Absolutely stunning novel of love and forgiveness. Brody Dern, the local sheriff, returns to his hometown of Jewel as a war hero but he is haunted by a dark secret. Angie is a woman with a past who has settled in Jewel with her son after her husband was killed in battle. Jimmy Quinn, a wealthy landowner, is found dead in the local river and the entire town believes that Noah Bluestone, a Native American and retired military, is guilty of his murder.
Each character is this novel is haunted by secrets from their past and Krueger weaves a tender and compelling story of the pain that comes from keeping secrets. This novel specifically deals with the trauma experienced after war for both those who fought and those who are innocent bystanders.
Krueger writes beautifully and poetically. While the river is fed by many streams, each enters into the main to become one river just as individuals come together to form humanity.
This novel is a magnificent story of many different individuals, each dealing with a past and present that intersects with one another to form the town of Jewel.
Highly recommended.

If you pick up a William Kent Krueger novel, you are in for a rare treat, so settle in and leave the world behind for a while, as you will be swept away, forgetting about time and other matters of concern —from this master storyteller.

THE RIVER WE REMEMBER is another gem to add to your WKK list. His characters come alive on the page and take you back to 1958, in a small Minnesota town where a murder takes place and one of its own with plenty of regrets and dark secrets—exploring the prejudices and complexities of post-WWII America.

Memorial Day, Jewel, Minnesota. The town gathers to honor those who served and sacrificed. The book starts with Herman finding the murdered wealthy landowner, Jimmy Quinn, left floating in the Alabaster River near the bridge from a shotgun blast. Murder or accidental?

Sherriff 'Brody' Dern (35) is a war hero with emotional scars from his time in the military with his sidekick, Golden retriever, Hector. At the time, Brody had one prisoner at the time he was overseeing, Felix, in county jail.

There is an autopsy; however, before the results, rumors are flying. They all say it must be Noah Bluestone, A native American WWI veteran who recently returned with his Japanese wife, Kyoto Bluestone., a Japanese survivor of Nagasaki. Then Brody finds himself in the middle, fighting the violence in the town while dealing with his demons.

The Dakota Sioux Indian is arrested for his murder. Noah Bluestone, along with his Japanese wife, had been recently fired by Jimmy Quinn. Along the way, many others in the small town are deeply affected by the prejudice surrounding the Bluestones. Brody is on the fence because no one liked Jimmy.

With other characters, the widow, Marta, and son, Patrick (JP), and other children, the publisher of the local newspaper (Sam Wicklow)—the Black Earth County Clarion, the aging Deputy Fielding, Doc Porter, Garnet, Charlie, a female lawyer with regrets — struggling with their respective traumas, and dark secrets that Quinn's death threatens to expose. The demons of, if only.

THE RIVER WE REMEMBER is engrossing, complex, beautifully written, and multi-layered. An exploration of the midcentury American life of those scared by war, PTSD, regrets, plagued by demons, and hardships on their journey to justice, healing, kindness, forgiveness, and redemption.

We find hatred, anger, racism, violence, rape, and people who are judgmental, dishonest, and unfaithful. With vivid descriptions, the author explores all the emotions with well-developed characters that come alive on the page. As always, beautiful quotes, symbolisms of rivers, and masterful, skillful storytelling!

Stories go on, and the river continues to flow. This book is powerful and thought-provoking. The characters will linger long after the book ends. Ideal for book clubs and further discussions. A must-read!

Thanks to Atria Books for a gifted ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: Sept 5, 2023
Sept 2023 Must-Read Books

In a new standalone novel, MN favorite William Kent Krueger tells a story of racial tensions, long-simmering resentments, and loss of innocence. THE RIVER WE REMEMBER is quite a page-turner.

Absolutely Incredible. You will be swept up into this story.
William Kent Krueger does it again. I've loved every book I've read that he has written and this is no different.

The story, the writing, the mystery. He has a way of writing hard things in such a beautiful way. The setting is so vivid in my mind, and it felt like I knew the characters by the end of the book.

If you love books like "Where the Crawdads Sing" or "The Great Alone" - you will absolutely love "The River We Remember".

There are some hard themes/subject matter, so check content warnings if you are a sensitive reader.

Thank you to Atria Publishing and to Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! This book has left me speechless.

There are some heavy topics (PTSD, racism, rape), but this book was so gripping and the descriptions of nature and the area made me really feel like I was there.

William Kent Krueger is a go-to author for me after this one and I can’t wait to see what he comes out with next.

