The River We Remember

The River We Remember is a 2023 novel by American author William Kent Krueger. Like most of Krueger’s other novels, such as the Cork O’Connor mystery series, it takes place in his adopted home state of Minnesota. Krueger has a particular interest in Indigenous history and is known for works that delve into the relationships between white and Indigenous cultures in and around Minnesota. The Cork O’Connor series, the first novel of which is Iron Lake (1998), is set in northern Minnesota and features a detective protagonist who is of Anishinaabe and white origin, along with many other Indigenous characters. This Tender Land (2019) is Krueger’s homage to Huck Finn and sheds light on the brutality of the Indigenous boarding school system. The River We Remember, which is set in the decades following World War II, examines the fallout from a murder investigation in the fictional town of Jewel, Minnesota. Krueger explores the psychological impact of war, bigotry and prejudice, masculinity and coming of age, and the interplay between community cohesion and community conflict in this novel.

This guide refers to the 2023 hardcover edition by Atria.