This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger

From August 11, 2021

"Everything's hard work, Buck. You don't wrap your thinking around that, life'll kill you for sure. Me, I love this land, the work. Never was a churchgoer. God all penned up under a roof? I don't think so. Ask me, God's right here. In the dirt, the rain, the sky, the trees, the apples, the stars in the cottonwoods. In you and me, too. It's all connected and it's all God. Sure this is hard work, but it's good work because it's a part of what connects us to this land, Buck. This beautiful, tender land."

               -One-eyed Jack aka pig-scarer, from the novel

It seems I may have a new favorite author! This is only the second novel I have read from this author (Ordinary Grace) and I've loved them both! Apparently, he has written many novels; I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to discover him. I may start working my way through the list!

Odie O'Banion is a storyteller, and we find this out in the Prologue. At last, the Epilogue tells us he is in his 80's as he recalls events starting when he was only 8 years old. The first setting of the novel is the Lincoln Indian Training School in Fremont County, Minnesota, 1932. Orphans Odie and his older brother Albert are residents of the school, almost all of whom are Native Americans. The school is run by Thelma and Clyde Brickman, aided by their evil henchman DiMarco. Think Mrs. Hannigan, from "Annie," on steroids---that would be Thelma Brickman! The children called her the "Black Witch." I was appalled at the cruelty meted out as punishment and especially angered to read that the philosophy of Indian schools at the time was "Kill the Indian, Save the Man," meaning do not allow any of their native cultures to be shown---clothing, language, names, etc. I have recently sent a donation to an institution called St. Joseph's Indian School. This makes me reluctant to lend any more support to such a place.

Eventually, after a frightening event, the two boys decide to run away, along with their best friend, Mose, and a sad little girl who has recently lost her mother. They take a canoe and start out on the Gilead River, hoping to make it to the Mississippi and St. Louis, where Odie and Albert have an Aunt Julia. Perhaps she will offer them a stable home.

Odie narrates as the four, calling themselves The Vagabonds, undertake an adventure-filled, often perilous journey, being stalked relentlessly by the Brickmans. One might compare the story to Huckleberry Finn, The Odyssey (Odie's given name is actually Odysseus) or, at times, The Grapes of Wrath. On their journey, they meet fascinating characters---the quoted One-eyed Jack, an Indian called Forrest, a charismatic itinerant faith healer, farmers who have lost their land and are living in tent cities called Hoovervilles. Some are helpful and compassionate, others are abusive.

This Tender Land is absolutely a page-turner! An exciting plot, short chapters and frequent foreshadowing help to make it so. Plus, I found myself emotionally involved with the 4 kids, perhaps because of my teaching background. The writing is beautiful, often lyrical, sometimes profound. I found the novel captivating. My rating: 5+ Highly recommend!

---------------------------------

Updated October 27, 2022

This Tender Land was the October selection for Page Turners. We met lakeside which was appropriate since much of the story took place in the outdoors. Another draw was a delicious covered dish brunch. Fourteen members gathered plus 5 guest husbands. Who doesn't like a potluck meal, right?

The average rating for the book was 4.0 with no votes below 3 so the book was enjoyed to some extent by everyone. Some interesting comments came from former English teachers who labeled the book picareseque. Definition: relating to an episodic style of fiction dealing with the adventures of a rough and dishonest but appealing hero. That was a new literary term for me. I can mostly agree the definition fits the novel, but I didn't really see the protagonist Odie as rough and dishonest although he did steal a few things they really needed. I did see him as very appealing.

One former middle school teacher said she read the book as if she was a 12-year-old boy and thoroughly enjoyed it. Another male member said it made him recall events of his youth. Everyone agreed the writer is skilled and his descriptions are vivid.