This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger

 

This Tender Land

by William Kent Krueger

This Tender Land is a beautiful story of running, searching, and longing set in 1930s Missouri. Twelve-year-old Odie O'Bannion lives at an Indian training school with his brother Albert, his good friend Mose, and a host of Indian children sent there or forced to be there for various reasons. Odie and Albert are orphans, very different from one another, but always looking out for one another, until a series of terrible events occurs forcing them to run away from the school with Mose in tow. Along with them is a young girl named Emmy whose mother has been killed in a tornado, and who was destined to live with the school's headmistress, an evil, greedy, selfish woman who rules the place with an iron fist along with her coward husband.

On their way south along the river, the four kids meet various people, some nice, some not-so-nice, who either bring them together or pull them apart. On their journey they each learn what they want most out of life and the characters in the book help them to find it. Odie, a musician and great story teller tries to keep them altogether, but finds that his path leads away from them for a time, where he ultimately learns who he really is and where his home is.

The prose is excellent. Odie is a fun and adventurous narrator who has many faults, yet has a heart of gold. The prose was so good that I had tears in my eyes several times during the last 40 or so pages. The characters are fully developed and easy to love. Their protective natures for one another were endearing. The plot and pacing were extremely interesting and well done, with not a moment when I wasn't interested in the story. Krueger kept me wanting to flip the pages and be in the world with these four kids. The setting was vivid and an air of sadness was palpable in this Depression-era story. I could find no fault with any of it.

This Tender Land is a 5 star book. I can't wait to read more form William Kent Krueger.