Ordinary Grace is historical fiction at its finest. Author William Kent Krueger artfully weaves a coming of age story set against the backdrop of one eventful and tragic summer in small town America in 1961. And Rich Orlow is the perfect voice of a man looking back on that summer and describing its influence on his life.

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Let’s begin with an Ordinary Grace summary.

The book opens with 13-year-old Frank Drum’s father being summoned at night to pick up a family friend from jail. The dad’s position as the local Methodist minister makes him the go-to guy to sort out all kinds of issues, big and small, so the Drum household is often one of the first to hear of local trouble and tragedies.

Frank’s summer has started out poorly, marred by the death of a boy Frank and his younger brother, Jake, knew. Death is no stranger to the boys – their father regularly presides over funerals where their mother and sister, Ariel, perform with the choir – but the death of a boy around their age hits a little too close to home.

Unfortunately, the boy’s death is the first of many that summer. While Frank and his brother should have been enjoying summer days filled with drinking root beer, reading comic books, and hanging out at the forbidden train trestle by the creek, they instead attend funerals and witness events that make them grow up a little too fast.

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And then tragedy comes knocking on the Drum’s door and the family and their faith are tested. While Frank and Jake try to make sense of things, their grief-stricken mother turns away from God and her husband, the former for letting this happen and the latter for turning to God for comfort. Throughout everything, the minister’s faith in the enduring grace of God remains steady and true.

Upon reviewing my summary of Ordinary Grace, I realized that it sounds like a very heavy book and, indeed, it deals with some very serious topics – murder, death, racism, and other forms of prejudice, to name a few. But surprisingly, I never felt like the story was a downer, maybe because the writing is so good. The author gives his readers some mysteries to focus on solving as well as some funny musings typical of a 13-year-old boy, both of which make the story lighter.

On that topic, the character development in Ordinary Grace is excellent. Frank is an ornery but good kid and it’s interesting to hear the story told, with the benefit of hindsight, by his 53-year-old self. Jake is a rule follower who is wise beyond his years and serves as the angel sitting on Frank’s shoulder. One of my favorite characters is the father, a devout and generous man who treats his ministry seriously and as a true calling.

In fact, the book is unabashedly spiritual, and God is a consistent thread throughout the story. Pastor Drum gives a powerful sermon at one of the funerals that reaffirms his faith despite reeling from grief, and there’s even a minor miracle towards the end of the novel.

Having grown up in a fairly small town, I also enjoyed the setting of Ordinary Grace. It was easy to imagine the hot summer days, bonfire parties at night, and neighbors drinking cold sodas at the local drug store. And setting the story in 1961 gives it a good “Stand by Me” vibe.

As you can probably tell, I really enjoyed listening to Ordinary Grace. The story and narration are superb (while I’m using TV and film analogies, it was kind of like listening to the narrator of the original “Wonder Years”). I think anyone who likes historical fiction, coming of age stories, or just well told tales will appreciate Ordinary Grace.

If you’ve read Ordinary Grace, I’d love to hear your opinion. I’m also looking for historical fiction book recommendations. Please share!

This is the second book I’ve read by William Kent Krueger and I’m becoming a fan. Check out my review of This Tender Land for more historical fiction goodness from this writer.