Rating: 
Summary: Faith, hope and love against all adverse trials
Review: When I received this book as a gift, it was in the midst of the rave that hailed this novel as one of the best of the year (2001). Not only did the book top bestseller charts, almost all major newspapers noted Peace Like a River as a must read. Having no clue of what it was about, I opened the book randomly and it read,"Dad laughed aloud for pure delight. And someone climbed up on our porch and knocked. ... And yet so humble were our expectations for this Christmas-so glad were we simply have our dad upright and able to laugh and his stomach to growl-not even uninvited guests could quench us..." (p.127) Reuben Land reminisces on his childhood and tells this engrossing tale that is a miracle, a heroic quest, a heartbreaking tragedy, and a mesmerizing love story. Reuben's survival at birth itself is a miracle. He was born with no signs of life-no breathing-for at least ten minutes. The doctor proceeded to certify his death as his father stood praying and asked in the name of God for Reuben to breathe. Though asthmatic Reuben lives. When his dad gave up on medical school, his mom abandoned them and left for a doctor. Reuben tells how his father Jeremiah, who works as a janitor at his school, rescues his brother Davy's girlfriend Dolly from two attackers, Israel Finch and Tommy Basca, at the locker room. In revenge to Jeremiah, the repugnant pair broke into the Land's house one night and was gunned down by Davy out of self-protection. Out of mawkish grief for the boys, the ill-starred Jeremiah was fired from his job and caught tuberculosis. While state troopers and the FBI pursued Davy who broke out from jail, Reuben and his younger sister Swede took care of the house chores and their bedridden father. Salesman Tin Lurvy died of heart attack and left Jeremiah a brand new trailer, now talk about miracle. So the family set out to a cross-state search of the fugitive Davy, who seemed to have disappeared without a trace. Along the journey the family met strangers who offered more than shelter and favors. This novel reminds us of how faith and love can pull a family together and overcome the most adverse trials however formidable the situations. The book makes its debut at a crucial time when the country is in the least secure and seeks the affirmation that it can stand up to the most terrifying of enemies. As Davy clandestinely met Reuben on the hillside at the back of Roxanna's barn, the book turns a big turn toward a remarkable finale that will pinprick the heart. The book is about a boy who would sacrifice even his own life to defend his beloved family. The book is also about brotherhood-the strong tie between Davy and Reuben, who solely witnessed the break-in at the house and now corresponded with his brother behind everyone's back. I have come to appreciate this 11-year-old's affection for his family. However wrong and outrageous of a crime Davy might have committed, Reuben never stopped believing in his brother. When he paid a visit to Davy at the jail, Reuben saw something that the jailer would never ever see. He saw faith and knowledge inside of his brother. Later on outside Roxanna's ranch, even in the pre-dawn dim light, Reuben saw the black shape up on the mountain and knew it was Davy without a question. The boy also possessed an indecipherably close bonds with his father, whom Reuben proudly regarded as the smartest, kind-hearted and the most capable man anywhere, anytime; a man in whom the mighty God had found favor. Reuben mentioned how these miracles "sometimes flowed from [his] father's fingertips" and few others had witnessed them besides him. Even though I am left unresolved about Jeremiah's possession of divine nature, (how he actually walked in air and performed miracles? how he managed to remain in one piece without even a bruise after a tornado writhed him skyward and threw him off for 4 miles?) I enjoyed the reading that fills with heart-thumping, poetic and crisp prose. The book has a slow start, until the story picks up after about 100 pages or so reader's attentiveness is appreciated. This is the kind of book that slowly unravels itself, bit by bit, in order to tenderly grip the hearts of readers who might develop a sense of grief and sympathy for the ill-fated family and what tragedy it has to pull through. The author's profound understanding of human hearts lends it possible to manifest an unforgettable story about relationships and love. 4.7 stars.
