Ordinary Grace

Written by:
William Kent Krueger
Narrated by:
Rich Orlow

Unabridged Audiobook

Ratings
Book
459
Narrator
138
Release Date
March 2013
Duration
11 hours 2 minutes
Summary
From 'New York Times 'bestselling author William Kent Krueger comes a brilliant new novel about a young man, a small town, and murder in the summer of 1961. New Bremen, Minnesota, 1961. The Twins were playing their debut season, ice-cold root beers were at the ready at Halderson's Drug Store soda counter, and 'Hot Stuff 'comic books were a mainstay on every barbershop magazine rack. It was a time of innocence and hope for a country with a new, young president. But for thirteen-year-old Frank Drum it was a summer in which death assumed many forms. When tragedy unexpectedly comes to call on his family, which includes his Methodist minister father, his passionate, artistic mother, Juilliard-bound older sister, and wise-beyond-his years kid brother, Frank finds himself thrust into an adult world full of secrets, lies, adultery, and betrayal. On the surface, 'Ordinary Grace' is the story of the murder of a beautiful young woman, a beloved daughter and sister. At heart, it's the story of what that tragedy does to a boy, his family, and ultimately the fabric of the small town in which he lives. Told from Frank's perspective forty years after that fateful summer, it is a moving account of a boy standing at the door of his young manhood, trying to understand a world that seems to be falling apart around him. It is an unforgettable novel about discovering the terrible price of wisdom and the enduring grace of God.
Reviews
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Patricia C.

I enjoyed this book. It was suspenseful until the end. There are not many books told from the viewpoint of a 12 year old boy. In spite of that fact it kept me interested. The narrator did an amazing job taking on the many characters in the book. He was excellent.

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J Mahoney

Loved this book. I read it along side of my teenage son. It truly makes you think about life and how fragile it is and the presence of a higher being.

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Jackie Scherry

Easy listening, enjoyed the book. It was a book that was easy to listen to, narrator was easy to listen to, very relaxing, good book to listen to before bed.

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Amber L.

An easy listening book that does not require you to spend 100% of your time concentrating, although it throws in a little bit of a mystery as you have to decipher who done it as the story concludes. Written in the voice of the oldest son, it flows and ebbs easily and resonates about choices we must make in the crossroads of life.

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Stacy D.

Lovely read and great narration

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Walking O.

I absolutely adore this narrator! His ability to do different voices and to stay in the correct character was spot on. I only noticed him mess up one time, where he started a character in the wrong voice, but quickly corrected himself in the next sentence or two. His "Warren Red Foot" voice was exactly what you would expect to hear for an American Indian. He was easy to follow, and easy to listen to. I will gladly listen to any other books that he narrates. ***SLIGHT SPOILER*** The story of Ordinary Grace hits close to home for me. I feel like this author must have experienced the loss of a sibling in his youth in order to hit all the emotions properly, because as he was going along in the story, I kept hearing myself think, "Yes! That's exactly how I felt after my brother died." My brother wasn't murdered, but the loss is still the same. My mother drifted away a little (not as much as this mother) in her grief. It was up to people from the outside, NOT the parents, to make sure the surviving children were taken care of. There is one MAIN character, but several secondary characters that are almost main characters. One is a Methodist pastor (the father) who actually gives sermons in the book. Gus, who's takes care of the kids when the parents can't. Jake, the kid brother. And a couple others. All the characters in the book are well rounded, and seem real. The description is sometimes over the top - " pillowy blue eyes", one part where he just kept having characters say, "Tell me" & "What man?" for over a minute. There IS some rough language, so be prepared if you have sensitive ears. I love stories like this, that are just about Life, and how we have to work our way through the difficult times. How things aren't always peachy. How Life is a drama in itself. This is a good story that could easily be a true story. It's very well written, and I would love to read anything like this one that this author writes.

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Ruthless621

What a wonderful, sweet, melancholy tale that weaves the reader through a myriad of emotions and indeed, through grace.

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Patty I

Such a wonderful listen. Narrator was so believable. Great listen!

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Deb G

A great story that captures family struggles and heartbreak, and how our experiences can taint our viewpoints. The story was easy to listen to and had some twists to keep it interesting.

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Patrick M.

This is my second book by William Krueger and I loved them both. I would definitely recommend this author and this title.

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Vera L

This book was awesome from the beginning.

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Colleen R.

So good.

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Shirley B.

I loved this book! Goes deep into life events some of which most will never experience. The Narrator was right for this story!!

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KayHT

Great book, pleasantly surprised.

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Judy P.

This was an excellent book! The plot and everything about it was just right for me. It has everything a story needs. Mystery, murder, family dysfunction and a whole lot of people involved!! I highly recommend this audio book and the narrator was also excellent

Great book. Absolute must read!

