Leif Enger's rhapsodic novel about a father raising his three children in 1960s Minnesota is a breathtaking celebration of family, faith, and America's pioneering spirit. Through the voice of eleven-year-old Reuben, an asthmatic boy obsessed with cowboy stories, Peace Like a River tells of the Land family's cross-country search for Reuben's outlaw older brother, who has been controversially charged with murder. Sprinkled with playful and warmhearted nods to biblical tales, classic American novels such as Huckleberry Finn, ...
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Leif Enger's rhapsodic novel about a father raising his three children in 1960s Minnesota is a breathtaking celebration of family, faith, and America's pioneering spirit. Through the voice of eleven-year-old Reuben, an asthmatic boy obsessed with cowboy stories, Peace Like a River tells of the Land family's cross-country search for Reuben's outlaw older brother, who has been controversially charged with murder. Sprinkled with playful and warmhearted nods to biblical tales, classic American novels such as Huckleberry Finn, the adventure stories of Robert Louis Stevenson, and the Westerns of Zane Grey, Peace Like a River brilliantly incorporates the best elements of all these genres and ultimately earns its own prominent and enduring place on the shelf among them. Reuben Land was born with no air in his lungs, and it was only when his father, Jeremiah, picked him up and commanded him to breathe that his lungs filled. Reuben struggles with debilitating asthma thenceforth, but he is a boy who knows firsthand that life is a gift, and also one who suspects that his father can overturn the laws of nature. When Reuben's older brother, Davy, kills two marauders who have come to harm the family, the town is divided between those who see him as a hero and those who see him as a cold-blooded murderer. On the morning of the trial, Davy escapes from his cell, and when his family finds out they decide to go forth into the unknown in search of him. With Jeremiah -- whose faith is the stuff of legend -- at the helm, the family covers territory far more glorious than even the Badlands, where they search for Davy from their Airstream trailer. By the time the journey is over, they will have traversed boundaries of a different nature entirely. Marked by a soul-expanding sense of place and a love of storytelling, Peace Like a River is at once a heroic quest, a tragedy, a romance, and a heartfelt meditation on the possibility of magic in the everyday world.
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Add this copy of Peace Like a River to cart. $1.25, good condition, Sold by Once Upon A Time Books rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Tontitown, AR, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by Atlantic Monthly Press.
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Good in good dust jacket. This is a used book in good condition and may show some signs of use or wear. This is a used book in good condition and may show some signs of use or wear.
Add this copy of Peace Like a River to cart. $1.94, good condition, Sold by Off The Shelf rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Imperial, MO, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by Atlantic Monthly Press.
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The item shows wear from consistent use, but it remains in good condition and works perfectly. All pages and cover are intact (including the dust cover, if applicable). Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May NOT include discs, access code or other supplemental materials.
Add this copy of Peace Like a River to cart. $1.99, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Brownstown, MI, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by Atlantic Monthly Press.
Add this copy of Peace Like a River to cart. $1.99, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by Atlantic Monthly Press.
Add this copy of Peace Like a River to cart. $1.99, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by Atlantic Monthly Press.
Add this copy of Peace Like a River to cart. $1.99, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by Atlantic Monthly Press.
Add this copy of Peace Like a River to cart. $2.06, good condition, Sold by Goodwill rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Brooklyn Park, MN, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by Atlantic Monthly Press.
Add this copy of Peace Like a River to cart. $2.08, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by Atlantic Monthly Press.
Add this copy of Peace Like a River to cart. $2.46, good condition, Sold by Blue Vase Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Interlochen, MI, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by Atlantic Monthly Press.
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Seller's Description:
The item shows wear from consistent use, but it remains in good condition and works perfectly. All pages and cover are intact (including the dust cover, if applicable). Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May NOT include discs, access code or other supplemental materials.
Add this copy of Peace Like a River to cart. $3.00, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Emerald rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by Atlantic Monthly Press.
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This author hit a home run with his story AND writing on this. I've read it before, lost my copy, and ordered two more so I could have and donate one to my small-town library. Yes, it's that good!
David C
Jun 6, 2013
Feel the rhythm
I am re-reading Peace Like a River just to enjoy the rhythm of Leif Enger's writing.
To borrow a line from the book, it lopes along "champing and snorting and kicking up clover".
COVER2COVER
Jan 23, 2010
This is great story and very original. I love reading books where you cannot predict or see the end coming. This is a story about Jeremiah Land, a devout man of faith and principle, and his three children. First is Davy, the oldest and very self confident. Second is Reuben, severely asthmatic, and also the narrator of the story, and third is the nine year old sister, Swede, who is apparently something of a genius and budding writer/poet. When Davy is being charged with murder for killing a pair of intruders, he manages to escape from jail. The family starts out on a quest to find him, and various federal and state investigators are on their trail hoping to be led to the fugitive. Miracles seem to be common occurances for the praying Jeremiah, and when the angels aren't fighting for the Lands, Reuben and Swede try to take up the slack, for better or worse, and sometimes hilariously. As other reviewers have said, this story manages to be told without either bad language or sex. It is a wonderful story and completely refreshing.Dont miss this one!!
Veraqd
Jan 21, 2010
I ordered this book for my husband for Christmas. He loved it!! He said it was one of the best books he has ever read.
maygiles
Sep 10, 2009
GREAT book!
I loved this book. Parts of it are hysterical, others poignant. Enger's description of the people and the environment are vivid.
I bought this book shortly after it was published, read it, and gave it to a friend to read (and return). It got passed on to another friend and I never got it back. So, I had to buy another copy because I want to read it again.
There aren't very many books out there that can tell an intriguing story without using swear words. It's a beautiful book that uses clean language only. I respect Engel for this.
