. I found my self reading a bit slower than usual, soaking it all in and not wanting to miss a thing. During another night of sleeping out in the wild they tell what they would rather be doing; sleeping on a soft bed, eating nothing but ice cream, tracking down my mother's killer and you want the same things so badly for them. I adored this book! Thank you @NetGalley @ThisTenderLand #AtriaBooks

This moving and epic new-release puts the bloom on my rosebush. I can just picture that canoe with its precious cargo making its way down the Gilead, then the Minnesota and on to the Mississippi. Those precious vagabonds floated their way into my heart. Let me tell you--there were times when I had to slap my hand over my mouth in despair over the events these four orphans lived through on their odyssey. "Ordinary Grace" is one of my favorite books EVER and it was such a treat to spend some time in New Bremen in this second standalone for Krueger. I would contend that in addition to ties to Homer's Odyssey and Huckleberry Finn, you could also make a case for Robinson's "Gilead" and the classic from Kansas "The Wizard of Oz." Can I get an amen?

A huge thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for making a digital ARC available in exchange for an honest review.

"There's no place like home." Four vagabonds are on the run from the Lincoln Indian Training School searching for "safe haven" during the summer of 1932. They will experience hope and despair, cruelty and kindness as they canoe down the Gilead River destined for the Minnesota River then the mighty Mississippi. Final destination: Saint Louis. Who are these vagabond children and what has precipitated this perilous journey? In the words of our storyteller, Odie O'Banion, "Four years of my life [have been] eaten by darkness" at the Lincoln School.

Odie and Albert O'Banion, orphaned at eight and twelve years old respectively, were the only white children placed at the school. The school's mission, brutally enforced by school superintendent Mrs. Brickman, was to "re-educate" the Native American children forced to board there. Mrs. Brickman was nicknamed the "Black Witch" by the student body. Although Odie had a "penchant for rebellion...a strapping preceding time in the quiet room [solitary confinement]" seemed over the top. Odie drew strength from playing his harmonica, often carefully hidden from view. Albert, quiet and cerebral, was handy with tools. He loved to work with motors. He often interceded on Odie's behalf. "...someday you're going to do something I can't save you from." Moses Washington aka "Mose" was a Native American of Sioux ancestry. At the age of four, he witnessed his mother's murder. Mose's tongue was cut out. He communicated through sign language. Mose was arguably the strongest kid in school. The "fourth vagabond" surprisingly was six year old Emmy Frost. Teacher Cora Frost, Emmy's mother, had tragically died in a tornado. Emmy has convulsive fits during which she "verbalizes things". Mr. and Mrs. Brickman wanted to adopt Emmy, however, Emmy was often locked in a bedroom of the Brickman house. She begs Odie, Albert, and Mose to "kidnap" her and take her with them. The foursome flee, intending to canoe the Gilead River.

Leaving the Lincoln School and a dead body behind, the travelers must evade capture, especially after discovering that there was a $500 bounty on their heads for kidnapping Emmy. This was Depression-era Minnesota. On their journey, they experience big city life, small river towns, evangelical tent revivals, meet dust bowl farmers and residents of Hooverville shanties...but...where is home? Each of them needs to find a place to belong.

"This Tender Land" by William Kent Krueger has the makings of a "masterpiece". The protagonists and secondary characters are fully detailed and with such care. I felt as if I traveled with them, experiencing their trials and tribulations, hopes and dreams. I was disappointed at the journey's end. I would have gladly continued to travel with them. Author Krueger has created a "classic".

Thank you Atria Books and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "This Tender Land".

It was 1932 and the Lincoln Indian Training School was run by a cruel and ruthless woman the children called Black Witch, alongside her husband Clyde Bricknall. Thelma and Clyde had others who would also do their bidding – no one outside the school had any idea. But when brothers Odie and Albert O’Banion, best friend Mose and six year old Emmy, who had just lost her mother, had no option but to escape the school, they did it under the cover of darkness and with the help of a kind old man who’d always done his best for those kids. As they headed in their canoe toward the Mississippi river, all four children wondered if they’d make it.