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Keri H

You can’t get a better book when you match author William Krueger with Narrator David Channdler.

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Sharon H.

started slow but turned out to be just ok

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Shannon P.

It had a slow start, but picked up towards the middle and I enjoyed the story.

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Ronda J.

It was such an excellent read! Love the story and the narrator! It hate derp in my heart!

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John B.

Great book. Brought back memories of childhood.

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Lynn B.

Fantastic book, great summer read. Narrator was exceptional as well.

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Etienne M.

Excellent book. They were very interesting characters. It was certainly one of the best I have listened to/read in a long time. The narrator was also excellent.

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Anonymous

very well narrated. Kept me captive as I listened daily.

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Dianekaele

Nicely written. Ending summed up a little too quickly. Had forgotten who some of the people were by then.

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Dcedrone

Loved this book. Very relatable..,Couldn’t stop listening to. The narration was perfect.I felt like I knew everyone!!

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Kathie H.

This book reels you in from the very beginning. The story is told through the eyes of a boisterous and sometimes rebellious 13-year-old, but the themes are universal…what is normal, God, love, death, redemption? I didn’t want this book to end.

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Mary C.

This was an excellent book. It was a very thought provoking book and the characters were easy to fall in love with.

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Carrie K.

Well-developed and believable characters. A human story with a mystery woven in (as opposed to the opposite). It really made me ponder things in my own life. Highly recommend.

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Heather D.

Fantastic narrator. Great story! Interesting characters and details in a simpler time. Surprise ending. What more can you ask for?

Loved the book even though it was somewhat predictable—a good portrayal of how people deal with tragedy. The author did a wonderful job with family dynamics showing that love and understanding help heal all wounds.

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Daniel W.

Well done mystery that subtly includes powerful life lessons.

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Anonymous

Good listen. I’ll read more of his stuff.

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Claire M.

I loved this book. The pacing was great and I loved the relationship between the brothers as they navigated through their challenges.The character of the father was also so well written . He was a rock of stability but not afraid to show vulnerability. A great story with some final twists and turns. Kept me interested to the last page.

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Anonymous

Was a little slow at times but overall a good read. I really appreciated the message especially during these difficult days. 2020

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Jimmyd.

Very interesting story and quality narration. Enjoyed it much.

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Tracy B.

Enjoyed this story and how it was told from perspective of an adolescent. Narration made it even better!

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Anonymous

Very good story. Narrator’s voice fit perfectly.

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Jessica

I think narrator's can make or break a book, I've stopped listening to good books bc how bad the narration was. I've listened to hundreds of books and hands down Rich Orlow is the best. I'd prob listen to him read the Bible straight through, he's everything you want when listening. This was a great story too.

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Marilyn V.

I really enjoyed this story. As it happens, I was 13 in 1961, so could relate to a lot of the details surrounding the characters. Types of meals, clothing etc. I felt the narrator did a wonderful job keeping all the characters sounding different from one another. And suspenseful until close to the end when it became clear to me who “ did it”.

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Tracy Arbogast

This was a an excellent listen. Rich Orlow did a fantastic job of helping us feel like we were actually there. This was s fabulous story and I'd highly recommend it.

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Anonymous

This book was worth listening too and the narrator did a good job also.

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Tonya D.

Totally enjoyed this story

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J R.

Very enjoyable & easy to listen to. A few good life lessons along with the story, great narration as a bonus.

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Carol M.

Interesting story with positive message despite the heartbreaking events depicted within.

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Jenni M.

This started off slow but picked up once the mystery began. It’s a coming of age story with a mystery thrown in. If you like slower paced family focused stories this is a good one for that.

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Elianalizz

Great book

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Susan Rollenhagen

Got this as a free VIP book and at first thought it was not going to be very good, but as it went along it got better and better!

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Laurie M.

This is a story that stays with you. The depth and realness of the characters with all their human greatness and flaws spoke to me. Krueger's ability to tell a story full of tragedy and yet hope at the same time was reminiscent of Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath". It is a story of the endurability of the human spirit. The narration was also superb. This author is now on my radar as a "must read."

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Norman K.

Excellently written. The narrator was superlative.

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Anonymous

Very good , the kind of book that reminds you of your childhood. It draws you into the characters lives

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Melisa G.

This has been my favorite book so far! Great story and wonderful life lessons. I loved this book!

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Debi Herman

I loved the narrator, I think he did a great job in covering all the various characters voices. The book was reminiscent of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, however I found the ending to be fairly predictable and flat. For some reason, I was disappointed in it. That being sad, It served me well as a great way to pass 15 hours of driving time and kept me awake and engaged.

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