Minnesota Books

This year our baseball team (comprised of 13-16 yr olds) decided end of year trophies would be a little juvenile for the boys. The coach let me know about this book and thought it would be a good idea to give each of the boys one for the end of the season gift. We did and it was very well received! An amazing book for anyone that aspires to do something more with their life!

Well written and very easy to read! I highly reccomend!

This book provides an excellent insight into the life of Lou Holtz and his motivational attitude on life. His dry humor will make you laugh, his thoughts inspiring, and make you think W.I.N. for those tough decisions in life.

Lou listed some great stories.

In fact that is one reason why this is a great book, because Lou is an AWESOME story teller.
Listen to the audio book as you read, Lou narrates this book very well.

Lou has lived an amazing life.
He just got it done, no matter what he does.
Anyone can pick up some great tips about being more successful from this book.

Paul

This is an excellent read! You won't want to put it down and it will make you do some self examination.

An inspiring memoir full of famous personalities from sports and politics. Lou's humble beginnings and deep-rooted faith in family and religion took him to the top of the college football world and into the circles of many of America's most famous leaders. This is quite a guy.

This book should be owned by anyone who has ever done any kind of art or disciplined activity. The effort to take one photograph per day for a season instead of the thoughtless reliance on technology teaches an important lesson, one that we all could benefit from. It shows what slowing down and really looking means. And the layout and design are impressive.

If you haven't seen the DVD (Public TV?) program of this project, you should-great insights into what Brandenburg was after as a photographer-the great and the struggles. WOnderful book and photos!

I'm a verbal type; I'd rather read a beautifully written description of a frozen lake than stare at a picture of it anytime. Even knowing that, my mother gave me this book several years ago, and I fell in love. I sat with it for hours, seeing, dreaming, and I still take it down often to do the same again. The photographer, Jim Brandenburg, set himself the challenge of taking only one photograph each day for three months, in the boreal forest where he makes his home. The result is a portrait of life as many of us can never experience it: not just "calendar shots," but pictures that show the cruelty of man, the certainty of death, the very simple beauty of a single bright leaf burning on the dark, still waters of an evening pond. Some photos are amazing in themselves and some seem ordinary in the extreme, but it is important to take them as a whole, and see what you learn from the journey.

It's a nice conceit. A great outdoor photographer sets for himself the task to taking one, but only one, photograph each and every day for an entire season.

One can see all kinds of implications. Once the photographer finds a subject he must get it right the first time because he isn't allowed a second chance. Exposure, focus, composition - everything must be right and as good as he can get it. Moreover he is continually in peril. Should he pass by a good shot in the morning in expectation of a better shot in the afternoon? And what happens when no better shot is in the camera as sunset approaches? We can easily believe Jim Brandenburg when he says that the exercise was a transforming experience.

But the question for viewers of this book is whether the pictures are a transforming experience for us. Unfortunately, they were not for me.

I understand that some of the pictures were bound to be underexposed or out of focus. Plants blow in the wind; animals move. But while I examined the photographs in this book, I also looked at other work by Brandenburg. These other collections were always quite impressive, providing new ways of looking at the world. Many of the pictures in "Chased by the Light" showed a keen sensibility for the light. The silhouettes of loons and a small island with trees against the backlight of a clouded dawn were breathtaking. The photograph of a raven's feather against a lichen background with a few beaded drops of water on the feather caught my eye.

But for every great photograph, there was one that was pedestrian and one that was discardable. I certainly didn't need to see an out-of-focus mink or trees in the forest with no true subject.

To be fair to Brandenburg, this project was apparently not undertaken for publication but rather as an exercise for his own development. It was his editor who wanted to publish after seeing the photographs. To the editor's eye, at least, the pictures were enlightening and well worth the effort.

The greatest value of this book was not in the photographs but in the speculation in which I engaged about why this book was not outstanding. Is photography a stochastic process with each photograph taken possibly leading to an even greater photograph? Did forcing himself to elect when to take his daily picture cause Brandenburg to sacrifice opportunities, or even limit his willingness to take risks. Does the order of presentation of photographs have synergistic effects, which were lost, because this book almost demanded only chronological order? Does forcing the viewer to look at pictures that would otherwise be discards detract from the impact of good pictures?

For me this book was conceptual art. I found the idea of the task transformed my view of photography. The pictures themselves did not.

I gave this book to my parents several years ago and still leaf slowly through its pages whenever visiting their home in northern Minnesota. For amateurs and professionals alike, his is a fascinating photographic concept: your own property? a favorite park? your family? or pet? a holiday?