*4.5 stars rounded up: William Kent Krueger is a storyteller par excellence! Here he weaves an intricate story around the murder of the richest man and landowner in small-town Jewel, Minnesota in 1958. The victim, Jimmy Quinn, is almost universally disliked so most people won't shed a tear over his demise. But who hated him enough to want to kill him? Public opinion zeroes in on one man, a Native American man named Noah Bluestone who was recently fired by Jimmy--and all the circumstantial evidence points his way.

Sheriff Brody Dern reluctantly arrests Noah and arranges for protection for his Japanese wife, Kyoko. Bad memories from WWII are still too fresh for most of the locals to treat the woman with any kind of warmth or compassion; in fact, her life just might be in danger now that she's been left alone.

The characters of the novel are richly drawn and all too human in their flaws and prejudices and secrets. My favorite character happens to be a fourteen-year-old boy named Scott Madison who never knew this father--he was killed in the war before Scott was born. In this story, Scott is trying to figure out right from wrong as he plunges headlong towards manhood and all of its mysteries. One day he is the brave hero, the obedient son; the next, his best friend has guided him to sneak a peek at a naked lady; and later, his loyalty to that friend might just lead him to disaster.

I highly recommend this book from one of my favorite American novelists. I received an arc from the author and publisher via NetGalley. Many thanks! My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

Wash Me in the Water

It is 1958, southern Minnesota, and the enchanting Alabaster River not only reflects the dreams and memories of Jewel’s people, it also possesses the murdered body of that town’s wealthiest and most hated citizen, Jimmy Quinn. Sheriff Brody Dunn is anxious to see this buried as an accident or suicide, but clues are appearing and point to foul play.

Noah Bluestone, a Native American, had recently been fired by Quinn for allegedly stealing gasoline. He had always stood up to Quinn and there was noticeably no love lost between the two. With an outright hatred of Native Americans prevalent, many were ready to pass judgment on Noah. His wife, Kyoko, a Japanese survivor of Nagasaki, was also a sore spot in these post-WWII years. The couple was the perfect lightning rod for people’s suspicions and hatred.

So, did Noah murder Quinn? Of course, that is the major mystery here. But this is more than a whodunit. The characters here have a lot of secrets… a lot of pain. A number of the men suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder from the wars. Sheriff Dunn is haunted by his experience, and it cripples his self-esteem. He has also been betraying his own brother in what seems an unforgivable behavior. Now he is working on a new relationship with Angie, the proprietor of the town’s diner… but she has been harboring her own secret which seems about to destroy any chance for happiness.

While the question of guilt is front and center, the cry for healing sounds throughout. People here are struggling to help one another, even as they are reeling from their own pain. This is the first I have read of William Kent-Krueger and I must make time to read more of his work. This one was solid both in plot and character, a brilliant read.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. #RiverWeRemember #NetGalley

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.

Maybe I wasn’t in the right mind space for this book, but boy did I find it slow. This is also my first kruger book so I wasn’t sure what to expect: maybe I’ll pick it up again in a few months

I just finished reading The River We Remember, and I'm blown away! I'm predicting this will be in my top ten books of the year! William Kent Krueger's latest book is part mystery, part historical fiction with some Steinbeck and Harper Lee vibes mixed in. I appreciated the references to 50s pop culture. I even added a few books to my reading list from references in the story. I love it when books mention other books!

About the Book:
It's Decoration Day, and the whole town is celebrating, well almost everyone, when Herman Ostberg blasts into the sheriff's office, exclaiming a dead body has been found in the Alabaster River. The murder of Jimmy Quinn rocks the town of Jewel, Minnesota and threatens to break the bonds between this small community.

The River We Remember weaves a tale that captures the essence of small town living, both the beauty and the downfalls. Krueger has crafted an epic story with love, pain, longing, and sadness, both heartwarming and heartbreaking.

Read this if you like:
• Mysteries
• Steinbeck
• Literary fiction
• Small towns

“The River We Remember,” by William Kent Krueger, Atria Books, 432 pages, Sept. 5, 2023.

On Memorial Day in 1958, people in Jewel, Minnesota are preparing for a parade. The people of Black Earth County are mostly farmers, but by what was then called Decoration Day, crops are planted.

In those days, the population of the town was about 4,000. Brody Dern is the sheriff. He is at the jail with a prisoner when Herman Ostberg rushes in and says the body of wealthy landowner Jimmy Quinn was found floating in the Alabaster River. He was fatally shot. Sam Wicklow, publisher of the local newspaper, Black Earth County Clarion, is behind Ostberg.