As they paddled and when it was safe, Odie played his harmonica. He was also a storyteller and when they were scared or hungry – which was often – Odie did his best to lighten the mood. The four friends met up with a revival group, with Miss Eve at its helm. They came across good people and some not so good. There were homeless, poor, hungry and sad people – many helped them, others didn’t. What would be the outcome for the four youngsters who were braving their way across the country?

What a spectacular novel! I loved every minute of This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger; my first by him, but definitely not my last. Four orphans, all with different circumstances, all brought together by fate. Odie was an excellent narrator and his determination and grit had me cheering him along the way. His older brother Albert despaired of Odie more than once while Emmy was a sweetheart and Mose was a tortured young man. A brilliant novel, This Tender Land is one I highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

In ‘This Tender Land’ William Kent Krueger takes the reader on a mythic journey with four children running away from the Lincoln Indian Training School in 1932 Minnesota. Krueger's expressive prose and historically astute depiction of people and places during the Depression-era quickly captivated me; I was engaged as well by the main characters and wanted to know how things would turn out for them. Two of the children are orphan brothers, Albert, sixteen, and Odie, twelve, the only white children at the school. Mose is their best friend, a Native American from the Sioux tribe; strong and capable, Mose finds a lot of joy in work and athletics. The boys will all become a kind of guardian to Emmy, the sweet, angelic, six-year-old who accompanies them.

The river is very much setting and symbol in this story. The cottonwoods line the banks of the Gilead, which spills into the Minnesota River, which flows into the great Mississippi. The children travel in a canoe on these rivers with a destination of St. Louis, Missouri. They will experience good, bad, and wise characters, and places that are welcoming and places of stone-cold fear. The movement of the river is onward into the future, much like the river of time we all travel. Two characters in the story will embody the nature of time, one has the ability to see a person’s past; the other is able to peer somewhat cloudily into the future. But, it is Odie, from whose POV we see the story unfold, that will, with his storytelling abilities bring meaning to it all. Just as water is life and spirit, Odie’s storytelling infuses the story with sacred and spiritual dimensions. In my mind, this is the ability to stop time, to say, wait a minute, what does it all mean?

Odie’s journey as Krueger relates it, is the search for home, while Mose’s story is one of the search for his identity, his stolen heritage. Albert is their defacto leader, charged with keeping everyone safe, which God knows is hard enough without Odie’s impulsive and questioning nature. Emmy is their treasure, a beacon of light that holds them together, and yet, she has her own precious, not fully formed gift. I came to believe as I read, that Odie’s quest was also a search for his identity as a moral and fully conscious being. The hardships at the Lincoln Indian Training School challenged Odie’s soul and spirit. Odie was frequently placed in isolation because he was at times impulsive, and at other times, because he tried to stand up for what he thought was right. In the middle of these hardships, Odie made friends and often experienced good times. He grasped, as the others did, at straws of kindness and friendship. But every time one of those straws seemed to hold out hope for a better future, Odie saw that hope dissolve into empty nothingness. He began to think of God as capricious, withholding, and uncaring.

A music motif adds magic and light to ‘This Tender Land.’ There are several instances when Odie’s harmonica transforms people from anger to enjoyment. The harmonica leads to companionship with other music lovers and the joy of dancing. It allows his companions to find Odie when they are separated. The music fills Odie up when he is empty. The beautiful voice of Sister Eve and its healing powers are part of this motif as well. The music certainly acts as a buffer to Odie’s harder challenges of struggling with the ambiguities of human nature, the evil and vicious acts of the Brickman's at the school, and that of other characters he would meet on the river. The kindness of Cora Frost, Sister Eve, and others sound a different note in Odie’s musical repertoire of human behavior. Those precious acts, which we often (as Odie sometimes did) see as unrewarded, will carry us over many a difficult stretch. This was such an enjoyable reading experience, my first book by this author, but definitely not the last. Highly Recommended!

