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AudibleInk - Peace Like a River
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List Price: $13.95
Our Price: $9.50
Your Save: $ 4.45 ( 32% )
Availability: N/A
Manufacturer: Atlantic Monthly Press
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Currently OUT OF STOCK
Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
Format: Bargain Price
Label: Atlantic Monthly Press
Manufacturer: Atlantic Monthly Press
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 320
Publication Date: 2002-08-07
Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press
Studio: Atlantic Monthly Press
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Editorial Reviews:
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Born with no air in his lungs, it was only when Reuben Land's father, Jeremiah, picked him up and commanded him to breathe that Reuben's lungs filled. Reuben struggles with debilitating asthma from then on, making him a boy who knows firsthand that life is a gift, and also one who suspects that his father is touched by God and can overturn the laws of nature. The quiet 1960's midwestern life of the Lands is upended when Reuben's brother Davy kills to marauders who have come to harm the family. The morning of his sentencing, Davy -- a hero to some, a cold-blooded murderer to others -- escapes from his cell, and the Lands set out in search of him. Their journey is touched by serendipity and the kindness of strangers, and they cover territory far more extraordinary than even the Badlands where they search for Davy from their Airstream trailer. Sprinkled with playful nods to Biblical tales, beloved classics such as Huckleberry Finn, the adventure stories of Robert Louis Stevenson, and the westerns of Zane Grey, Peace Like A River is at once a heroic quest, a tragedy, a love story, and a haunting meditation on the possibility of magic in the everyday world.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: READ THIS BOOK...YOU WON'T REGRET IT!
Comment: This is a wonderful book. Something different for a change. I have read some of the negative responses that the characters aren't believable. It's FICTION. Don't pass up a wonderful opportunity to be entertained!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Sharper than heartwamring.
Comment: Peace like a River is narrated by an asthmatic boy in the Land family. The story is adventurous and unpredictable. The children are fun and the adults varying from admirable, entertaining, worry-filling, scary.
Faith is a staple of the Land family and thereby a large part of the book. It is fascinating and not preachy; it was recommended to me by an atheist friend (who remains so). I am a disciple of Jesus Christ and found the book wholly encouraging.
Though the narrator is simply telling a story it does act as a witness:
"Is there a single person on whom I can press belief?
No sir.
All I can do is say, Here's how it went. Here's what I saw.
I've been there and am going back.
Make of it what you will."
I read the story wishing it were true, and it left me, apparently like good novels do, like a belt around my heart had been cinched up an extra notch and me sitting not knowing what to do with my self, thinking about what just happened.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Faith and Justice
Comment: I think when you read Peace Like a River, you have to do so with a certain grain of salt. There are many things that don't add up, a few head scratching moments, but ultimately the journey is one of faith for the Land family, especially young Reuben, who has more than one experience with faith. There are some irritations along the way. (I, like many, found Swede's character to be a bit perplexing and far-fetched. After all, there aren't many nine years old that can spout out poetry right and left, reference specific historical moments, and cook an entire turkey dinner by themselves). However, all in all it was a worthy novel, and merits some praise. There is a certain amount of symbolism revealed throughout in the family's journey west, and the spirituality of the book creates a "feel good" effect, even if some deem it "sugary sweet."
Obviously miracles and faith play a huge role in the novel, and carry the story from beginning to end. Reuben's entrance in the world involves a miracle in which his father intervenes and helps him breathe and survive. Narrating this event at the book's outset, Reuben reflects on the spiritual significance: "I believe I was preserved through those twelve airless minutes, in order to be a witness, and as a witness, let me say that a miracle is no cute thing but the swing of a sword." Reuben, years later, knows that this event was part of a larger picture that he attributes to fate, and no small feat. The first of several miracles from Jeremiah Land gives credence to the presence of hope in the novel, and perhaps this first one helps to give Reuben a grander idea of life, a deeper appreciation for all the little things that make up family and perseverance, especially as the family heads out in search of Davey.
An appreciation I had while reading was just the amount of passion Lief Enger puts in his novel. While some may criticize his rather verbose and detailed passages (and with good reason), he certainly puts forth much energy in establishing who these characters are: their faults, their strengths, what makes them tick. We know, for instance, that Jeremiah is a very spiritual man, self-sacrificing family man who first relies on faith. Reuben's views of the world are constantly changing and resurfacing, and he clearly shows his philosophical side in his narration; we understand why he has many conflicts over brother Davey, such as whether it is moral or not to help someone who's on the run. Part of Reuben's conscience is to "do the right thing", and he continually questions himself about the morality of life.
Another intriguing aspect of the novel is the theme of justice. When Reuben's older brother Davy kills the two young troublemakers who break into their home, many must decide whether Davy acted in self-defense or whether he is a cold-blooded murderer. Acting as a vigilante, Davy is charged with murder, but finds a way to escape prison. Because the family is having a difficult time living in town after the trial, they decide to head out west to try to see if they can't find Davy and escape the circus that is building around them. This gives Reuben time to cope and try to figure out if what Davy did was justified. (However, I personally felt Davy was as unsympathetic character as there could be in the book).
The ending, which involves another miracle, is one which has garnered some praise and criticism. I think if you take in some of the events with a certain amount of symbolism in mind, the novel will make much more sense in the grand scheme of things. I felt like I could believe the ending, because we learn early on that miracles are important to the story. Over all, there are a few blotches, like the lack of editing at certain points, but this is a novel which is certainly deserving of the praise its received.
Customer Rating:
Summary: an unlikely cast for a novel of loyalty and love
Comment: An asmatic boy who wasn't supposed to live, a father who makes miracles, a nine year old who writes epic poems, and a fugitive older brother- an unlikely cast for a novel of loyalty and love. But what a story!
Set in the Minnesota countryside and North Dakota Badlands of the early 1960s, on the most simple level, this is a story about one family's quest to retrieve its most wayward member- before the FBI does. On a more profound level, it's a tale of faith, growth, love and impossibilities.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A good book for children
Comment: Interspersed with poems about fictional outlaws and with much reference to real life legendary criminals, the novel does gather apace but events are rather predictable and bear much similarity to other classic tales. The author does a fair job of narrating as a young boy; however, the story is more suited to readers of the same age.
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