Peace Like a River | 
 enlarge | Author: Leif Enger
Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press
Category: Book
List Price: $13.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  389 reviews
Sales Rank: 1638
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 320
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.9
ISBN: 0802139256
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780802139252
ASIN: 0802139256
Publication Date: August 20, 2002
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Amazon.com Review
To the list of great American child narrators that includes Huck Finn and Scout Finch, let us now add Reuben "Rube" Land, the asthmatic 11-year-old boy at the center of Leif Enger's remarkable first novel, Peace Like a River. Rube recalls the events of his childhood, in small-town Minnesota circa 1962, in a voice that perfectly captures the poetic, verbal stoicism of the northern Great Plains. "Here's what I saw," Rube warns his readers. "Here's how it went. Make of it what you will." And Rube sees plenty. In the winter of his 11th year, two schoolyard bullies break into the Lands' house, and Rube's big brother Davy guns them down with a Winchester. Shortly after his arrest, Davy breaks out of jail and goes on the lam. Swede is Rube's younger sister, a precocious writer who crafts rhymed epics of romantic Western outlawry. Shortly after Davy's escape, Rube, Swede, and their father, a widowed school custodian, hit the road too, swerving this way and that across Minnesota and North Dakota, determined to find their lost outlaw Davy. In the end it's not Rube who haunts the reader's imagination, it's his father, torn between love for his outlaw son and the duty to do the right, honest thing. Enger finds something quietly heroic in the bred-in-the-bone Minnesota decency of America's heartland. Peace Like a River opens up a new chapter in Midwestern literature. --Claire Dederer
Product Description
Hailed as one of the year's top five novels by Time, and selected as one of the best books of the year by nearly all major newspapers, national bestseller Peace Like a River captured the hearts of a nation in need of comfort. "A rich mixture of adventure, tragedy, and healing," Peace Like a River is "a collage of legends from sources sacred and profane -- from the Old Testament to the Old West, from the Gospels to police dramas" (Ron Charles, The Christian Science Monitor). In "lyrical, openhearted prose" (Michael Glitz, The New York Post), Enger tells the story of eleven-year-old Reuben Land, an asthmatic boy 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 controversially charged with murder. Their journey is touched by serendipity and the kindness of strangers, and its remarkable conclusion shows how family, love, and faith can stand up to the most terrifying of enemies, the most tragic of fates. Leif Enger's "miraculous" (Valerie Ryan, The Seattle Times) novel is a "perfect book for an anxious time ... of great literary merit that nonetheless restores readers' faith in the kindness of stories" (Marta Salij, Detroit Free Press).
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| Customer Reviews: Read 384 more reviews...
 Peace Like a River October 28, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Peace Like a River is a fantastic, uplifting, and thought-provoking book. It is a perfect winter read. I loved every moment of this book.
 Rider of the "purple prose"? October 14, 2008
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
This novel has been around for a good seven years or so, and only recently did I sit down and give it a read at the recommendation of a friend. To be fair, I liked the energy and ambition of this story. Although I found the prose trying all too hard to be impressive, I liked the narrator and the father character of this story and it was really these characters that kept me reading.
So why didn't I like it?
The plot had typical problems with a first novel attempt. For example: at some point in the story while the narrator and his father and little sis, Swede, load up the trailer and attempt to track down their renegade big brother, they wind up parking the trailer and the rest of the story ends up coming to them!
Including -gee whadya know?--a new mate for widower, Dad!
The problem with Swede... Does any one really know of an eight year old who can write so well, much less prepare an elaborate Thanksgiving dinner with all the be-labored trimmings?
...Really?
I think the author started out attempting to be a tad humorous by creating such a character as Swede, but at some point, he seemed to begin to take it all too seriously.
Other problems (at least, for me) also include the outright unlikability of the older brother and his criminal act. I didn't really feel all that sympathetic in his escape...actually, I was hoping the law would rightfully catch up with him.( I don't believe this is what the author wished for in his readers' sentiments).
Lastly, the prose, (although at times really nice, and beautiful), is too sugary-rich. A little modesty and sober restraint would have added a less ambitious tone, and probably a better narrative throughout. Overall, there is a charm here that I liked and that's because the narrator is so sincere and engaging.
Because of the maladroit attempts at plot and the lunacy of an impossible character like Swede, I can't wholeheartedly recommend. Instead: loved HOME (although Marilynne Robinson is not for everyone), OUT STEALING HORSES (an excellent exercise in even tempered prose creating a powerful story) and the forever under-looked, SIM0N LAZARUS, a book I can't stop thinking about.
PEACE LIKE A RIVER September 30, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Absolutely one of the best books I have read in a long time. I believe that Leif Enger is the finest american author the come on the scene since Steinbeck - even better!! His book SO YOUNG,BRAVE ,AND HANDSOME is another triumph. I anxiously await for another book by Mr. Enger.
Deserves more than 5 stars! September 30, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
Leif Enger weaves the English language into a tapestry of exquisite phrasing, imagery, suspense, action, and emotion. I loved every page and the ending made an impact that was positively spiritual. Enger's style blends humor, vision, and insight into crisp storytelling. Remember, this is FICTION! Grab a copy of Peace like a River and luxuriate in this wonderful, amazing novel!
A great read - "Peace Like A River" September 15, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
I very much liked the story, the style in which it was written and the choice of words used in the text. Having grown up in the upper mid-west during the 1950's, I could identify with the story and the setting. I thought it was a great read and have shared the book with others.
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