Peace Like a River
Leif Enger's debut novel, Peace Like A River, was launched to critical acclaim in 2001 and went on to sell over one million copies. Now a perennial, best-selling American classic, it is at once a heroic quest, a tragedy, and a love story, in which "there is magic... none more potent that Leif Enger's prose" (Newsday). Enger brings us eleven-year-old Reuben Land, an asthmatic boy in the Midwest who has reason to believe in miracles. Along with his sister and father, Reuben finds himself on a cross-country search for his outlaw older brother who has been charged with murder. Their journey unfolds like a revelation, and its conclusion shows how family, love, and faith can stand up to the most terrifying of enemies, and the most tragic of fates.
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Community Reviews
I was not but a few chapters into this book and thought to give it up, but read so much positive encouragement to continue that I read on, and I’m so glad that I did. This is a wonderfully loving, lovely, miracle-filled book and the ending is perfection. The writing style reminds me of True Grit and News of the World, 2 of my favorite books, but is a unique, Western-style saga.
A western but the whole fam comes along for the ride. I was not okay after the ending of this book 😭
https://cerebralspice.wordpress.com/2026/02/13/book-list-peace-like-a-river-by-leif-enger
Lovely writing, Minnesota and North Dakota based, intriguing story.
This book is beautifully written. The author has a brilliant way of describing people, events and emotions. However, it gets off to a good start and then slows down to a crawl in the middle. At about the 60% point, it picks up again and then it’s great. I love a book that ends in an unexpected way and this provided that.
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