Rating: 
Summary: Engrossing Read
Review: I had heard both good and bad about this book, but the premise grabbed my attention. Mr. Enger offers up a wonderfully engrossing read. He presents us with characters who are personable and whom you come to actually have feelings for. Very well-written, and very much worth the read. I recommend this one highly.
Rating:
Summary: nothing better
Review: This is the best book I have read in a long time. The writer has such a gift with words I wish I could call him up and talk with him. The book never slows down, he leaves us wondering what is coming. I love Jeremiah, Reuben, Swede and Roxanna. Davy? well he did what he thought was right at the time. Roxanna was truly a gift from God for the family. Jeremiah is such a gentleman. Where have they all gone?? I highly recommend this book, you too will love the characters and their adventures. What Jeremiah does at the end for Reuben had me in tears. Any parent who reads this will totally understand. One would do it without a second thought. I can't wait for Leif to write another book.
Rating: 
Summary: Christian Morality Tale
Review: Having read the best of Christian literature, this facile and fashionable attempt disappoints, especially in the hands of someone whose skills are apparently substantial. Characters are two-dimensional, somewhat preachy, and do not develop, i.e., at the end of the novel, everybody's attitude is the same as the beginning, except the good have been raised up, evil disappears, and the unbelievers are in purgatory. Some parts are excellent (descriptions of asthma will make you struggle for breath, and those of the western countryside are nailed to the barn), but players are static, stereotypical and author must therefore rely on "miracle" for denouement, like pulling a rabbit out of a hat, instead of a transformation/insight in his protagonist. Unfortunate overuse of rollicking doggerel throughout. Is his little girl supposed to be a rip-off of Scout from "To Kill a Mockingbird?" In sum, this reviewer resents the thesis of the promise of miracles in exchange for faith; original Christianity promises spiritual rewards, not money, sex or freedom from poor health.
Rating:
Summary: A Major Disappointment
Review: I had high expectations for this novel, given the preponderance of rave reviews. I was highly disappointed. For one, the story continually stretched the outer limits of my credulity regarding Jeremiah Land's ability to spontaneously create miracles. I personally believe in the power of prayer and miracles and in God's grace, but to ask the reader to believe that our Jeremiah, a religious man and devoted single father of 3 children, walks on thin air (literally), heals an individual's scarred face and repairs a broken horse saddle with a stroke of his hand - is asking too much. Another flaw: The narrative essentially regards Davy (Jeremiah's son), as an outlaw guilty of the crime of murder for which he is accused - the media, the people of his town, and law enforcement see him as an evildoer; yet the facts of Davy's case, and the circumstances leading to Davy's act of vengeance, belie this conclusion. The way the story unfolds, Davy is provoked to commit an act of violence against 2 boys whose intentions against the Land family are clearly nefarious. We are told, after all, that these boys assault Dave's girlfriend, assault his sister, vandalize his family's house. Furthermore, they meet their violent demise only after illegally breaking and entering into the Land house wielding baseball bats with the intent of committing yet another assault on the Land family. While one may question whether Davy was justified in carrying out his act of retribution, he certainly was not an evildoer. Other issues I had with the book: what was the point of Swede's long poem that recurs throughout the book? What was the point of the plodding details of Butch Cassidy's true history? Finally, the story never really resolves itself. Are we to believe that Davvy lives the remainder of his life on the lamb, always one step ahead of, and able to outsmart, a nation-wide law enformcement network? Mr. Enger, the author, has some writing talent and is skilled with his turns of phrase, but he should have spent more time developing his story before committing it to his first novel.
Rating:
Summary: Insight to Ruby Ridge, etc.
Review: While other reviewers have done a great job describing the main storyline, I would like to encourage readers to see the underlying plot concerning northern/western people's attitudes toward authority. Davy, and certainly Jape Waltzer, have that suicidal, pathological hatred toward any authority figure that seeks to curtail their freedom. They would rather die, causing massive societal and relationship problems, rather than surrender, taking as many cops and feds with them as possible. The local authority seems to understand this and has a line over which it will not cross -- not chasing Davy as agressively in the beginning as they should have; not "seeing" an old Plymouth and big silver Airstream trailer at every gas station for miles. However, Andreeson, the federal agent does not understand, and pushes his literal view of law into the face of local custom.Great book; I would compare it to Grapes of Wrath; maybe not as "artsy" but still just as good a read.
