The River We Remember

1. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• What was your initial impression of the protagonist, Brody Dern? Did your understanding of him change over the course of the novel? What was your emotional response to the character, and did that change at all as the story continued?
• Krueger entered the mystery genre in 1998 with the Cork O’Connor series. With The River We Remember, Krueger introduces a new Minnesota town and a new protagonist. How does this novel compare to the Cork O’Connor series?

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

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

• Krueger’s characters keep secrets, even from those they love. Discuss the role that secrets play in our lives. Are the characters justified in their secret-keeping? Are there times when keeping a secret is the moral choice?
• How did you react to Brody’s experience of the war and the way it still resonates throughout his life? How might things be different for Brody, post-war, in the present time?
• In the novel, Krueger probes the idea of what makes a community. How does the community of Jewel reflect or diverge from your own experience of community?
• Consider Krueger’s depiction of societal ideas of masculinity.