About the Author
William Kent Krueger is a celebrated author who lives and works in the Twin Cities. He is the award-winning author of the Cork O’Connor novels, a mystery series set in the north woods of Minnesota whose protagonist, Cork, is the former sheriff of Tamarack County and a man of mixed heritage – part Irish and part Ojibwe. His work has received numerous awards and accolades, including the Minnesota Book Award, the Loft-McKnight Fiction Award, the Anthony Award, the Barry Award, the Dilys Award, and the Friends of American Writers Prize. His last nine novels were all New York Times bestsellers. Lightning Strike, the prequel to the Cork O’Connor series, published in August 2021.
Krueger is also the author of the New York Times bestseller Ordinary Grace, a standalone novel published in 2013 that follows a young teenage boy during the summer of 1961 whose world is upended when tragedy unexpectedly strikes his family and he suddenly finds himself thrust into an adult world full of secrets, lies, adultery, and betrayal. It is a brilliantly moving novel about a boy on the precipice of adulthood and has received numerous awards, including the Edgar Award for Best Novel, and was named a School Library Journal Best Book of 2013, among other accolades.
This Tender Land, published in September 2019, is the companion novel to Ordinary Grace and was an instant New York Times bestseller. Set in Minnesota in 1932, the story follows four orphans on a life-changing odyssey during the Great Depression. Over the course of one fateful summer, these orphans embark on an unforgettable journey and cross paths with others who are adrift, from struggling farmers and traveling faith healers to displaced families and lost souls of all kinds.
An in-demand speaker, Krueger frequently visits libraries, schools, universities, and more to speak about his life as a writer and how his stories resonate across diverse communities. He currently lives and writes in Minnesota with his family.
Raves and Reviews
Praise for The River We Remember:
“[Krueger] is a fine storyteller, but it is his understanding of his characters and his sense of the past that make The River We Remember more than just a story. As novels go, this one is a work of art.”
—The Denver Post
“The River We Remember may be [Krueger’s] magnum opus…deeply moving…intimate and epic in equal measure.”
—Star Tribune (Minneapolis)
“William Kent Krueger’s page-turning, rewarding mystery The River We Remember is a superb exploration of the prejudices and complexities of post-World War II America.”
—Bookpage (starred review)
“Absorbing. . . combines nostalgic settings with depictions of the lingering hardships and traumas of war and the home front . . . in the decade after WWII.”
—Booklist (starred review)
“Tender, evocative.”
—Shelf Awareness
“Krueger’s graceful prose coupled with his ability to delve deep into his characters’ inner lives makes The River We Remember a stand-out in a career of excellent novels…[The novel] ebbs and flows to a stunning ending that also is life affirming. This is a story not easily forgotten.”
—Sun Sentinel
“Irresistible…Book clubs, here’s your next pick. Find The River We Remember, take it home and shut the door.”
—Macro Eagle
“Historical fiction that resonates with our time makes for a great reading experience—especially when it’s done in the literary style of rich, careful language; realistic evocation of place; and deep exploration into character. William Kent Krueger has delivered just this combination in his latest standalone novel, The River We Remember.”
—New York Journal of Books
In the Media
“Bedside table: For this Mainer, ‘The River We Remember’ is a book to remember”
March 3, 2024
“Characters and a sense of the past make “The River We Remember” more than just a story”
September 15, 2023
“Review: William Kent Krueger’s ‘The River We Remember’ takes us back to 1958 Minnesota”
August 28, 2023
“Review: ‘Fox Creek,’ by William Kent Krueger”
August 19, 2022
“William Kent Krueger is BFF With His Most Famous Character”
September 8, 2022
20 New Books to Read In September
September 2, 2019
