Question 1

What is The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger about?

Accepted Answer

The River We Remember is a historical murder mystery set in Jewel, Minnesota on Memorial Day 1958. The novel follows Sheriff Brody Dern as he investigates the shotgun murder of Jimmy Quinn, a wealthy and despised landowner found floating in the Alabaster River. The prime suspect becomes Noah Bluestone, a Dakota Native American WWII veteran married to a Japanese woman, exposing the town's deep-seated racism and the lingering trauma of war that haunts multiple characters.

Question 2

Who is William Kent Krueger?

Accepted Answer

William Kent Krueger is a New York Times bestselling author known for his Cork O'Connor mystery series set in northern Minnesota. Born November 16, 1950, and raised in Oregon's Cascade Mountains, he won the 2014 Edgar Award for his standalone novel Ordinary Grace. Krueger has received multiple prestigious awards including the Anthony Award, Barry Award, and Minnesota Book Award. His last thirteen novels were all New York Times bestsellers, and he lives in St. Paul, Minnesota with his wife of over fifty years.

Question 3

Who should read The River We Remember?

Accepted Answer

The River We Remember is ideal for readers who enjoy historical mysteries, literary crime fiction, and character-driven narratives exploring social justice themes. Fans of William Kent Krueger's previous standalone novels like Ordinary Grace and This Tender Land will appreciate the layered storytelling and moral complexity. The novel appeals to those interested in post-WWII America, Indigenous representation, and stories examining racism, trauma, and small-town secrets through a murder investigation framework.

Question 4

Is The River We Remember worth reading?

Accepted Answer

The River We Remember received critical acclaim and was featured on many best-of-2023 lists, earning an Edgar Award nomination for Best Novel. Critics praise Krueger's masterful storytelling and well-drawn characters who are "neither wholly good nor wholly evil". The novel offers a spellbinding mystery while delivering an unflinching examination of war's lasting wounds, racial prejudice, and healing through community. Readers seeking both engaging plot and meaningful social commentary will find significant value in this literary crime novel.

Question 5

What are the main themes in The River We Remember?

Accepted Answer

The River We Remember explores racism against Native Americans and Japanese people in 1950s Minnesota, showing how wartime prejudices persisted after WWII. The novel examines war trauma through multiple veterans struggling with physical and psychological wounds, including Sheriff Brody Dern's POW experience. Other prominent themes include land ownership and Indigenous dispossession, the burden of secrets, and finding purpose despite life's mysteries. The Alabaster River itself symbolizes memory, perspective, and how each person's understanding of truth differs based on their experience.

Question 6

What happens to Noah Bluestone in The River We Remember?

Accepted Answer

Noah Bluestone, a Dakota veteran fired by Jimmy Quinn before the murder, becomes the primary suspect when his wife Kyoko's history as Quinn's sexual assault victim emerges. The town's anti-Indigenous and anti-Japanese prejudice quickly turns against the couple, with latent racism unleashed as Noah sits stoically in jail refusing to discuss the murder. Meanwhile, Kyoko manages their farm alone while enduring bitter prejudice and confronting her own WWII demons. The investigation reveals Noah's complex relationship with Quinn involved land theft from Bluestone's ancestors.

Question 7

How does The River We Remember address WWII trauma?

Accepted Answer

The River We Remember portrays war's lasting damage through multiple veterans including Sheriff Brody Dern, a former Japanese POW, and Noah Bluestone, both haunted by their experiences. Jimmy Quinn, the murder victim, had "hidden demons like every other soldier who survived," suggesting his bullying stemmed from unprocessed trauma. Sheriff Dern observes that "there were many ways of being wounded," acknowledging psychological scars alongside physical ones. The novel shows how 1958 America failed to support veterans' mental health, creating cascading consequences for individuals and communities.

Question 8

What is the significance of the Alabaster River in the book?

Accepted Answer

The Alabaster River serves as both the murder scene and a symbolic space where characters seek solace, beauty, and memory throughout The River We Remember. Krueger states in his epilogue that "the river we each of us remembers is different," representing how perspective shapes truth and memory. The river's haunting presence triggers different memories and meanings for each character, embodying the novel's exploration of subjective experience and collective history. It becomes a metaphor for life's purpose and flow, with characters contemplating their role in a larger, unknowable design.

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