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
So beautifully written but the last few chapters are weird.
This is such a beautiful book about a father and his three children, written from the middle son’s perspective. (Reuben) It feels so much like it’s actually written by him later in life. The writing style includes so many great details that feel like could only come from an autobiography. It’s a slow moving but great story. Nearly every Christian book I’ve read is pretty cheesy, but this one surpasses them all by far. God and Christianity play a large roll in the book while also not shoving the gospel down your throat. It more of a feeling of ordinary faith day to day.
HOWEVER… the very end is wack. I won’t spoil it but the second to last chapter comes so out of the blue and feels so out of place. Personally, I suggest skipping (or quickly skimming) that chapter and pretend it’s not there. It’s a real shame because this book was on its way to my “favorites” list, but I’m a strong believer that the ending can really ruin a book. This one’s not ruined, but it’s not at the top of my favorites list.
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