Rating: 
Summary: Blown away
Review: I'm not a religious guy nor do I particularly believe in miracles. What I do believe in is the characters and prose created by Mr. Enger. What a truly talented author. How some of the obviously cynical, negative reviewers can cast aside the absolute joy brought about by Swede and her family is beyond me. OF COURSE it's not believable. It's a FICTION novel--and a book about insurmountable faith. For the sheer joy of reading, I easily place it in the top 20 books I have ever read. It brings to mind "The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint", another brillian first novel with engrossing characters, often involved in situations that stretch the limits of believability--one of the joys of fiction and storytelling. If you want to get lost in a beautiful, tragic, and tender novel, I encourage you to buy this book. If you would prefer nuts and bolts realism, stick with non-fiction.
Rating:
Summary: He's Got a Whole World in His Hand
Review: Within a few paragraphs of begining Leif Enger's "Peace Like a River", I had to stop and smile and turn the book over to read Frank McCourt's("Angela's Ashes")comments on the back one more time. I looked again at the cover and title that had drawn me to the book for a quick read of the jacket and then back a second time to buy it. I thought of the world I had just entered through the hand of Mr. Enger and Reuben, his self-effacing and often winded eleven year old narrator. I reread some lines that set the place and time as rural Minnesota in the 1950's and I thought of the father, Jerimiah, whose plain as cotton faith is the engine of the Land family's journey. The misfortune and drama that tracks their wifeless, motherless world was compelling and vivid, like Ruben's writing prodigy sister Swede's Old West poetry. I flat-out love this book and it's "To Kill A Monkingbird"-like simplicity and power. I've sung a few old hymns in the style and substance I think Leif Enger would appreciate. In a way, reading his story was like that - comforting and profound with familiar themes masterfully played. "Peace Like A River" has, in one reading, become my most admired work of fiction, and easily one of the ten best books I've read. Ever.
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.
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: A Feast for the Soul!
Review: I was hooked from the very first page! Leif Enger has a gift of storytelling. I was entralled by the tapestry of words and the charming characters. Swede is a sharp, precocious young girl who reminded me of Scout Finch from "To Kill a Mockingbird". The book flows well, is easy to follow, and is hard to put down! I was seriously aghast to discover there were those who did not like this book, or who found it boring. (I guess everyone isn't blessed with a healthy, vivid imagination.) Who cares how believable it is that a nine-year-old girl can write so well and have such a vast vocabulary? If every fiction book must be absolutely believable, then Harry Potter wouldn't have been so successful! This book made me want to read more. It made me want to slow down and enjoy simple pleasures. It made me long for a deeper faith and to experience miracles! That makes this more than qualified to be a "good read" for me!
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.
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