Many thanks to Simon & Schuster (Atria Books) and Netgalley for a copy of this book. The opinion expressed in this review is my own.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2855031564?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

In 1932, in the middle of the Great Depression, the Lincoln School in Minnesota is the abusive home to hundreds of poor Native American children, separated from their families as well as orphans siblings, Odie O’Banion, 12, and his brother, Albert, 16. When the abuse threatens their lives, the young boys flee with their best friend, Mose, and recently orphaned little Emily. Heading down river in a canoe, they hope to follow the Mississippi to Saint Louis to find a long-lost aunt. As their adventure begins, they meet many lost souls of all ages, with desperate situations of their own. They also meet many colorful characters willing to help them, and many others with nefarious intentions. Will everything work out for them, or will they come to a horrible end along the way?

This classic novel is an excellent read, painting a very real picture of the heart of America at a time of great struggle and hardship. The story is a step back into the past, describing a time when life was simpler, yet very difficult. There is a fascinating, dramatic cast of well-developed and realistic characters, and I highly recommend this book.

What a wonderful book so beautifully written. These children hold on to your hearts long after the book is finished. The descriptions of America during the Depression are breathtaking and emphasizes our connections to the land and to each other. It is sad, poignant and ultimately uplifting. My favorite book of the year.

This is a wonderful book that deserves all the accolades possible! Set during the Great Depression, it tells the tale of four orphan children who escape from a cruel institution to look for a home where they will be loved and welcome. It's a tale that comes directly from the author's heart to touch ours.

The narrator, 12 year old Odie O'Banion and his older brother Albert are the only white boys in a school set up to 'take the Indian' out of native Indian boys by teaching them the white-man's culture and language. The couple who run the school exploit the boys by hiring them out to local farmers, skimping on their clothing and food and punishing them with beatings and isolation in a cell for minor misdemeanors. As a high spirited, curious boy Odie receives more than his share of beatings and nights in the cell. When things get out of hand one night, Odie and Albert realise they must escape and their Indian friend Mose and six year Emmy who recently lost her mother insist on going with them. Together the four take to the Gilead River in a canoe, planning to join the Mississippi and travel to St Louis where Odie and Albert have an Aunt who they hope will take them in. On their Huck Finn type journey they face many dangers and meet many people, some evil and some kind-hearted even though they have very little to share themselves.

The prose in the book is beautiful as the scenery of the rivers, the little towns and islands is described. The author describes in his introduction how he took the same journey himself in his research for writing the book and it shows in his fine rendering of the places the children see. He has also painted a vivid picture of America during the Great Depression with ordinary families struggling to make a living and shanty towns of tents and cars popping up outside towns. The plight of America's first people is also highlighted through Mose's story as he learns of the atrocities that happened to his tribe, the Sioux. The children must quickly learn resilience and independence as they venture into the unchartered waters of the wider world while being hunted as runaways and their care for each other, particularly little Emmy is tender and touching.

My first novel by this author, this is a story that will resonate for me for a long time. Definitely my top read so far this year.

I really enjoyed the meandering speed of this story and the parade of characters introduced. In many ways, I feel the story of the 4 kids running away from the indian school was just the framework to introduce a wide range of people and situations during the Depression. There were traveling evangelists, residents of Hoovervilles, other Native Americans, etc. No one really questioned the story that they were all orphans and out on their own. This situation seemed a common one for the times. I enjoyed how the story felt both realistic yet also managed to highlight the best in each person. While just published, I feel like this book can hold its own against American classics like those from Mark Twain and John Steinbeck. The writing is rich and there is definitely a negative bias in the way that Native Americans were treated (rightly so); however, Mr. Krueger kept the story a priority over the politics.

