Ordinary Grace

1. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• Compare Ordinary Grace to other novels by William Kent Krueger, like the Cork O’Connor books. Discuss how it is similar or different from his other work. If you’ve never read Krueger before, what other writers would you compare him to?
• Was there any facet of the book that you connected to strongly? Explore those emotional connections. Were there any parts of the novel that you found inauthentic or that you felt distanced from? 

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• Reflect on the novel’s exploration of faith. How does it intersect with your own perspective on faith? Did the novel affect or change your thoughts on faith?
• Consider the concept of “ordinary grace” in the context of your own experience. How does ordinary grace manifest in your everyday life?
• The novel takes place in a small Midwestern town and is concerned with the idea of community. Discuss the book’s treatment of community through its portrayal of New Bremen. How does it resonate with your experience with and thoughts on community?
• Discuss the role of women in the novel. How did the female characters resonate with you? 

3. Societal and Cultural Context

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

• Analyze the book’s treatment of disability. Which aspects of it are based in the time and place in which it is set, and which remain true today? 
• Discuss the novel’s portrayal of the intersection of white and Indigenous communities in 1960s rural Minnesota. How have things changed, and how have they remained the same?

4. Literary Analysis

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

• In Ordinary Grace, Krueger explores the lives of adults from the perspective of a child. How does his use of Frank as the narrator affect both the plot and thematic meaning of the novel?
• How does this novel adhere to the conventions of the mystery genre? In what ways does it subvert or push back against those conventions?
• Discuss Frank’s arc, or journey, over the course of the novel. What challenges does he face, and how does he change throughout the story?
• How does the shadow of World War II hang over the work? What function does this serve?
• Analyze Krueger’s use of the river and the train trestle over it throughout the novel, including both symbolic meaning and narrative function.

5. Creative Engagement 

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

• If you were filming an adaptation of this work, whom would you cast in the lead roles? Whom would you want to direct?
• The 1961 timeline ends with Chapter 39, with the Epilogue moving into the 2001 timeline. Instead, write a Chapter 40 that continues the 1961 timeline—what would happen next?

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