Rating: 
Summary: Classic Saga of Beauty, Sacrifice & Strange Redemption
Review: I wonder if Leif Enger read Harper Lee's 'To Kill a Mockingbird' some time in life to inspire him to write 'Peace Like a River.' Enger pulls this off excellectly and in the style of Lee's Mockingbird tale. The story is set in 1960s Minnesota. The characters of Swede and Reuben Land are a spitting image of Scout and Jem, respectively. The story is told through the eyes of Reuben Land in this case. Reuben is troubled with asthma and knows that life is a gift and believes his father is touched by God and can change the laws of nature. Jeremiah Land is the single father who lovingly care for his children. Raising them in the rough wilderness of Minnesota.
The story centers around an incident that involves the eldest of the children, Davy. Davy now faced uncertainty in a justifiable shooting of two tormentors whose intent was to harm the family. After being arrested for murder. He escapes from jail. Davy becomes a fugitive and runs for his life to only God knows where. He vanishes into the west on horseback. This then put the whole Land family into a crisis to find one of their own across the country in an airstream trailer. Their travels across the west is one of miracles and serendipity and the kindness of strangers. One instance, they meet Roxanne Cawley a free spirit from the outside world, who lives on a ranch in northern Montana. She gives them a warm place to stay but she also gives them something of comfort to warm their hearts instead. This union becomes a permenant establishment later. The gift of entertaining them with life's stories and being the mother the children needed and longed for. When Reuben becomes ill with pneumonia she nurses him back to health like a kindred spirit mother would. Roxanne had lost her mother, raised only by her father who opened a movie house in their town of Lawrence where their life revolved around movies. An escape from the real life of the Dust Bowl country. She spoke their language. Like both Swede and Reuben escaped into stories of westerns, Huckleberry Finn, Treasure Island and the Bible. Roxanne found her family and her love.
Not far behind a federal agent is trailing the Land family knowing they may have a lead on the whereabouts of Davy. One morning, Reuben remembered gathering eggs at Roxanne's barn when he first caught eye of Davy on the horse. They both met on a hillside away from everyone else not watching. A moment of redeeming peace and yet strange, somewhat of a miracle of this meeting. The family become reunited again. But, for how long? What follows is Jeremiah's decision in making a sacrifice of doing the right thing or saving Davy. In the end the outcome reveals the truth that lay in store for the Land family. This tale is a true classic of beauty, sacrifice & strange redemption. I liked it very much.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful and Life-Affirming
Review: I really can't remember what led me to this book. But once I started reading it, I loved it so much that I wanted it to go on and on. Reuben tells the story of his father, brother and sister in the aftermath of a tragic event, and of his father's quest to restore their family and still maintain his sense of ethics and morality. But there's much more than the plot. This first novel is almost poetic, at times making you laugh, at times making you cry.
I hope Mr. Enger will grace us with his talents again soon.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing read
Review: Like another reviewer, I am shocked at the attention this novel is receiving. Lacking believability, even miracles aside (which I do believe are possible), the topper is the daughter, Swede. There is no way that any nine year old can do all the things that she does. Please understand that I can "go along" with the idea for the sake of the story, but it came to be ridiculous after a few chapters. Moreover, the fundamental problem of the novel, the son's crime, could easily have been solved in so many other ways using the father's powers of will, prayer, and miraculous intervention. It was just too silly and convenient for the author to selectively use such character traits only when they suited his rather thin plot.
The weaknesses aside, the author does know how to turn a phrase and many passages are a pleasure to read for their descriptive power.
Rating: 
Summary: Completely unbelievable
Review: I see that I am not alone in finding Peace Like a River a tedious book. I just could not connect with the characters. So much of this novel was simply unbelievable. For example, I could not help but wonder what happened to Jeremiah's wife. I recall only a passing reference to her having left the family. Here we have 3 children under the age 17 who never ask for their mother, never seem to miss her and have apparantly forgotten that she ever existed. And those children! Swede, who is 9 years old, writes long (boring),epic Western poetry, cooks an entire Christmas dinner, is looked up to by her older brother, and speaks with the insights and vocabulary of an adult with an IQ well into the genius category. Very irritating.