I can so identify with Lark, Sally and Beverly because I was the same age they were in the middle/late 1930's. The surroundings and activities they engaged in were so "true to life" in my own life. Sullivan leaves the reader hungry for the next novel, hoping that we will find out that Sally was able to recapture her life and go on to success. She leaves us with the feeling that Lark and Beverly know what they want and will accomplish it.

If you haven't discoverd Faith Sullivan's books, you are missing out on a great read! I first read Cape Ann, then followed it up with The Empress of One and Gardenias. These books and the characters transported me to the 1940's and immersed me in their lives. I loved that Empress of One and Gardenias are parallel stories told from two different points of view - reflective of real-life. Remember when you have read a book that you didn't want to end?....That is a perfect description of these!

I finished "The Cape Ann" by Faith Sullivan and had to begin on "The Empress Of One" right away. I loved both books. This one picks up where The Cape Ann left off, except it focuses more on Sally Wheeler, Lark's best friend. Sally has had a hard childhood, dealing with her mother who is suffering from depression, but at this time nobody understood the disease and thought she was crazy. Lark has moved away to California, so Sally's main friend now is Beverly, who has also had a tough time, but is able to make the best of it. Sally's grandparents on both sides come to stay occasionally and help out, but for the most part she is home alone with her dad. Sally has a knack for acting and loves reading, which helps carry her through alot of turmoil... Sullivan has totally captured the essence of a young girl growing up, learning about boys, puberty, and sex, all without the help of a mother. Sally has gotten involved with a boy that is using her, but feels almost addicted to him. On top of that, her favorite teacher is run out of town after someone tells the school that he is gay. The teacher soon turns up dead and Sally blames herself, all of this combines to make Sally start to act like her mother. Will she go crazy too? I enjoyed this book so much that I will be looking for other novels by Sullivan, and will recommend these two books to others.

After reading & enjoying The Cape Ann, I was pleasantly surprised to find that The Empress of One is another great story. It may be helpful to read The Cape Ann first as you get a better understanding of one of the characters, Lark, and her mother, but it is not essential. It is interesting to read The Empress of One, and glaze over some of the same incidents from The Cape Ann from a different perspective.

Sullivan's writing is wonderful. She has a great ability to take you back to the old days of small town life, when everybody knew everyone and day to day life was more community centered. The Empress of One is the coming of age story of Sally, a little girl who grows up with a mother who is deemed "crazy", but as we know today would be described as clinically depressed. It's both interesting and sad to see how society back in the day, dealt with some heavy issues, such as mental illness, compared to the strides we've made today. Sullivan will have you so familiar with the quaintness of Harvester and it's townfolk, you'll feel like it's your own home town as well. My only complaint is that she did leave a lot of unanswered questions and loose ends. If she ties those up in another novel, there won't be any complaints~

I gave The Empress of One five stars for the superb writing. Author Faith Sullivan has the knack of using the most beautiful prose without being flowery and the talent to use words as if they were musical notes or colours in a painting. Sally Wheeler grows up in the small town of Harvester, Minnesota, the only child of beautiful, but strange, Stella, and a loving father. Today, Stella's strangeness would be immediately recognized as chronic depression and treated a such but,as was done in the 30's and 40's, she was given a hysterectomy and locked up in an institution. Perhaps a hysterectomy was part of the treatment back then...what a horrifying thought! With the help of both her paternal and maternal grandparents, Sally has a fairly normal childhood while battling the stigma of having a "crazy" mother, until she comes under the sexual spell of an emotionally needy teenaged boy who dominates her to try to make her dependant on him. It's a wonderfully written book which will stir memories, good or bad,of anyone who grew up in the 40's or 50's.

A young boy starts a team. It all starts when a dealer sells his mom a bad car and his dad gets mad. The father goes to jail, so the mom works in towm and the son takes care the farm.They start a team on the farm. WANT TO READ MORE???? Read farm team.

Farm Team is a book about fourteen-year old Billy Baggs, who lives in the town of Flint. Billy is a baseball player but can't play on the Town Team because he has to work his family's farm while his Dad is in jail. Billy's mom puts flyers up so people will come to their farm and play baseball once a week.

After a few Fridays of the Farm Team playing, Billy realized that they're not that bad. Billy tells Coach Anderson, who is helping out each Friday, that they could beat his Town Team. Coahc Anderson and the Farm Team agree to have a game to see who is better. Everyone in Flint hears about it and alot come.

This is a quick and good read. I recommend this book to anyone that plays or likes sports. It is a good baseball book. From the baseball diamond to the jail cells, Will Weaver describes the scenes in this book really well. The baseball games in this book are also described well. He uses baseball vocabulary that adds to the description of the book.

