Rating: 
Summary: A brilliant first novel
Review: A must read for all who are tired of simple, predictable prose. Leif Enger pulls you right into the story and makes you stay, even if it isn't so much to see what happens next--as much as it is to see how he will describe it. A truly talented author and a heart-wrenching young narrator give you a real treat. Can't wait for more from Leif Enger!
Rating: 
Summary: Great book (despite the implied mysticism), lovely style
Review: A beautifully written book reminiscent of the honest, clean story telling of To Kill a Mockingbird seen from the eyes of a resilient and brave 11 year old asthamatic boy. Despite the implied mysticism (which I simply took to be the "wanting to believe in God and miracles" interpretation of an 11 year old raised in a God-fearing household), this book is nevertheless a great tale about everyday, unsung heroes among us, in our own families; men and women driven to simply do the "right thing" no matter what the consequences, no matter where their loyalties. This book like all great novels shows us why it's people like that that make the world go round and are deserving of our respect and admiration. It's also a poignant expression of nostalgia of a simpler yet righteous way of life (which does not have to be derived from religion but happens to be the driving force in this family's case), now so lost to us, of/in the great American prairie where love, justice and life itself survived because ordinary people took responsibility for their actions and created meaning in their eveyday tasks.
All in all, a little boy's view of how life works and how love, doing the right thing and justice above all make it at all worth living.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Story
Review: This is the best novel I've read in years.If you are looking for a novel with world-weary detectives or slick lawyers, you will be disappointed. The central characters in this story: A soft-spoken med-student-turned-janitor, who performs subtle miracles reminiscent of the New Testament
And his perceptive children, who discover that the distinctions between right and wrong are complicated, especially when family is involved. Tough choices. Put this on every middle-school/high school reading list.
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: Competently written, but ultimately unsatisfying
Review: Leif Enger clearly knows how to turn a sentence, but his debut novel suffers from a number of flaws. First of all, the book should have been edited down by about a third. The pace creeps along in places, and Enger's description-heavy prose can grow tiresome. More importantly, the ending of the book leaves much to be desired. Without giving away too much, I'll just say that Davy's fate is largely inconsistent with the book's themes of righteousness, redemption, and moral behavior.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't waste your time with this one.
Review: Sorry, but "Peace like a River" is one of the weakest new novels I have read in years. I am truly mystified as to how it ever achieved bestseller status. I base this criticism on two major, glaring weaknesses. Number one, the language. Reuben, the narrator, tells his story in an absolutely overblown, pretentious, awkward-syntax style. Here is an example: "I realized that without prompt staving, I would weep." Huh? Is this the way a twelve-year-old boy (who goes on and on about how un-literary he is) in the early 1960's speaks? I don't buy it. (Admittedly, he's telling his story as an adult, looking back, but still -- the paragraphs just don't flow.) My second problem with this novel is the character development-- or rather, the lack of it. The father figure with his cheesy-corny "miracle" episodes, the no-personality older brother on the run from the law -- I did not care what happened to any of them. The only halfway interesting, redeemable character was the sister, Swede. Her cowboy poetry and sibling-moments with Reuben were mildly entertaining -- but I still had trouble conjuring her character as a living, breathing, real-world person. Again, I don't care how precocious and high-functioning this girl supposedly is -- I just don't buy all this overblown language from a 9-year-old. Sorry.
Rating:
Summary: Beyond Religion
Review: I had to read this book for my English class and now I have to write an analytical paper on it. So I was here looking for my secondary sources - reading customer reviews on the book. But I couldn't resist giving my opinion about the book. Many people seem to see this book as being full of religious beliefs and Christian myths. And I grant you, that on the surface, it appears to be so. But I think many might be missing the underlying message beneath these miracles that occur throughout the book. I believe that these miracles are actually really about Reubon than anything else. This book is written through Reubon's point of view and so we see the tragic things that happen to him through his eyes. Perhaps these miracles are really what Reubon sees - not exactly what is really going on. It is his way of looking at the world - at seeking to find miracles in the people and places he encounters throughout his life that he cares about. And that is why Reubon is such a wonderful character- because despite the tragedy that happens countless times, either directly or indirectly, he can still see miracles. This way of looking at the world should be an example to all of us and I think that that is really what the writer is trying to say. You just have to look harder, past your unpleasant or pleasant feelings of religion because it is so much more than that.
Rating:
Summary: Great story!!
Review: We had to read this for a college class and I was dreading reading ANYTHING for class. To my surprise, this was a well told story with a great ending. We were suppose to read 2 chapters per week and do summaries, but I found myself finishing it and doing my summaries 4 weeks ahead of time. THAT'S how good it is. As for people complaining about a girl that is 9 years doing and saying the things she does...maybe it seems impossible in YOUR world, but not mine. If there can be an 8 year old kid with a college degree (yes this has happened recently) there can be an intelligent, witty 9 year old poetic girl. Besides that, it's a BOOK, a STORY, not an autobiography. It's suppose to be FUN and INTERESTING to read and use your IMAGINATION, not taken apart and compare every little detail with the real world. This story was told in the eyes of an 11 year boy, not CNN. Relax...have fun when you read. As I previously mentioned, this is a GREAT book, and it would also make a really good movie, in my opinion. "Make of THAT what you will."
Rating:
Summary: If you can buy a few things . . . it's a lyrical read
Review: To enjoy this book, you have to accept the Christian mysticism the text relies on and understand that part of the pleasure of the book is attempting to "divine" the rules of the father's gifts . . . you also have to accept that an 8 or 9 year old girl is a genius. I was willing to ride along, if only because the lovely prose invites me to do so. This book might not be for everyone, but if you follow the rules of the text I think you're in for the kind of reading experience we often long for.
Rating:
Summary: Most satisfying book I've read in years ... possibly ever.
Review: This story has a lasting effect of the best kind. This is a book that I have already recommended to every adult I know, and fully intend to pass down to all of the children in my family (23 in all, counting nieces and nephews), as soon as they are old enough to appreciate it. It's richness and excellence deserve to be shared and savored for generations. I'm absolutely certain that I will read it again, and recommend it HIGHLY to anyone who has not yet had the pleasure. I promise you that this is a journey you will truly love. I can hardly grasp the fact that this is Leif Enger's debut. I will definitely be among the first to grab the next creation by this author!
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