This Tender Land

by William Kent Krueger
Category: "Fiction - General"
Pages:450
Year of Publication:2019
Date Added:01/05/2021
Date Read:04/03/2023
Notes:Brothers Odie and Albert are the only white boys at a school for Indians, which is run by a sadistic woman and her wimpy husband. When a caretaker tries to kill Odie, the boy unintentionally kills him. The brothers run away, accompanied by their friend Mose (an Indian lad without a tongue) and Emmy (the young daughter of a recently-killed teacher at the school). The four make their way toward St. Louis where Odie and Albert's aunt lives. Along the way they run into Jake, who forces them to work on his farm until they can get away, Eve, a faith healer in a tent show, and various others. Each of the kids grow and learn things about themselves and each other. In St. Paul, they split up, and Odie goes on alone. In St. Louis, he finds out that his aunt is really his mother and also that she runs a whorehouse. The sadistic woman from the school shows up and threatens Odie. His mother pushes her out a window. The other three kids show up and all ends happily, more or less.
My Rating: 6

Reviews for This Tender Land

Review - This Tender Land

The writing was good, and the story was compelling. It would have gotten a better rating if the author's woke nonsense hadn't kept creeping through. All white men were evil, all Indians were good, all women, except the sadistic schoolmaster, were angels. The God of the Bible is a tornado who picks off people one by one. The real "god" is hope, forgiveness, and something about a river. There was more of this kind of stuff woven all through the story.

Reviewed by Roger on 2023-04-04 05:22:00

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