Farm Team was a good choice for me to choose. In a case where I do not like to read, this book caught my attention. Will Weaver wrote about a boy, Billy Baggs who never has time to play his favorite sport, baseball because he works on his farm so much. Billy loves baseball and wants to play it during the summer. He has so much work on his farm he has no time so his mother tells him to make a field on the farm. Billy is asked to play on his school team, but when his father gets him in trouble with the police he has little time to play at school. When Billy's father destroys a car lot Billy has to take over the farm for the summer because Abner got arrested for what he did. Abner destroyed the car lot because Randy Meyer's had sold Billy's mother a cheap car. It was rusted all over and the paint was chipping. Billy has little time to play so every Friday night he has baseball games on the field he made.
This book was very entertaining to me. I haven't really found a book this good and that I have enjoyed and actually read. This book shows sacrifices people have to make to support their family. Farm Team kept my attention through the whole book. The most exciting scene I read about was when Abner destroyed the car lot. I could picture everything that was going on and the expressions on Randy Meyer's face. He was the car dealer that ripped of Billy's family. I could fully understand this book and what the author was representing. This especially was a sports book which interests me even more. I can somewhat relate to stories about sports. Farm Team is a book I would recommend to anyone. It would be a great book to read to someone interested in sports and ways to help out others. The best part of the book is it's about a farm boy. It's a weird story but enjoyable for anybody.

This was one of my favorite books that I have ever read. This book talks about a farm boy that wants s to play summer baseball, but he has to much work to do at home. During the winter his dad Abner bought a new car that he got from up town. He did not know that the bottom has been repainted and now it starting to fall apart. They have a big bulldozer and Abner likes to take things in his own hands, so he and Billy went to take the old cat up town so that he can ruin the cars and the office where he bought the car. The cars were all smashed and they started on fire. Abner then started to bulldozer down the office that is when the police showed up. They could not stop Abner from ruining the car lot.Once Abner thought that he was done he quite and put the big cat back on to the trailer. Billy at the time was on top of the truck. It was time for the planting. That is why Abner got really mad when they made him go to jail. Billy is only fourteen and he had to bring the truck back home. Once he got home he had to get the milking done. Billy is a pitch on the baseball team. He never had time to practice or to play, but he loved the sport. His coach said that he would help him out if he could just play baseball. Billy told him that there will always be a next year. Billy had to do the all the milking and feed all of the cows twice a day. He also has to do all the ground work and the planting. Billy's mom does not think that this is a very good ideal that Billy is going to run the farm this summer. She does not like it because she thinks that it will take his whole summer away from all of his friends. Billy this is all that he has ever wanted was to run the farm all by him. Then once he gets into summer he starts to miss his baseball. His mom and he build a baseball field out in the west pastor. They have baseball games every Friday night after the all the work is done.

I have really enjoyed this book because I am a farmer. I also now what he is going through. A couple of years ago I had the choice to go and play baseball or to help out with the farm. I liked the book a lot and I would have done the same thing if I was Billy.

The people that I think would like to read this book are people that are farm kids because I think that some of the terms that it uses in the book people would not understand what he is talking about when he does the milking and the feeding.

We never know what the consequences of are actions will be it all depends on what direction you take with your life. Billy found this to be true when him and his dad committed a crime. Since Billy is still a minor he does not go to jail but has to take care of the family farm until his dad gets out.

Billy bags family is pretty normal his dad is a farmer and his mom works at a doctors office but wile his dad is in jail Billy is responsible for the farm work as baseball season goes on his mom comes up with an idea to start having baseball come to the farm .

Through the bags family tragedy it reminds him of his older brother when he starts playing or when he is pitching he always feels present

Sometimes you learn new things about people and it is not always bad although something's he doesn't what his want his dad to find out a few things until a few years later.

If you like farm life and baseball this would be a good book for you to read because it involves both. It tells the story that if you wanted to do fun things than you have to do what needs to be done before you can do fun things.

Don't buy this book, or support this author. He is immoral and speaks of illegal acts.

I read Brian's Hunt and "Dogsong" after my son told me things that he read really bothered him. There was alot of gore that even I never saw in an R rated film. I will not ever read another one of his books. If you are a teacher read the one star reviews from kids. Even they know this author mental. I went before my schoolboard to have this book removed from the classroom.

I asked my son's 6th grade teacher for a copy of this book and a the next one the class was reading
"Dogsong". I ended up going before the schoolboard to have "Dogsong" removed from the class assginment.

