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God’s Country, the 22nd novel by William Kent Krueger featuring Corcoran “Cork” O’Connor, arrived in my “smart” phone Tuesday morning, and I dove right in. This is a review of the first three and half chapters, which left me in tears and smiling.
The book begins with a family reunion that includes a trip to the cemetery, and so in that first half-hour of the audiobook we are reintroduced to all of the most important people in Cork O’Connor’s life, including lost loved ones. It is a brilliant way to bring the reader/listener back into a beloved world we have visited 21 times before — but it’s also a brilliant way to introduce that world to a reader/listener who decides to start with the 22nd book.
Best of all, when I got home from my morning errands, the second half of Chapter 4 was about to (re)introduce us to Henry Meloux, the ancient Ojibwe who I would argue is the real hero of the O’Connor books and at the very least their spiritual center. I always love it when the story brings us to Crow Point.
As a wannabe professional author, I found these chapters as good as any master class. As a reader, I am hooked and eager to keep following the story. (And as a reader/listener, I would be remiss in not acknowledging the work of narrator David Chandler, who brings these characters fully to life time and again.)
If you are already a fan of Krueger and Cork O’Connor, let me alert you to the arrival of a new book. If you’re unfamiliar, let me heartily recommend you check out this series, which begins with Iron Lake — or you could test my theory and start with God’s Country. I very much believe either option will get you hooked.
