A Stranger in the Kingdom [Paperback]

Howard Frank Mosher (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1990

Murder wasn't the only crime this town would never forget.
Kingdom County, Vermont, is tucked between the Green Mountains and the White Mountains not far from the Canadian border- a small town of proud people with ling memories.  When the preacher, Walt Andrews, came to town, he was an outsider, a stranger.  He was also a black man.

It was the summer James Kinneson turned thirteen.  Son of the newspaper owner and younger brother of the town's fiery defense lawyer, James witnessed the shattering events that would tear the town apart - a brutal murder and the trial of a man, not so much for what he might have done, but for what he was.  A Stranger in the Kingdom  is a powerful drama of passion, prejudice, and innocence suddenly lost--and perhaps found again.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Set in northern Vermont in 1952, Mosher's ( Disappearances ) tale of racism and murder is powerful, viscerally affecting and totally contemporary in its exposure of deep-seated prejudice and intolerance. In this big, old-fashioned novel, the calm of Kingdom County is shattered when a high-spirited French-Canadian runaway is shot to death, and the black Presbyterian minister in whose home she took refuge is charged with killing her to conceal the alleged fact that he made her pregnant. Narrator Jim Kinneson, a high schooler whose tough dad runs the local newspaper, is almost painfully naive about racism, and the very leisurely pace, combined with the gossipy, small-town flavor, dampens the reader's interest for the first half of the book. But Walt Andrews, the wry, articulate minister, an ex-Olympic athlete and widower, is one of the most believable characters in recent memory, and the courtroom trial, which runs for nearly 100 pages, is highly dramatic. To get Andrews off the hook, Jim's inexperienced lawyer-brother must find the real murderer. A related puzzle, which involves a skeleton in the Kinneson family closet, pulls the loose ends together a bit too neatly. Film rights to United Artists; major ad/promo.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

It's 1952, and Kingdom County, Vermont is an old-fashioned rural community. Thirteen year-old Jim Kinnison is about to learn some painful lessons about small-town life. When the new Presbyterian minister turns out to be a black man, both he and his son encounter some prejudice. Then a young woman who has taken refuge in the parsonage is murdered, and the minister is framed. The details of country life and colorful peripheral characters such as the Dog Cart Man and Cousins Resolved and Welcome enliven a story in the tradition of, but not as powerful as, To Kill a Mockingbird . The man at the center of the novel, Reverend Walt Andrews, seems a stick figure rather than a fully realized character. Mosher does a better job with Nat, the reverend's son. Although it is a little stilted and slow in places, this novel should find a readership.
- Janet Boyarin Blundell, Brookdale Community Coll., Lincroft, N.J.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Delta; First Edition edition (October 1, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385312636
• ISBN-13: 978-0385312639
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,897,373 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, insightful and packed with 'real' characters, July 6, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Stranger in the Kingdom (Paperback)

Howard Frank MOSHER has written a book which ranks alongside To Kill a Mockingbird, for me. I couldn't put it down and yet, it is not a fast read. The settings are lovingly painted and the characters richly detailed. The legal background is impeccable and the book as a whole leaves one satisfied, yet introspective. I shall read more of him

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars recommend it to everyone!!, June 14, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: A Stranger in the Kingdom (Paperback)

Discovering this book has been great fun. (I would read the funny parts to my husband; soon he was reading over my shoulder.) Mosher tells a tale well and after reading it three times, am going to read it again with my adult book club. My 8th grade students said, "I'll never read a book again this is as good as this." The main character, a teenage boy from a good family, lives in a small town where racial tolerance is untested. When a single black minister and his son come to town the narrator's family quickly befriends them but the town's gossips go into action and a series of events soon tests the town's tolerance. This isn't so much a story about race as it is just a good story told by a good storyteller. My discussions around this book centered on small town attitudes and how we treat each other. I loved it and look forward to laughing at Mosher's humorous turn-of-a-phrase once again.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A read to be savored and appreciated, September 25, 2000

By 

Carole Burrage "TruCarMa" (Claremore, OK USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Stranger in the Kingdom (Paperback)

What a spectacular book -- Mosher takes you on a thoughtful journey through the Vermont countryside and small town life, while making you think about important issues such as having an open mind and seeing the strengths of all persons, regardless of race or socio-economic status. Once I got past my initial desire for the plot to move at a faster pace, I realized the pacing of the novel was much like life in a small town and essential to the narrative. The characters are unique and complete.

Mosher is a master wordsmith and truly one of the most eloquent writers I've had the pleasure of reading in quite some time. His descriptions of character and place remind me of a less-ironic John Irving (and that is high praise, indeed, as Irving is my all-time favorite novelist). I'm surprised Mosher isn't more well-known, as he is so incredibly good.