Dogsong is about a 14yo boy who drops out of school and assists in a suicide. The book contains misleading timelines. It takes place in the 1980's. There is reference to
poligamy,
suicide,
assisted suicide,
9+ cats of animal abuse,
cannabolism,
self mutilation,
mercy killings(a mother sits with a strangulation string to kill her starving children),
a young teenage girl tries to kill herself becuase she is unwed and pregnant. She gives birth to a stillborn child "from the folds of her skin". She births with "her body writhing forwards and backwards" and delivers right in front of this 14yo boy. He takes the baby out into the snow and leaves it there for the animals to eat. He doesn't even try to wrap it or bury it. Both kids meet no consiquences for killing the baby, let alone all the other illegal acts.
There is also a reference about cannabolism;"Old mother can we eat you until the deer come bacK?.The dear came back that day and we did not have to eat our old dear mother."
The two kids head north as far as they can go. The book ends before they reach their destination. This isn't even a good versus evil book. I can't belive it was even allowed to be rated as young adult fiction.

No child should read this book! There isn't a director in Hollywood that would put these images into a film. My son and several other children in his 6th grade class are reading alternate reading material.

As parents we monitor what they see on tv, internet, and in video games. I never thought I would have to monitor what my child read in school. This book really bothers me weeks after I read it and went before the board. Reviews say it is enviromental and about survival. The boy has a father. He left his father to live with an older man. He drops out of school. He things there is a lack of game because of the snowmobiles. He wants to help bring the old ways back to the inuit people, but instead of trying to change his people he decides to run with a dog sled as far north as he can possibly travel.

I wonder how the Inuit People feel about this book.

I liked this book because it was fun and easy to read. It also was easy to visualize the parts of the book when and how they happen. It is packed full of detail. It is a little sad in the beginning, but gets a little bit better as you progress through the story.
The Foxman is about a 15-year-old boy who was taken away from his parents because one night they got so drunk that they tried to kill their own son with a butcher's knife. So the boy went to go live up north with his aunt, uncle, and cousins. They are farmers in the northern wilderness. At first he didn't like it there but once the winter stories came he'd grown to like it more than his old home. That's when he met the foxman, an old man who had fought in the wars. He was named the foxman for his skills of catching fox.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes surprise endings and needs to picture what is going on to actually understand the book.

I recommend this book to anyone who is 8 and up because it is not a hard book. The book is not long. The book is very interesting. It talks about the way you should look at other people. '''Yeah I see what you mean.' He was right; it did make them seem less pretty to think of them that way-not ugly just less pretty." The narrator is talking to Carl about the mistake he made when he saw the Foxman and why he should not do what he did. I learned that you should not look at someone as being ugly but just as being less pretty. "'And he died.' I sat for awhile and cried, holding his hand, and I wished I could have been and done more, the way you do, and then I moved away from him, because he was gone, and I put the guitar next to him and emptied the kerosene lamp around the floor of the cabin and dropped a match in the puddle.'' I learned that the narrator stayed by the Foxman's side he did not leave. He felt really close to him. If you are really close to someone you should stay by his or her side like the narrator did the Fox man when he died.

The Foxman is a wonderful book. It has adventure and a bit of love. It is a happy and sad story. The Foxman is a good book.
It is about a kid that his parents had a drinking problem. Then he needed to go to his uncle's farm, Harold. One day he and his cousin Carl got lost in the woods hunting a fox. The main character finds a shack. In the shack there was a man called the Foxman. The Foxman was old, from his nose to the mouth he had a lot of scars. The main character became friends with him and they had a good time.

Imagine that you are an only child and you live with to alcoholic parents. Then one day your mom tries to kill u with a knife you hide under the table the next-door neighbor hers you yelling they call nine one one. Then you have to go move in with your Aunt, uncle and cousins in Canada. All this happens in the book fox man by Gary Paulsen.
Gary Paulsen, the author and Carl his cousin went out hunting one day. It was twenty to fifty below zero they saw a fox and followed it till they noticed that a big gray cloud was coming overhead. They decided to wait out the storm because they were fifteen miles away from the farm. They were just about to make camp when they saw a little shack with smoke coming out of the chimney. They decided to ask for shelter for the night.
An older man opened the door he had a molted face they both looked away he went in a got a mask to put over his face. Then he said come in out of the storm. They both went in to the nice cozy shack. He said they could stay for the night. They took their boots and jackets of and then he asked them if they were hungry and they sad yes and he gave them some aged Moose and water. But they keep thinking of his face and didn't want to ask him what happened because they didn't want to be rude. He told them that he wouldn't be there in the morning so they could just leave. Morning came. Gary and Carl got their boots and jacket. There was a note on the table and it read had to go check the traps, fox man. A minute after they left they looked back and saw the fox man come out from behind the woodpile and went into the shack. They thought because he didn't want him to see his face
When they got back to the farm they got in trouble for being out but they were also happy to see them. About a two weeks later Gary decided to go back to the shack he was curios to see what happened to his face.
Read Fox man to find out.

