The River We Remember, William Kent Krueger, author; CJ Wilson, narrator
When the novel begins, a body is discovered that has seemingly been eaten by catfish, after falling into the Alabaster River. This river is a sight to behold at certain times when it magically turns a brilliant white in the moonlight. As the victim’s death is analyzed, the cause is not what it at first appears to be. So, why does the sheriff clean the scene of the crime of any evidence to indicate who killed the man or why he was killed?
As the story proceeds, the reader is introduced to many characters, some that do not fit the mold of some of the townspeople. There is a Japanese woman resented because of her country’s part in the past war. There is the Native American, Noah Bluestone. who married Kyoko. He is maligned unfairly as a lawless man. There are veterans of different wars who are suffering from PTSD, there are widows of the war’s victims. There are young teenage boys influenced by their own lives and issues which make them stand apart. There are poignant legends of the Native American. There are men and women with monstrous secrets in their past history of abuse, neglect, brothels and murder. There are men who are amoral and there are drunks. There is Charlie, a compassionate, female lawyer at a time when there were few in the profession. There is the abuse of the weaker sex and the young. Who are vulnerable. Then, there is the richest man in town, whose body had just been discovered, brutally mutilated by the fish. His poor reputation, as that of an arrogant man and cruel taskmaster, preceded his still unexpected demise. Though it was thought that many harbored animosities toward him, because of his behavior toward them, one suspect stood out among the rest, because of a stereotypical and hypocritical mindset, prejudice, jealousy and perhaps greed.
This is not a town used to violence, so Jimmy Quinn’s death, though it may not be mourned as it would have been if he had been a kind man, it is still viewed with fear and doubt. Who would have done such a thing? Even if there were many people with motives, not many were capable of murder.
The book has drama, romance, mystery, humanity, compassion, and evil. It is also a coming-of-age novel for certain characters and it is a distinct illustration of morality and the lack of it, courage and cowardice. It is a picture of human frailty and human strength at their best and worst.
It is an examination of the horrors of war, the quest for survival at all costs, the flaws of society, the damaged human beings that need help, the bullies and the saints. Is everyone a bit of both?
The sheriff, Brody Dern, who seems like an honorable man has secrets. The woman, Angie, who runs the Wagon Wheel Café has secrets. The sister-in-law of the sheriff, Garnet, has secrets. The dead man has many secrets. Many of the townspeople suffer from nightmares because of their pasts.
As the secrets and characters are revealed, the story evolves seamlessly, even with its twists and turns. The very nature of humanity is explored, and the very flawed nature of humanity is revealed, along with its goodness. The tragedy of war is exposed. Not only the river remembers its history, each of the characters carries the burden of theirs and must deal with it.
The novel plays out in Jewel, in Black Earth County, Minnesota, with ordinary people who have the ordinary problems of life and then some. Their memories haunt them. Their dreams sometimes become nightmares. Like the Alabaster River that appears white only at certain times, they often appear differently at different times. However, the true character of people will come out, eventually. Nothing can remain hidden forever. What shapes us, our history, will eventually be revealed. We all experience both the harm and benefits of our past, but we all stay true to ourselves, in the end.