This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger

The Lincoln school is primarily an Indian school.  The children there have been separated from their parents.  The rational is that they can learn the ways of white people and fit in better.  In truth they become slaves to the school principal and any sign of Indian ways is beat out of them.  There are two white boys there, too.  They are orphans.  This story is about them.

Atria Books sent me an ARC of this book to read for review (thank you).  It will be published September 3rd.

Odie, the youngest white boy annoys the lady who runs the school, so he spends a lot of time in the quiet room (more like solitary).  Mrs Frost is talking about hiring the boys to work on her farm and they would live with her.  Hope shines out of their eyes until a tornado goes through and kills her.  Her little daughter comes to the orphanage and the lady that runs the school (nicknamed The Black Witch) decides to raise her as her own.

When the sadistic teacher who likes to use a strap on the boys backs takes Odie out by the quarry he knows he intends to kill him.  He tries to run and falls off the edge but he lands on a ledge not too far down.  The teacher comes to look and Odie grabs the strap hanging down and pulls.  The teacher falls...

He tells his brother and they decide to run.  They know where a boat is.  They sneak the little girl out and away and Mose, a big strong Indian joins them.  They head out to their aunt in St. Louis.  They have many adventures along the way.

The tale of their journey on the water is fascinating.  They meet good and bad people.  They have the Black Witch after them.  They are lucky to get away and lucky to stay alive.

You'll never look at a river the same way anymore.  If you've traveled it before, you'll find the tale comforting and frightful both.  Give it a try.

Windigo Island by William Kent Krueger

Cork O'Connor is searching for a missing Indian girl for a friend.  She's been gone for a year and he doesn't think he'll find her alive.  After all, her girlfriend showed up dead on an island in Lake Superior .  But he'll look.

Atria Books and Net Galley gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you).  It will publish August 19th.

This is a mix of Native American culture, myths, prostitution, death, and despair.  The road to the answers is long and narrow and full of road blocks.  The girl's own mother won't tell all she knows.  Every clue he gets seem to turn into a dead end.  The Indians don't want to talk.  They hide their shame and even think they deserve it in some cases.

While Cork works on this case, he has his own problems to work out.  He wasn't able to save his wife from death that followed his work.  He wasn't there to stop the bullets that hit his son.  He's afraid he won't be able to find or help this girl.  And, if he does find the perpetrator, he's not sure he can control his desire to kill him.

There an Indian legend that says we all have two wolves:  One is fear and hate and the other is love.  The one that is prominent in you is the one you feed the most.  Cork is almost eaten up by the bad wolf before this story is over.

This is an intricate interesting case.  There's an old shaman that calms the women down and get answers no one else can.  There's Indian rituals for cleansing and healing.  There's prostitution at a young age and women who's lives have been destroyed by the experience.  It's a disease that's hard to purge, but you can cut off the branch you find and stop it for a while.  That also allows you to help the ones that want to be saved and helped.

Cork and his family are strong.  They do what they have to do and then have to live with the consequences.  So goes life.

I'm waiting to see what Cork's next case will be like.  I like hanging out with with him and his family.

Northwest Angle by William Kent Krueger

Cork takes his family on vacation with him, hoping to heal the family core after the death of his wife.  He wasn't expecting hurricane force winds to race through the islands and threaten them!

Simon & Schuster will be publishing this book at the end of the month in both hardcover and ebook form.  They sent me a galley for review(thank you).  

I'd hadn't read Mr. Krueger's work before.  His writing style is precise and intense and he does an excellent job with both male and female characters.  His dialogue between the characters is authentic.  He truly understands male and female emotions and motives.

His main character is an ex-cop who swore off guns.  But when Cork and his daughter end up on an unoccupied island after their boat is destroyed in the gale and an armed man comes after them, he's ready to pick one up again.

Jenny is the first to find the cabin.  She also finds a dead Indian girl in it.  And she hears a baby crying.  She rescues the baby, but the baby's cries carry in the quiet and the man hunting them can use the noise as a guide.  It doesn't help their case when the cabin and the dead girl are burned to get rid of the evidence.

The author has created an interesting setting for the crime.  Imagine several small islands dotting the lake.  They are mostly unoccupied.  Some have historical significance to the Indians.  There is a small population, no real police presence, and it appears there is some smuggling going on.  But that's not all...

Everyone knows everyone else; they all have secrets.  And they will do what it takes to shut Cork and his family up.  Just like Cork will do what it takes to keep his family safe.

Be careful about what you find in the woods; it might be looking for you...

This was a very interesting read and I enjoyed meeting Cork and his family and learning a bit more about Indian culture.  I'll be watching for the next story about this interesting character.  He's well worth a read.

Happy reading.