This has to be the most definitive and complete compilation of the facts of the Congdon murders at Glensheen. The authors are to be congratulated on a magnificent volume of work. Truly a Magnum Opus. This book is the ultimate of what the true crime genre should be. A big comprehensive read that mesmerizes and keeps one turning the pages. If the story of Marjorie Congdon won't put the fear of God in you concerning the psychopaths among us, then all else will fail. Your true crime collection will never be complete without this one!

Considering that I used to live in the Twin Ports--I lived in Superior, Wisconsin, but the news was mostly from Duluth, Minnesota and surrounding area--this book about the Glensheen murders and events following it was something I just had to read. When a friend of mine asked me what I wanted when I was in the nursing home recently recovering from an accident, I told her I wanted to get "Will to Murder", so she brought it to me as a gift! I had heard Gail Feichtinger discussing the book with one of the reporters on WCCO-TV out of the Twin Cities earlier this summer, so I just knew I had to read this narrative of one of the most famous murders of the northern Midwest.

Although I still wondered about some of the evidence that was found at Glensheen, the discussion of the DNA testing in recent years could have been a sure thing for the prosecution to win the case compared to the faulty evidence that was used in court the first time. It's quite obvious to see how new methods of testing evidence, especially the method of finding DNA on most anything, has turned many cases around. Even if Roger Caldwell didn't do the crime, there were a lot of events that certainly pointed to him. The most glaring scene right after the murders was when all the missing jewelry somehow showed up in Marge Caldwell's possession. How could she have lied so blatantly about her mother's jewelry? I often wondered, as I continued reading this book, how one person could continue to dish up the lies, find more ways to spend money which she didn't have. It just sounded like a spoiled child that never grew up!

Since I'm not much of a crime story reader, I sure kept glued to this book since it was about a murder that actually happened right across the Lake (Superior) from us. The history of the family just made it that much more interesting, and the author(s) gave details on the psychological basis for Marge's behavior, too, so that added to the interest of this narrative. Of course, coming from the mindset of a reporter (Feichtinger), one should expect this kind of detail. The appendices gives more detail for the reader--actual photos of the Congdon family, Marge Caldwell Hagen, the Glensheen Mansion, items from the murders of the two women and much more; history of the Congdon family; and other additional information. For anyone that wants to delve into this famous murder of the '70s and more about the ongoing antics of this Marge Caldwell Hagen, this book is well worth reading.

My husband bought this book for me since I loved touring Glensheen and also I'm a big fan of true crime books. This book was the perfect combination. Loved all the nitty gritty details of everyone's life - really made it enjoyable - Like you're there.

I have followed the story for over 30 years now.
I do not see Marjorie as "greedy", as a normal person would be greedy. She gave more to others and to her children, friends, and family than she did to herself. I think she had a "spending" problem, I see her as probably a bit spoiled by a person who knew nothing about discipling children, and she certainly was raised in a lifestyle that most of us never had, but did she kill her mother? NO, I don't believe she had anything to do with it. Upon Elisabeth's death, there had to be over 100 people that would have benefited.
Her husband never once implicated her as an accomplice, even though he certainly could and had a right to, especially after she dumped him while he was in prison. Even after she was acquitted of the crime in her own trial, her husband certainly could have pointed the finger at her at that time, as she could not have been tried again for the same time. Yet, he did not. In fact, he said to his dying day that he didn't kill them either.
I am just wondering why the so-called "third party" was never gone after, and why the case was closed?
I think all of Marjorie's problem were a sign of this anger and rage she had inside of her over this money, that she could never seem to get her hands on. Her mother set the precident by giving her money as she needed it, but after the Trustees got control of it, she had to grovel and was humiliated by it. I would have been mad too, if someone was always trying to keep my money from me. What business is it of theirs if I wanted to spend it all in one day! However, there are proper and improper ways of channeling anger of course.
A very good read in my opinion, but way too many holes in the story to be able to know who really did what.
Much was based on hearsay.

If this book were fiction, I might dump it for being completely unbelievable. Most people would think, "No one could possibly do all that." Unfortunately for Miss Elizabeth and her nurse, it was not fiction.

I had been told it was boring--and horrible to read. I got it from the library and soon realized I couldn't put it down. I bought my own copy (online!) and couldn't wait to finish it. I have since loaned it to friends across the country (many are on the waiting list).

If a reader doesn't like non-fiction where the authors really include their deep-down feelings, then he or she might not like this. If someone just wants to read what seems like an inconceivable story, this should be perfect.

