Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining and Thought-Provoking
Review: "Peace Like a River"--the title only really comes to full meaning in the penultimate chapter in this wonderful story. The writing is as much poetry as prose, both literally, as we read Swede's adventures for Sunny Sundown, and figuratively, with Engler's beautiful descriptions of sights, sounds, and feelings. I enjoyed the book, which I read for a book discussion group, very much, although I found myself a little impatient for events to move on at times. And Swede is an engaging little girl of 9 who captures one's heart, but, darn it all, I had trouble accepting her precosity at writing. At times her vocabulary is a bit unbelievable, but more so is her use of inverted sentences and interior rhyme for a child raised on the Western prose of Zane Grey and others and on the King James Bible. Even so, the story will grab your interest with its entertaining and unpredictable characters and beautiful writing.
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: I'm Impressed!
Review: It is hard to believe that this was a work of fiction. The narrator was so life- like and the family so realistic. I saw bits and pieces of my own family in this one and it made me remember the good times.
I was waiting for the father to do something horrible, I was waiting for there to be abuse or something that broke the family apart, but throughout the entire book the family loved eachother and stuck by one another. By no means were they perfect, but even thought they had their own personalities you never doubted their love or respect for their family. I am not one to like "miracles" in books but these seemed to fit- and I found myself questioning these "miracles" as the narrator assumed I would. All in all a wonderful book and I recommend it without reservation!
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic!!!
Review: I normally take about a week to complete reading a book. I read this one within 3 days. It was a thoughtful look into the lives of fictional characters that felt so real, that I couldn't keep my mind off of them, and what would happen next.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing!
Review: Peace Like a River is undoubtedly the most amazing book I've read in some time...maybe ever! Enger's use of the English language is nothing short of inspired. Some passages I had to read out loud just to hear the words...they are so beautiful. The story touches my heart. The characters are so richly developed I feel I know them. The emotions it evokes are consuming. This is a book I know I'll read time and again, for the sheer joy of it! Thank you, Mr. Enger, for an engrossing, beautifully written book. (I'm sorry, I know I'm gushing. But you've just gotta read this book!)
Rating:
Summary: More than a river.
Review: i can't explain this book nor am i going to try. it's one of those 'must-reads' that you MUST READ if you want to be touched by an angel. a heart made outta stone will turn into school lunch mush. i assure you: it's pretty good.
Rating:
Summary: A magical adventure in faith and family love
Review: This book takes the reader on an exciting adventure thru the eyes of an eleven year old boy Reuben. I could hardly put it down and when I came to the end I was definitely not disappointed. If I had any criticism it would be not knowing more about the character of the older brother Davy. This book was one of the best books I have read in awhile. It really speaks of faith and family love and the yearning we all have to transcend everyday life and see miracles in our midst.
Rating:
Summary: No middle ground
Review: Leif Enger will leave few fence-sitters among those who read his charming book. Either you will find it engaging and wistful as a look back on a Midwestern childhood, or you will find it cloying, silly and downright unbelieveable.
To my view, he has a simple, straightforward way of addressing the deep, spiritual faith in God that his father possessed in such abundance, and through his central character, Reuben, he describes very matter-of-factly his first experience in a Pentecostal revival in the local Methodist Church. He talks in simple awe of seeing his father walk off the edge of the truck and continue to walk on thin air while praying intensely. According to Reuben, his father never even knew it happened.
Reuben's younger sister, Swede, is a precocious, verbose writer of an almost exaggerated talent for one so young, but Enger makes her believeable to me.
There's the line of demarcation. If you don't want to believe in God talk and spiritual things, you might prefer "Plainsong" by Kent Haruf, a book that I found crude and overly vulgar. But I like the simple country faith that Enger writes about so comfortably. If you find God in simple folk, read "Peace Life a River" and enjoy the childish whimsy and plain talk of the mysteries of faith and growing up with parents who talk to God as readily as they talk to their children.
Rating:
Summary: A Peaceful, Graceful Book (a 4.4 on a scale of 1 to 5)
Review: "Peace like a River" starts very slowly and then very gradually grows on you. The story is told from the vantage point of Reuben, a young asthmatic in the midwest, who is being raised by his kind, Jesus-like father ( a former med student turned janitor). When Reuben's brother commits a horrible crime (though for semi-justifiable reasons) and breaks out of jail, his family sets out to find him in the Dakotas. Their journey is beautiful and profound. The three main character-Reuben's father, Reuben, his younger sister Swede (a budding writer)-are in many ways reminiscent of characters in great Southern novels. Yet the setting is pure Northern midwest-and that is part of the charm. How often do you read fiction that takes place in the Dakotas?
I would highly recommend this book to individuals who enjoy contemporary fiction, books with religious overtones (though it is not too heavy-handed), rural settings, and/or books in the genre of "To Kill a Mockingbird" or "Huckleberry Finn."
I would caution readers that the book starts slowly (I actually read the first chapter a few times before I got into it, that's why four stars) but it eventually rewards you.
Rating:
Summary: excellent book
Review: Great for anyone who enjoys rural fiction. I love it. The story could have occured during any time period. Full of great prose. Best book I've read in a long time. Read it now!!
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