Rating:
Summary: Peace Like a River
Review: Horrid title for an absolutely wonderful read. Think Plainsong.
Captivating characters and relationships. Think To Kill a Mockingbird. Write on Leif.
Rating: 
Summary: Take This Voyage for Yourself!
Review: My lands, this Leif Enger fellow can compose a sentence! The opening pages alone had me convinced I was plunging into something special, something beyond the usual bounds of predictable fiction. "Peace Like a River" is a classic in the grand tradition, which means it's beautiful, ageless, and...yes, a bit slow-moving. Enger's narrator, young Jeremiah Land, tells his story with remarkable verbosity, initially inspiring awe, later doubt, finally belief. Enger risks all by shooting for the heavens, and, for the most part, he succeeds. The story, set in the Midwest in the early 60s, follows the motherless Land family. The youngest son, Jeremiah, communicates the story of the struggles they face when the oldest son goes to trial for murder. His fate, and the family's along with him, take turns that are unpredictable while strangely inevitable. Peopled with memorable characters, "Peace Like a River" reminded me more than once of "To Kill a Mockingbird" and the more recent "This Rock," both coming-of-age type tales set in rural America. Enger's characters, however, while imminently touchable, seem also larger than life...The father speaks face-to-face with God; the daughter is a poet beyond her years (almost to the point of stretching belief); the youngest son views life through asthmatic afflictions and the self-centeredness of a child. Somehow, these people draw the reader into events both moving and miraculous. But, along the way, the story does begin to meander, to lose some of its luster. Some might even want to head for shore and stop reading altogether. Don't do it. By the end, "Peace Like a River" chooses its course and sets sail for distant lands. There are sentences here that'll make you laugh, that'll take your breath away, that'll open your eyes anew. In particular, the second to last chapter is an awe-inspiring vision of those first steps toward eternity. Enough said. You'll have to take this voyage for yourself.
Rating:
Summary: The light at the end of the tunnel...
Review: Through ups and downs of a life most would find overwhelming, this father and son hold onto the magic that awaits us all. They manage to ride out every storm that comes their way, almost mesmerized by the wild west poetry of the young heroine. This book will stand the test of time; and calls out to be read over and over, with each re-reading revealing yet another fascinating detail somehow overlooked earlier. The simple writing of this complex story reminds you that there is a light at the end of every tunnel. If the story is made into a movie, only Ron Howard or Steven Spielberg could be trusted to maintain its integrity and hold onto its magic.
Rating:
Summary: Proximity Theory by Thomas Black
Review: This gripping book explores the effect of proximity upon the development and maintenance of satisfactory human relationships. Heretofore, I had never seriously considered proximity as an issue of any serious significance to relationships. The characters are well-developed and credible. Thomas Black works skillfully with detail which is not trite or cloying as he profiles people who are very much like you and me. It was a quick and provocative read.
Rating:
Summary: Extremely disappointing
Review: I am just astounded at the great reviews this book is getting here. This is mediocre writing at best, and not very believable to boot, and I'm not just talking about the miracles. C'mon, an 8-year girl who singlehandedly cooks a huge XMAS dinner, starting with a freshly butchered turkey no less? A mother who clearly loves her child enough to endanger herself to protect the child during a tornado, but then one day inexplicably walks away from her family and is never heard from again? And as for the miracles, I wouldn't have had a problem with the guy surviving a tornado, or even with the child believing he saw his father walking on air one night, but after a while, this miracle stuff just went way overboard. In the end, it struck me as a bible story, and not a very good one. Very little believable character development, a thin plot, and a completely implausible ending. And I strongly disagree with a previous reviewer who disparaged Kent Haruf's Plainsong in comparison to this book. If you want to read a "heartlands" novel, Plainsong is in every way the far superior novel. If you want to read a coming-of-age book, Larry Watson's Montana 1948 leaves this one in the dust.
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