This was purchased as a gift for my parents that have just set up a bird feeder in their yard & are interested in naming and learning more in-depth information about the species that visit. They reproted that the guide was easy to use and informative. Plus, they are now planning to carry this along on their daily walks as it was compact enough to travel easily.

This little book is a very good value for the money. It doesn't contain all the birds of Minnesota but it contains most. I think the color pictures of both male and female of each species are excellent!

I can't understand a bird book that has only "the top birds." Don't we consult a bird book to identify unfamiliar ones? Well, if most birds are unfamiliar to you, this may be your book. But if you already know the basic birds, this book will be a disappointment. It has good photos, though. After I bought this book, and figured out it is for beginners (not made clear), I returned it and got Birds of MN and WI by Janssen, Tessen, and Kennedy. It's much better. (It has all the birds.)

Organized nicely, with quick references to birds that have overall colors. Basic description of the birds and what to look for to identify male and female birds.

I just moved to a townhouse that has a plethera of birds feeding off bush berries and feeders. Am enjoying starting to watch them. I know next to nothing about birds...only could ID the Robin, Cardinal and Blue Jay. There are many others that I didn't have a clue about. I like the fact that you can look up the birds by color. Easy to find and ID via this method. Also gets you curious about the other birds you are passing by....have been reading up on all of them. Great book for a beginner like myself.

Can't wait until September when his new book comes out. His books get better and better, being from MN and having traveled up the north shore to Thunder Bay it was so exciting to read about things we had seen. You won't regret reading any of his books

Full disclosure here; Krueger and I often travel together, we're friends and I'm a great admirer of his writing. I'm talking about the award winning Cork O'Connor series, of which this is the sixth. So, readers of this review should be forewarned.

This is a dynamite novel, although not as powerful, perhaps as the previous Mercy Falls. In this latest, the author has reconnected Cork to his family and his roots, that is, Aurora Minnesota, somewhere up in the Boundary Waters of Northern Minnesota. He's trying to leave law enforcement to others, organizing a small-town business as a restraunteer in the summer with a little private snooping on the side and in the slow months.

Of course, old friends present new challenges. Henry Meloux, long-time friend, resident Ojibwe medicine man of uncertain age is hospitalized with what appears to be serious heart trouble. Near death, Meloux prevails on Cork to try to find Meloux's son, whom no one in Aurora or on the Reservation had known existed.

So what we have here is a moving and sensitive tale of youthful love, lust and loss in which Krueger ably examines racial, class and generational conflicts. He does so within the fabric of a swiftly paced, rousing adventure that spans international boundaries and several decades. The novel is competently written and the themes of a man searching for another's offspring play out effectively against his own family relationships.

In his retirement from the sheriff's department, Cork O'Connor runs a lakeside snack shack and enjoys a quiet life in Aurora, Minnesota. But he can't sell enough fries to send his older daughter Jenny to college next fall, and he's obtained his private investigators license to supplement the family bank account. Jenny's intense romance with Sean concerns both Cork and his wife Jo, and it turns out they have reason to be worried.

But Cork hasn't the luxury to deal with Jenny's tragedy head on, because of the trouble that comes to him. Henry Meloux, an ancient Ojibwe medicine man whom Cork has known and revered for 40 years, enters the hospital with chest pain. When Cork rushes to see him, Henry has a request: find the son no one knew he had, a son who Henry has never even met, a son whose name he doesn't even know. All Cork has to go on is the mother's name, Henry's suspicion that the son is somewhere near Ontario, Canada, and a gold pocket watch with the woman's picture.

Thus begins a quest that takes us deeply into Henry's story --- the story of a young Ojibwe orphan, conscripted into an American Indian school, forbidden to speak his own language and forced into labor on a farm; the story of how this young man escapes and learns from his uncle to live off the land; and the story of how he meets Maria Lima deep in the Canadian wilderness, an impetuous and intelligent Cuban beauty traveling with her father, one of two gold prospectors, for whom Henry serves as a guide. Violence and greed separate Henry and Maria, but not before they fall deeply in love.

Now, 70 years later, Henry must bear the news that Maria married the other prospector, Leonard Wellington. Yet she named her first son, who was born only two months after their marriage, Henry. When Cork finds the grown-up Henry, a Howard Hughes-style recluse on an island up in Thunder Bay, his hopes for organizing a reunion between father and son fade. The man is a fanatic. He's not interested in entertaining the notion that his father was an "Indian buck." But back home in Minnesota, Henry's heart problems vanish now that he knows his son is alive and needs him. He insists that Cork take him to Canada, and Cork, because he owes so much to Henry, cannot say no.

