Ordinary Grace

Synopsis

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
WINNER OF THE 2014 EDGAR AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL
WINNER OF THE 2014 DILYS AWARD
A SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL BEST BOOK OF 2013

From New York Times bestselling author William Kent Krueger, a brilliant new novel about a young man, a small town, and murder in the summer of 1961.

"That was it. That was all of it. A grace so ordinary there was no reason at all to remember it. Yet I have never across the forty years since it was spoken forgotten a single word."

New Bremen, Minnesota, 1961. The Twins were playing their debut season, ice-cold root beers were selling out at the soda counter of Halderson's Drugstore, 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 grim summer in which death visited frequently and assumed many forms. Accident. Nature. Suicide. Murder.

Frank begins the season preoccupied with the concerns of any teenage boy, but when tragedy unexpectedly strikes his family-which includes his Methodist minister father; his passionate, artistic mother; Juilliard-bound older sister; and wise-beyond-his-years kid brother-he finds himself thrust into an adult world full of secrets, lies, adultery, and betrayal, suddenly called upon to demonstrate a maturity and gumption beyond his years.

Told from Frank's perspective forty years after that fateful summer, Ordinary Grace is a brilliantly 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.

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Summary

Chapter 1: Homecoming

* Summary: Introduces the protagonist, Frank McCourt, and his return to his childhood streets in Limerick, Ireland, after 30 years. He reflects on the poverty and hardship he endured growing up and his initial struggles to adjust to life in the United States.
* Real Example: "I walked up the lane, past Cleary's house, where I was born, and into the street. And there they were, my old enemies: the garbage cans, overflowing with cabbage stalks, potato peelings, tin cans, the smell of sour milk and urine lingering in the damp air."

Chapter 2: The House

* Summary: Frank visits his old childhood home and is confronted by memories of his abusive father and his mother's struggle to raise her children. He grapples with the conflicting emotions of love and resentment for his parents.
* Real Example: "I could hear my mother's voice calling me, soft and gentle, the way it used to be when I was a child. And I could see my father's fist, the way it used to land on my face, hard and unforgiving."

Chapter 3: The School

* Summary: Frank revisits the Christian Brothers School, where he was subjected to harsh discipline and humiliation. He confronts Brother Walfrid, the abusive teacher who tormented him, and confronts his own anger and resentment.
* Real Example: "I could feel the shame of the past, the fear of that classroom, the humiliation of being beaten in front of the class. I could see my little boy self, standing there helpless, with his pants down around his ankles."

Chapter 4: The Pub

* Summary: Frank visits Johnny Hayes, his childhood friend, at a local pub. They reminisce about their shared experiences and the hardships they faced growing up. Frank realizes the importance of friendship and community in overcoming adversity.
* Real Example: "We talked for hours, about the old days, about our childhood, about the people we knew who were dead and gone. We laughed and cried, and it was like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders."

Chapter 5: The River

* Summary: Frank visits the River Shannon, a symbol of both his childhood memories and the passage of time. He reflects on the resilience and grace of his mother and finds solace in the beauty of nature.
* Real Example: "I stood there for a long time, just looking at the river, and I could feel my mother's presence with me. She had been gone for over 20 years, but I could still feel her love and strength."

Chapter 6: The Bridge

* Summary: Frank crosses the bridge that connects Ireland to Limerick. He realizes that he has come to terms with his past and found a sense of peace and closure. He leaves Ireland with a renewed appreciation for his roots and the strength of the human spirit.
* Real Example: "I walked across the bridge, and I looked back at Limerick. It was a small city, but it was my city. I had been born there, and I had grown up there. And I would always carry a part of it with me, wherever I went."