The River We Remember
by
William Kent Krueger

If you’re looking for a literary mystery, I highly recommend The River We Remember. This is the second book I’ve read by William Kent Krueger. Ordinary Grace is another five-star book (read my review here) and Krueger is quickly becoming one of my new favorite authors.

Like Ordinary Grace and Krueger’s Cork O’Connor series, The River We Remember takes place in Minnesota. Set in Black Earth County, this story begins on Memorial Day in 1958 when Jimmy Quinn, the largest landowner in the county, turns up dead in the Alabaster River. We soon meet Sheriff Brody Dern, his deputy, Asa Fielding, and Connie Graff, the previous sheriff who now serves as deputy when needed. Brody and his team have many questions: Was it murder, an accident, or was it suicide? How did Jimmy end up in the river? Was he dead before he went in the water?

Krueger sets up the mystery in classic style. And then he does something fantastic. I was quickly absorbed in the widely-varied community of characters and the long history of the land. As Brody investigates, we discover the deeply layered relationships between the characters as well as the demons and secrets that plague them. Men of all generations have experienced war and have had to shift gears and pretend their time overseas is neatly behind them. They bring with them a tangled mess of prejudices born from impossible wartime circumstances.

Early in the book, Jimmy Quinn’s wife, Marta comments that “war does something vile and irreparable to the human spirit, leaves thick scars on the soul,“ a statement that echoes the feelings of many.

I first noticed the smaller, typical human and family conflicts and weaknesses, but as I read, I saw the bigger picture of a Minnesota community of Americans, Native Americans, as well as Scandinavian, German, and Japanese immigrants. Although they have integrated, many are prejudiced against the generations of Sioux population who have watched the Quinn family cultivate and profit from land that was once their own. In addition, others have returned from war with hatred for Germans and Japanese.

I love when nature and spirituality are major themes in stories and here the Alabaster River, which shines silvery-white at night, figures prominently. Many scenes take place along the river, including an area called Inkpaduta Bend where we hear the plaintive cries of lives lost in violent conflict.

As for the mystery, Krueger reveals a series of events and complicated motives that made me think hard about his characters. I highly recommend The River We Remember not just for mystery readers, but for anyone who likes historical stories with complex relationships.

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