It's an exciting and gripping story, and as a bonus, the characterization and writing transcend the usual standards of genre fiction. Krueger conveys much through his use of vivid detail. Here's his description of Henry Wellington's bodyguard: "I saw that he was hard all over, well muscled, with a broad chest, narrow waist, thick arms, and a neck like a section of concrete pillar. He wore sunglasses and didn't remove them. I saw myself small, approaching in their reflection." To add to the menace, when they arrive in Wellington's chamber, the television is showing an open heart surgery. "The bloody hands on the television gripped the heart, and I was afraid maybe they were going to pull it out of the body. The screen went black. I didn't mind."

And yet, the novel is about more than greed, betrayal and suspense. It's about relationships --- between father and son, and between father and daughter. And it is here that Krueger shines. When Henry finally sees his son, Cork notes the old man's uncertainty. "To be a son, to be a father, these things were more than just a blood tie. Maybe that's what the hesitation was about. Did the relationship matter if, in the end, Wellington didn't give a damn?"

The story of Cork and his own family's crisis makes a nice counterpoint to the mystery of Henry Meloux, and Krueger juggles them well. For a "thriller" THUNDER BAY has uncommonly profound, mature and moving things to say about love. You will burn through this book, relishing the twists and turns. But perhaps, if you're like this jaded reviewer, the biggest surprise will be your leaky eyes on the final page.

--- Reviewed by Eileen Zimmerman Nicol

One of the things that catches my attention and makes me want to come back to an author, again and again, is likeable characters. Krueger has not only written an engrossing mystery, he has captured my attention with Cork O'Conner, former police officer, sheriff, and now a private PI. When Cork's friend, Henry Meloux, shows him a watch containing the picture of a woman and tells him of a son he has never seen, Cork agrees to help find him. His search leads him to an Island where he encounters a recluse, much like Howard Hughes in his later years, and a guard who tries to kill him. Krueger weaves a story where a host of interesting characters keep the plot moving. This book is one you don't want to miss.

Joe Prentis
prentisatpickwick.blogspot.com

I've read Krueger's previous 7 novels, featuring Cork O' Connor, and have enjoyed every one of them. Thus, I was deeply disappointed with "Thunder Bay". In comparison to the previous books, "Thunder Bay" came across as formulaic and flat. Yes, it was nice to know a little more about the background of Henry Meloux, the Ojibwe medicine man and Cork's spiritual adviser, but even that portrayal seemed one dimensional. I know it must be difficult for an author to maintain the same intensity from novel to novel and not have a lapse every so often. Hopefully, "Thunder Bay" is just a blip for Krueger, and he can return with a more robust, more richly textured novel that meets the standard he set earlier.

As the book begins, which is the 3rd in the Lake Emily series, Virginia, Mae, and Trudy are at this museum when Virginia feeling quite unwell, has a stroke. She is immediately taken to the nearest hospital, and Mae is devastated. Mae is also expecting the birth yet again, of her second child. With the stress of Virginia, she starts having premature contractions. After being in the hospital for a day or so, she is better, but Virginia will have a long frustrating recovery ahead of her.

Virginia will have to learn to gain her strength back all over again and regain her speech as well. She sits in despair every day in the nursing home and is growing very bitter. Things turn around though when Ed Cleworth, Mae's former boss comes calling. Ed lost his wife Willa years before and is lonely. This is a turning point for Virginia, and she begins to snap out of her depression better and starts to recover.

David, Peter's dad and Virginia's son comes to town when Virginia first has her stroke, but then does not stay around when he is most needed. As a symphony orchestra conductor, music has been his whole life above and beyond everyone else. And when he up and leaves yet again, Peter is killing mad. So he and his dad have another falling out after this happens. They may never make amends either.

Jessie, Virginia's little friend, is very upset when Virginia has her stroke and they don't see each other for a long time after. The worst thing too is that Steve, her dad has began drinking again and this is doubly hard for the young girl. When Steve meets and falls for Virginia's therapist, Anna, Jessie sees her as a sort of new mom and has hopes that her dad will marry.

Trudy, Mae's sister marries Bert Biddle in this sequel, and Bert's parents would like for Bert to buy the family property with the farm and everything so that Bert can be close to his work there. Bert's long lost twin brother Fred shows up though after not even keeping in contact for a couple years, and expects the property for his own and his new Russian wife, Sletvana. Things are very tense when he and his wife move in until they can find a place. And Lillian, difficult as she always is, automatically despises her new daughter-in-law. Trudy and Sletvana strike up an instant friendship, and Mae becomes very jealous as this has caused a division in their special sisterly relationship since they've always been really close.

Peter is worried about the farm going under as well since the weather conditions have turned against it. And with milk prices going the way they are too, things are even worse. He tries to get some other help with the bank loan so they can hopefully wait for things to turn around.

