I received an advance copy of William Kent Krueger’s This Tender Land from Atria Books and NetGalley in return for this honest review. My brief advice is, if you are one of the MANY people who loved this spring’s smash hit from Delia Owens entitled Where The Crawdads Sing, definitely add this one to your list!

Set in the early 1930s in Minnesota, there is a horrific orphanage/Indian School called The Lincoln School which is home to the orphaned O’Bannion brothers Odie and Albert. Odie is a 12-year old whose independent streak makes him a regular target for the abusive adults who rule the place. Along withn their best friend Mose and a tragically orphaned young girl named Emmy, they set off down the Mississippi River in a stolen canoe on a journey reminiscent of Huckleberry Finn,

Their adventures are entertaining, and the reality of the hundreds of Native American children who are at the school ostensibly to be educated (but who are being stripped of their language, culture, and family relationships) is haunting. Along the way they cross paths with other seekers and lost souls, and have some terrifying and heartwarming experiences. It’s a terrific adventure story on its own, and when you add in the orphans’ search for family and home and the history of Native American exploitation, there is an added bonus.

Can be enjoyed on a variety of levels. For me, Crawdads was kind of meh (ending ruined it for me), but I really enjoyed this one. Four stars.