After viewing the body, Dern sends Ostberg for Deputy Asa Fielding and Dr. Porter, who is also the coroner. Dern then goes to tell Quinn’s family of his death. Marta Quinn is an invalid. She has two teenage children, James Jr. and Colleen, and a younger daughter, Bridget.

Even before Dern has the results of the autopsy, 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. Quinn recently fired Bluestone, who worked on his farm, and his wife, Kyoto, who worked in the house.

When Bluestone is arrested, the court appoints Charlotte Bauer as his defense attorney. She is semi-retired. She doesn’t think that Bluestone is guilty. As the rumors spread, more violence follows.

The reader feels the tension building to an amazing ending. It is a story of racism, of small town life and of families. Krueger paints a vivid image of the characters and the landscape. I like how he details in the epilogue what happens to the characters after the story ends.

William Kent Krueger is the bestselling author of “This Tender Land,” and “Ordinary Grace,” as well as 19 books in the Cork O’Connor mystery series. “The River We Remember” is a stand-alone novel.

In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I have come to appreciate this author's work greatly. He has a long running series which is a police / investigator procedural that seems current time. His independent books like this one seem more a look at historical times and attitudes.

The setting is a rural community of Jewel, Minnesota in Blue Earth county, starting in 1958. As far as I can tell this town doesn't exist. The county is not unlike where I grew up in the next generation and only about 100 miles from my hometown in Iowa.

While it is at least 12 years after the war, the characters here are all dealing with the impact. Everything mentioned seems to be World War 2, although the Korean War was most recent. There are war veterans who saw horrors and are haunted by them. Other veterans have physical effects remaining. There are war widows who are single mothers.

One man, Noah, a Native American who grew up here, and ancestors were pushed off this land years ago, had a distinguished military record. He was a star of the local sports teams. He is the expected culprit when a wealthy landowner, Quinn, is murdered. Quinn was not liked, also a heavy drinker, and he was Noah's employer.

The area is rife with prejudice because Noah is a Native American and has a Japanese wife. Those who are most prejudiced seem to be laborers who are white men who drink too much and have too many guns. The sheriff is the second son and his brother got the education and land, while he went off to war. He was a successful soldier but has horrible memories.

The people in charge, like the sheriff, are flawed. They bend the rules, which doesn't always work. As I read, I had a feeling of heartbreak. There were good, honest, hard-working people who were struggling or being hurt. Some others were entitled and disrespectful of others, expecting things to go their way. I appreciated the people of integrity who supported others showing compassion and kindness. The story is powerful, and sad.

Ok, so if you read This Tender Land you need to know this book is very, very different! While TTL was a coming-of-age tale, this is more of a mystery. What it does deliver on:
- beautiful writing
- details about the land and it’s history
- a sense of a small-town community
- a description of life in America (for some) just after WWII

This book captured me from the beginning, and kept me intrigued throughout. I loved the writing, the characters and the descriptions of the land and community. Personally though, I just didn’t love where it went in the last pages. The ending felt a little forced and I just… wasn’t into it.

I still enjoyed the overall reading experience— it’s just not my new favorite book. I’d highly recommend this if you like this author or if the premise intrigues you. And if you read this, then definitely DM me your thoughts about the end!

The River We Remember is a slow-burn mystery that depicts a 1958 rural small town in Minnesota. At the heart of the storyline is the murder of the most influential and hated man in town. Naturally, plenty of suspects arise, and for me, the least plausible suspect was the first to be charged. Kruegger intentionally leaves the reader in doubt, continually grasping for clues to the murderer and motivation. The novel is graphic in its violence and racism, so it’s worthwhile to read TWs before reading. That said, it also contrasts the difficulties life brings with the fight for good during harsh times. The theme of good versus evil is woven purposefully into the story, and the characters’ battle with the evil inside them is equally notable.

Krueger guides the reader to see the commonalities in each character’s life to their own. He depicts heartbreak and fear in a way that many readers will easily reconciles with their own life.
Admittedly, it takes me longer to read slow-burn novels, so this one took me a hot minute. That said, I didn’t mind the slower pacing, because of the way Krueger built the storyline. Fans of Amor Towles and Barbara Kingsolver need to pick up William Kent Krueger if they haven’t already. Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the advanced digital review copy.

What a wonderful story. I absolutely loved it and I am so glad to have this opportunity to review it. This has all the emotions rolled into one story. Laughter and tears. The characters just came to life. I highly recommend this author and book.