What a wonderful story William Kent Krueger has given the world in This Tender Land. Five stars doesn't do this book justice - it's a masterpiece!

Odie O'Bannion, in his eighties, reminisces about the summer of 1932 and tells the story of what happened when he (age 12), his older brother Albert (16), their best friend Mose, and a young girl, Emmy, ran away from the Lincoln School in Minnesota to escape the cruel and severe punishment handed out for the slightest infractions.

(Note: The purpose of the Lincoln School and other schools like them was to separate Native American children from their parents, their culture and customs, and re-educate them in the white man's culture. Unfortunately, this is a real part of our nation's history. I grew up near the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania, best known for its most famous student famous athlete Jim Thorpe.)

Odie and Albert, though white, were taken to the school when they became orphaned. Mose, a Sioux Indian, was placed into the school, Emmy, the young daughter of a widowed teacher at the school becomes an orphan herself and begs the boys not to leave her behind. After running away together, the four vagabonds set off for St. Louis in a canoe where they hope to find Odie's and Albert's aunt.

Through his rich, complex characters and scenes, and beautiful, prosaic writing, Krueger brings to life the adventures and dangers the four children face on their journey. Dealing with hunger, inclement weather, the wide variety of people they meet and situations in which they find themselves, the children learn that they can only count on one another. They become family to each other. Poignant, bittersweet, heart-wrenching and heartwarming in turn, this magnificent novel gives a good glimpse into life in America during the 1930s.

Though a long(ish) book, I treasured every minute I spent within the story, and was sad to see it end. That's a hallmark of a good book! This Tender Land is an excellent read that I can't recommend highly enough.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books and the author for allowing me to read a copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Wow. I felt connected with the characters. The writing held my attention. Add this to your Fall tbr.

Young children are faced with a life that no child should have to face in a school for Native American children called the Lincoln School. It’s Minnesota in 1932 during the Great Depression and Odie and Albert are orphans living at the school with the Indian children. Albert tries and usually succeeds in following the rules but Odie is always at odds with the head of the school, who he calls “The Black Witch”. Odie spends far too much time in the Quiet Room with his friend, Faria – a rat – and endures far too many beatings. Their best friend is Mose, an Indian boy who is unable to speak. As their situation becomes more and more unbearable, they break away in a canoe, taking little Emily.

Mr. Krueger is an author who writes from deep within his heart and it shows in every word of his books. This book is reminiscent of “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and has that same sort of magic to it. While this can be looked at as a simple story, four young children escaping an abusive situation and striving to find a home, it also has deep layers in it. Odie struggles with his concept of God. Is God good and loving or is God like a tornado? Every time he has a slight chance at a better life, it’s taken from him.

The author also touches on the tragedy of the American Indians in his very special character, Mose. Mose can’t speak because his tongue was cut out when he was too young to remember why. While Moses travels with the others, he learns of an awful incident where over 30 Sioux natives were hung without a fair trial and he needs time apart from his non-native friends to absorb this side of his heritage. I was unaware before reading this book that there were boarding schools like the Lincoln School where Native American children were sent to become more “civilized”. They were forced to wear American style haircuts and clothing, were forbidden to speak their native language and their names were changed. They were separated from their families who were living on reservations.

The author has included a large cast of colorful characters, such as Jack, who Odie nicknames the pig scarer, who has demons of his own to battle; Sister Eve, a faith healer traveling with the Sword of Gideon Healing Crusade; the Schofields and their daughter, Maybeth, who lights something new in Odie.

These four Vagabonds, as they refer to themselves, will always have a special place in my heart. Most highly recommended.

FIVE I NEVER FORGIVE MYSELF IF I GIVE LESS TO THIS FANTASTIC JOURNEY STARS!

This book was a beautiful symphony to my ears, refreshing smell of nature to my nose, healing hands to my soul, heart-warming, emotional touch to my heart, lyrical, poetical, nurturing elements to my brain. There was not much words to express my feelings how I loved this book and how I enjoyed each word, sentence, each of the journey those orphans have taken, each impeccably, meticulously developed characters, each chapter and of course the poetic ending.

