I read this for a local book club. Enger is a major name in Minnesota literature, and I was glad to have an excuse to pick up this debut of his, right as his new release is getting a lot of buzz. I must say--dang, this man can write. The Land family is mesmerizing in their complexity. The book is dark and sinister yet profoundly hopeful, ardently Christian yet not the sort to ever be marketed in a Christian bookstore. The main character is Reuben Land, an 11-year-old asthmatic, the middle child in a loving family that features an honorable, religious father who performs the occasional miracle, an older brother who is sometimes too ancient and callous for a teenager, and a younger sister, Swede, who I adore for her precocious, obsessive western-themed poetry. When older brother Davey defends the family against home invaders, he flees from the American justice system, and the family soon sets off in pursuit. The mood of the book is, at times, dream-like and weird, not tidy at all, and the end is not something that can be predicted.

I would love to read more of Enger's work and absorb some of his mastery of prose. ( )

Once in a great while, we encounter a novel in our voluminous reading that begs to be read aloud. Leif Enger's debut, Peace Like a River, is one such work. His richly evocative novel, narrated by an asthmatic 11-year-old named Reuben Land, is the story of Reuben's unusual family and their journey across the frozen Badlands of the Dakotas in search of his fugitive older brother. Charged with the murder of two locals who terrorized their family, Davy has fled, understanding that the scales of justice will not weigh in his favor. But Reuben, his father, Jeremiah—a man of faith so deep he has been known to produce miracles—and Reuben's little sister, Swede, follow closely behind the fleeing Davy.

Affecting and dynamic, Peace Like a River is at once a tragedy, a romance, and an unflagging exploration into the spirituality and magic possible in the everyday world, and in that of the world awaiting us on the other side of life. In Enger's superb debut effort, we witness a wondrous celebration of family, faith, and spirit, the likes of which we haven't seen in a long, long time—and the birth of a classic work of literature. ( )

This was this last months book club selection. Its a book I wouldn't normally read, however I'm glad that I did - it is set in an area that feels like a way of life for my parents and grandparents. However, I felt at times the book was older than the time it was set at, with horses being a way to get around and no TV's. I suspect that it was a deliberate choice, a throwback to the the Westerns that Swede liked to read.

As for the characters, I think this is loosely based on the Book of Job from the bible - with Mr. Land being faith being tested at every roadblock, from a son with Asthma, to an older son who made a very deliberate choice in an unjust situation. I think the kids were written truely, younger Sister Swede seeing her older brother as an outlaw accused unjustly, to Reuben, who has figured out that world isn't fair and choices are shades of gray.

I found the story to be competently written, but at times it at times, it was a slog to read. Pacing could have been better. I'm not sure I liked the ending, I was expecting more emotion, instead it was just a "whelp, here is what everyone is up to now" sort of thing. As for our bookclub, I think it will bring interesting conversation, especially about Davy's choice that caused this whole mess. ( )

It's true; no nine-year-old writes poetry like Swede. But, Nathan, thanks for bringing this book to my attention. It took me a long time to read it because I read it very carefully and in the end I cried. In a way, it reminded me of [b:Gilead|68210|Gilead A Novel|Marilynne Robinson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170687634s/68210.jpg|2481792]. ( )

(56) I am late to the party with reading this novel - has been on my to be read list for close to a decade. Not sure why finally made me make the plunge. This is a story that pulls at your heart strings about a single father and his 3 children. At the outset of the book it becomes clear that the Dad is some everyman turned hero and possibly angelic. It was never quite clear to me who Davy, Swede, and Rube's mother was and why she left - but they are ordinary kids with their own extraordinary ways living life in a midwestern small-town in the 1950's when the oldest brother accidentally but maybe on purpose has a fatal run-in with some small town bullies. Davy becomes an outlaw the run. The narrative told through Swede's poetic odes to Western bandit's and and our sickly protagonist Rube's retrospective reflections and it is poignant, dear, and at times gripping. While I won't ruin the end, it has a storytelling arc than any literature professor has got to admire.

The penultimate chapter that gives the book its name was ultimately where I lost touch with the novel a bit. I was not minding the magical realism at all and while I didn't feel as if this part was out of place, it tipped the whole book over a wee bit into Hallmark movie of the week territory. Overall, the author's fine writing does indeed save it from the melodramatic. I adored Rube, and loved Swede's poems, and their Dad's quiet strength -- The beginning with duck hunting, the scenes in the airstream, Mr. Andreeson. Really excellent well-written details and characters.

I am glad I read and I think I will remember. Not necessarily anything concrete to criticize, but just shy of missing the mark from being really something special for me. Likely because I couldn't buy the God and I guess heaven piece - but that might be a me problems as opposed to the novel's problem. ( )