This book packs a punch I didn't know I needed 😂
& is gorgeously tragic.
Every emotion is going on here , I didn't think I would like this book but I LOVED this book.
It takes place in 1958 & I felt myself craving these simpler times & way of life .
Ttr character development is amazing . 👌

Love this book. Read it. You'll love it too .
William Krueger write a beautiful book. ❤️

Thank u #NetGalley

"The tragedy of war is that it uses man's best to do man's worst." (Harry Emerson Fosdick)

The River We Remember will give you great pause.

William Kent Krueger has an uncanny gift for bringing the deep, the dark, and the consistently guarded corners of the soul into the light. He gently raises the questions that live beneath the surface with no definitive answers.....answers that always shift back and forth out of focus. And then, they smack you full-on when least expected.

Krueger sets this one in the prairies of Minnesota in 1958. It's a time midcentury for healing in America, but that healing never seems to take. New wars replace the old. And, sadly, the old are replaced by the young.

Jewel, Minnesota is strictly farmland. It's seen transitions of people from the Dakota War of 1862 to the Civil War and to the World Wars I and II. Its young men have fought, and currently, have their losses, their wounded, and their walking wounded from those World Wars. We'll meet them throughout these families with each carrying their own scars directly and indirectly.

Sheriff Brody Dern, a war hero and veteran, has now taken the oath to keep this small town safe. The crimes always seem to be small time. That is until Jimmy Quinn's body is found floating in the Alabaster River. The catfish got to him before the sheriff. From all indications, the wealthy landowner must have stumbled into the river after a drunken episode. But whiskey and river water don't carry a shotgun. Jimmy bears a blast to the chest.

After hearing that Jimmy and Noah Bluestone had had a serious argument and Noah was fired, Brody arrests Noah. Noah, a twenty year Marine veteran, is a member of the Dakota Sioux tribe. He also owns a plot of land bordering Jimmy's. Both Noah and his Japanese wife, Kyoko, worked for Jimmy. It seems that Jimmy had accused Noah of stealing as well. Noah never discounted the facts and went willingly to jail. Kyoko remained silent. But did Noah really do it?

In a town of 4,000 people, you'll have a mixture of the good, the bad, and the ugly. Krueger is known for seeping those sentiments into his storylines. And, unfortunately, the good do not always rise to fight another day. Prejudices and sheer hatred rear their horrific heads as they've been known to do for centuries. Native Americans know this only too well. Add to this the warping of men's minds from exposure to the attrocities of war. 1958 didn't have a name for it, but it existed and found poisonous veins bleeding into the present.

The River We Remember is an outstanding read. Krueger sees to that. We'll visit that underbelly of human nature here. But we'll also come to know the knee-jerk response of goodness that rests easily on the other side of this equation. People who rush to bring help and bring understanding to the scorched places in this world where it doesn't seem to exist. Hope sometimes travels even with broken wings.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Simon & Schuster and to the talented William Kent Krueger for the opportunity.

Such a treat to read a novel by a tried-and-true author. Expectations were exceeded by thoughtful storylines, compelling characters and interesting settings. Always like a story with a twist at the end. I did not want to let go of the story, wishing for more about what happened to principals. Thanks to #NetGalley and #TheRiverWeRenember for advanced digital copy.

Set in 1950 in a small town in Minnesota, this novel explores issues of race, multigenerational evil and redemption. The protagonist, Brody, is a WWII hero who has returned home to be the local sheriff. He is caught up in a web of deceit in his investigation of the death of a local landowner.
The plot is complex and there are many characters to keep up with. The ending was a bit convoluted, but like any good mystery it kept you guessing to the end.
Each of the characters had secrets that they tried to conceal which were gradually revealed. The book deals with PTSD from war and family abuse and the things people are forced to do to survive. It is a story of forgiveness and redemption.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book.

It is 1958 in the small town of Jewel, Minnesota and the big news is the discovery of the half-clothed body of Jimmy Quinn found floating in the Alabaster river. Quinn was the wealthiest and most powerful landowner in Black Earth County and there are many who do not mourn his loss. But, almost before an investigation gets underway, talk seems to blame Noah Bluestone, a decorated war veteran who has recently returned to the County with his wife. There has been trouble in the past between the Quinns and the Bluestones and Jimmy Quinn just recently fired Noah from his job working on his ranch. The area has not been welcoming to the Indian and especially to his Japanese wife.

But there are also many who know more about Jimmy Quinn than they probably should and know this is not the cut-and-dried crime the County seems to long for. Among those is Sheriff Brody Dern, another highly-decorated war hero, who works to get to the bottom of this murder, even as other crimes are adding up around it.

A good read. The ending is both sad and unsurprising, and I was glad of the Epilogue which tied up the story well.