The whole book, in fact, is difficult to fathom. Jeremiah has the power of miracles. I was able to tolerate a few of these "miracles" because they had a poetic quality, but touching and healing the injured face of his employer while he is being fired? Driving hundreds of miles on a nearly empty tank of gas? I would not even have minded these "miracles" if they had had a metaphorical point. They did not, except that Jeremiah was supposed to be a very religious guy with a hint of Christ-like virtue; to me, he is portrayed throughout most of the book as being rather passive. (He too, looks to his 9 year old daughter for guidance--she being so sharply intuitive). Anyway, the miracles stop when Jeremiah falls in love. And his is not a passionate love, but more of a measured, deliberate union. There is some reference to him not needing to perform miracles any longer. I can suspend reality as well as the next person, but this is too much. Throughout the book, I found it difficult to know what motivated the characters. Why does Jeremiah make a pivotal change regarding Davy, why is Swede portrayed as so precocious, what binds Davy and Jape together? Books should encourage thinking and use of one's imagination, but I think it is the author's responsibility to throw in some clues here and there. The book ends in a suprising way. There is tragedy, confusion and yes--Enger could not resist--just one more miracle. The very last paragraphs, where the author answers the nagging question "What ever happened to...?" is utterly silly and reminded me of the endings of chilhood fairy tales. Anyway, I didn't care what happened to Swede or Reuben, because I had found them wooden and emotionally stagnant, more dispassionate pseudo-adults than frightened, needy children. Any comparison to the lyrical, complex magical realism of Gabriel Garcia-Marquez is outrageous.
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable family adventure
Review: "Peace Like a River" is a well-crafted story of a Minnesota family told through the eyes of a seven-year-old boy. I particularly enjoyed this book because it melded a suspenseful story of adventure with a beautiful description of a loving family that is rooted in faith. As an added bonus, it is set in rural MN, my homeland. If you allow yourself to suspend belief and get carried away with some of the "miracle" episodes, the payoff will be great and you will really enjoy this book. I was able to feel Reuben's yearning to be accepted, protected and loved as he fought through asthma attacks and struggled to bloom from a child into a young man. His father, brother, and sister all played instrumental and very different roles in helping him do this. By story's end, you get to see how his brother's fierce independence, his sister's lofty intelligence, and father's firm faith guide him through the adventures of the story and usher him into the world of adulthood. And if you REALLY let yourself go, you just may feel a few warm fuzzies along the way.
Rating:
Summary: hard to connect
Review: The prose is a joy to read, but I could not connect with the characters and after a while found them tedious. Although lighter fare, I found "A Miracle for St. Cecilia's" by Katherine Valentine a more satisfying read.
Rating:
Summary: a pretty good read
Review: While I agree that some things in this book are a little unbelievable, I found it pretty easy to suspend disbelief and read on. The prose is lovely. I love Enger's writing style. Even though the characters don't necessarily jump off the page at you, they're still interesting and sometimes funny. I stayed up late into the night finishing the last 50 pages because I couldn't wait until the next day to finish it. Great book.
Rating:
Summary: had to struggle to finish this one
Review: The excessive use of Swede's western poetry made this book a tedious read for me. Was given this book as a gift so I made myself finish it. Would not recommend it to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: complex love
Review: Enthusiastic Recommend: Peace like a River, by Leif Enger
The story this book tells is fantastical beyond belief. It could never happen. But I didn't really realize this until I started to relay the plot to my husband when he asked what I was reading. (He does not read fiction - too frivolous. And this book's plot certainly didn't help change his mind about fiction.) But that's not the point. The point is the characters, their relationships, and their decisions. My favorite is Swede, the little girl, though the dad is the miracle-working hero, and the narrator, Swede's brother Reuben, is the work of miracles. This family deals with tragedy and hope, moral dilemmas and unconditional love in complex ways that ring true and touch the soul. I've never read anything quite like this. I'm usually not one for "suspension of disbelief" on this level, but you should do it this one time, at least.
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