I definitely savored it and thought I haven’t read something such an amazing story for so long. It’s the best historical fiction I’ve read on this year.

This book made me cry!
This book made me smile!
This book made me rebel and scream!

This book woke up my anger against unfairness, my unconditional love to the all children, my concerns about never ending fight for the justice, equality and changing the system to create a better world.

This is the moving, heart-wrenching journey of four Native American children, narrated by Odie O’Banion who was just 12 years old but mature enough to take this long journey and a talented story-teller. Other children were Albert, Mose who can only communicate by singing and another gifted, lovely character (Indeed after Odie, she became my favorite, it was impossible to adore her attributes)Emmy.

Their hopes, beliefs, endurances, strengths, survival skills, wisdoms are tested throughout the trip taken place between Minnesota to St. Louis. It was not only a road trip, it was their trip to be grown up and learning the basic rules how to survive in their new world after Great Depression.

They encountered too many merciless, mean, savage people but also they met kind, generous people who extend their helping hands which gave them enough joy, hope to survive the hand the life dealt.

This book is about friendship, bravery, faith, struggle, family, brother and sisterhood and finally importance of acceptance the others’ differences. It was such a pleasurable, tear dropping, saddening, soul-brushing reading.
I can happily admit that I enjoyed every second of it.

5 adventurous stars

If you love Ordinary Grace, this one should be on your list to read. Ordinary Grace is in my top 10 favorite lifetime books, so that gives you a hint! This one doesn’t top it, but well worth a fall read!

This epic tale is set in the Great Depression and finds an interesting cast of characters who find adventure fleeing a terrible boarding school in Minnesota. The main character is Odie, a lovable teen who has been horribly abused at school. There’s a big incident and the group flees in the night, down the river in a canoe.

The rest of the story is a great adventure, exploring Hoovervilles, a traveling troupe of faith healers, down-on-their luck farmers, and so much more. The kids all seem to be searching for something – identity, a place to call home, happiness, sometimes food to fill empty bellies.

The writing is lyrical and draws you right in. I recommend curling up with this one on a crisp fall day when you can savor the adventure of this sprawling book. William Kent Krueger has a way of creating characters to seem so real. I want to hug Albert, Mose, Emmy, and Odie and heal their broken hearts.

When this one wrapped up, I felt that these characters had become friends and I didn’t want the book to be over. I’m so glad you wrote this one William Kent Krueger!

*I will update my Goodreads post as well as post to Amazon and B&N during publication week.

The Lincoln School in Minnesota in 1932, is a school for Native Americans. When Odie gets in trouble with the superintendent he, his brother Albert, their best friend Mose, and a little girl named Emmy run away. They steal a canoe and start towards the Mississippi river. They meet many people along the way. This is a very heartbreaking story at times. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

Way back in 2013, our book club chose to read Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger. We all loved it, though I had never heard of his previous books. Ordinary Grace was a huge hit...but where was his next book? Usually authors capitalize on the buzz and pump out the next book quickly (and I find often, not nearly as good of a book). My oh my, I am so glad Krueger took his time with This Tender Land as it is well worth the wait. Set in Minnesota during the Great Depression, the story begins in a reformatory school for native children. Some were orphaned, some taken from their Native families to be 'retrained.' It is a terrible place, full of abuse and hate, run by the Brickman couple who are sufficiently evil bad buys to root against. When a chance arises to flee, four heroic children do just that. Each child has their own part in Odie's story: Albert, his brother and a mechanical genius; Mose, the Sioux boy whose tongue was cut out as a toddler, looking for his identity; Emmy, the little girl whose 'fits' foretell the future; and Odysseus (ie. Odie) whose search for home leads them all on their wild odyssey down the river. Yep, they run into a cyclops character, a siren who sings like the angels, and many other obstacles along the way. I became so enmeshed in these children's trials and tribulations that I could not put this book down. This book should be another huge hit for this author. Thanks to Net Galley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

A child running away from something is not a new topic, but William Kent Krueger’s “This Tender Land” just might be the best I’ve read, my apologies to Mark Twain. The great depression, cruel treatment of Native American and other orphaned children, four forsaken children with dreams of a better life, and a relentless and revealing journey form the basis for a novel I found impressive.