I enjoyed this book thoroughly and would like to see yet another installment written, but am not sure if there will be. Depree is an excellent writer.

Rich characters with depth and emotion fill the pages of this tender and well crafted novel. You will be able to see the rural Minnesota you might never have visited through DePree's eyes.
Her characters are full of surprises and her story has its own rhythm and depth. Virginia Morgan is someone you will learn to care for and respect; she is a woman of sacrifices and good intentions who is torn by the devastating and frustrating results of her stroke. She will have to learn to walk again and to speak again and she will win the battle again and again making life changing choices as she goes along and falling in love once again after her beloved husband's death.
A touching story with heartfelt and deeply human characters. You will love it if you love a deep and moving read.

I kept waiting for this book to get better. After all, a lot of people gave it great reviews here on Amazon. But, it never got better.

This is a very dull book. I think it was meant for the Christian market, not that Christian markets are supposed to be dull. But this one is.

I understand that it is supposed to portray feelings in every day life, but the main character (Virginia) spends a lot of time feeling sorry for herself instead of counting her blessings or trying to rise above her misfortune. I could not feel sorry for her since she was doing such a good job of feeling sorry for herself.

The characters are whiners. Okay, the father should try to balance his life between being a conductor of a big symphony and his family, but give the guy a break. He needs to find balance between the two, not to just automatically give up his lifelong desired career and then be made to feel hugely guilty about it because he wants to be an artist.

If I were Virginia and the rest of the Whiner Family, I would be more giving of myself to others' needs, not be as self centered as the characters in this book appear to be. I would want happiness for others, true, unselfish happiness for THEM. That sometimes means letting your family go, not insisting that they be constantly at your side and giving up any semblence of a real life of their own.

At least this book could have been interesting to make up for the shallowness of the characters. But, after about the first four pages, it couldn't even be that.

UGH. What a waste of my time and money.

I can get lost in the books she writes! -thank you Traci!

One of the best terms for Traci's books is "comforting." Written with a readable style, her rural setting and familiar characters offer readers an oasis from the stress of everyday life. You may also want to read Can of Peas by Traci and, if you care for short Christian fiction, I would recommend Cool Water for the Thirsting Soul by Kenny Paul Clarkson.

Another Corcoran O'Connor book that I enjoyed. Same good character development and relationships between characters. There was a stronger element of looking at faith in this book, an interesting change.

More than the other books I've read by this fine author, "Blood Hollow" is deep, nuanced and bold. The author takes the death of a girl in the Boundary Waters country of Minnesota and weaves a compelling story of intrigue and suspense. The characters are well-drawn and the plot moves steadily forward without resorting to plot devices that strain credulity. Krueger treats the intermingling cultures of the Ojibwe and the western inhabitants of the area with skill and respect, and in this book, he handily employs the religions of the two groups. Religion plays an important role in this book. With this book I believe that Krueger places himself among the best mystery writers of the day, and I eagerly look forward to reading more of his Cork O'Connor books.

William Kent Krueger won me over with this Cork O'Connor mystery. The narrative style is deceptively calm, almost peaceful, until the reader suddenly finds herself embroiled in the conflicts of Aurora, Minnesota, and it becomes imperative that she, along with Cork, find out who is committing murder. I did figure out the killer earlier than I wanted to, but I enjoyed the story so much this wasn't a deal breaker for me.

Highly Recommended.

I've read Blood Hollow twice and enjoyed it just as much the second time around. You can always count on Krueger giving you a book that is multi-layered, you'll experience the settings and the weather, come to love Cork O'Connor and his family, and be mystified while trying to figure out who the real bad guy is--something that I couldn't though I'm usually able to when reading a mystery. I also love the Native American mysticism that is woven into each of the Cork O'Conner novels. Blood Hollow will keep you reading.

Marilyn Meredith

Krueger is a wonderful writer. The first two chapters paint a vivid, intense picture, and really got me excited about my first reading of this author. And the writing holds up throughout. I can't say the same of the mystery, and certainly not of the suspense. The mystery is captivating when it gets started, and maybe it is enough to carry the book, but if so, the story needed more suspense to make me care more. Like another reviewer here, I was left dissatisfied by the resolution.

I think you will interpret the overt spirituality in the novel in light of your personal thoughts--I didn't care for it, mainly because its importance to the story is negligible, and I felt too much like it was an author offering his views. I suspect some readers will enjoy that aspect more than I did.

In the end I'm giving the novel four stars, mostly because he is a strong writer. I don't see this novel being an award winner, but I think the writer is certainly capable of writing award winning novels. I will read another of his novels soon, hoping to find a better mystery.