An orphan boy, Odie O’Banion, finds himself in constant conflict with the “witch” superintendent of a school for orphans. Forced to flee, he, his brother, Albert, their friend Mose, and a heartbroken little girl, Emmy, take to a canoe to travel to Saint Louis via the Mississippi River looking for comfort and peace. Over the course of a summer, they find themselves with others who are wandering, including impoverished farmers, faith healers, displaced families, lost souls, and ruffians who prey on the unfortunate.

There is a bond between the four of them that seems unbreakable, but as events unfold that affect each of them differently, the relationship unravels in heartbreaking ways that seem realistic and the inevitable product of life’s cruelty. Finally, on his own, Odie uses his ingenuity and wiles to reach Saint Louis where he discovers some long held secrets about his own life that greatly alter his own destiny.

Krueger is the talented writer of many books. “This Tender Land” is a magnificent example of his gifted writing that captures his reader in a mesmerizing tale. The characterizations are deftly crafted. The visuals of depressed countryside and ruined settlements are heart wrenching, dialogue flows in a realistic tone, and the thoughts, desires, and motivations of tortured souls ring true.

I can guarantee you will be thrilled at the experience of reading this novel. The heartland of American has been realistically recreated. The travails of a world of poverty and greed have been put forth in beautiful prose. You must not miss this magnificent work.

A beautiful, moving and wonderful book, This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger held me spellbound from the beginning to the very last page. Set during the Great Depression, the book opens in the Lincoln School in 1932 Minnesota. The residential school houses mostly Native American children who have been forcibly separated from their families, and forbidden to use their own languages or follow their own customs. Into the mix are added brothers Odie and Albert O'Bannion, sons of an itenerant grifter . When Odie's high spirits get him into trouble, the brothers, along with their friend Mose and Emmy, the newly orphaned daughter of a kind local woman decide to steal a canoe and make a break for it by sailing down the Mississippi. Odie and Albert hope to find their Aunt, but with only childhood memories of what her house and neighborhood look like, finding her in St Louis will be a challenge. Along the way the group make friends and encounter foes as their journey becomes both a spiritual and physical challenge.
The prose throughout the book is nothing short of stunning, every word is carefully chosen and one does not have to read the author's note at the end of the book to know that this has been a real labour of love for him. Odie and his companions have become firm favourites , each is special but it is the bond between them and the strength of their friendship that makes the book truly special. It is a wonderful blend of a coming of age story and an epic adventure, and so much more besides. The author has done a truly wonderful job of bringing the book's setting to life, and the attention he lavishes on all the supporting characters more than pays off to make this one of the most special and memorable books I have read in a long time, one that has already become a favourite to be revisited time and time again.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

This Tender Land tells the story of four orphans in Minnesota during the Great Depression, escaping mistreatment at an "Indian boys' school" and journeying down the Mississippi River in search of a place to call home.
Pursued by the mean-spirited owners of the school, encountering danger at every turn, trying to survive in a time where everything was scarce - it makes for a compelling read. The plotline itself is enough to hold together a decent story, but This Tender Land is so much more than that.
Peopled with a cast of wonderfully imperfect, unique characters; based in a part of the country so richly described you can almost smell it; pondering deep themes of friendship and family and belief; touching on historical moments including unspeakable treatment of Native American people - there's just so much depth to this novel.
It's so very well-written that it will keep you utterly absorbed for almost 500 pages and the end will feel like it's come too soon.