|
Swap the books you've read, for some you haven't!
|
Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
|
|
| | |
|
Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
Synopsis: Hailed as one of the year's top five novels by Time, and selected as one of the best books of the year by nearly all major newspapers, national bestseller Peace Like a River captured the hearts of a nation in need of comfort. "A rich mixture of adventure, tragedy, and healing," Peace Like a River is "a collage of legends from sources sacred and profane -- from the Old Testament to the Old West, from the Gospels to police dramas" (Ron Charles, The Christian Science Monitor). In "lyrical, openhearted prose" (Michael Glitz, The New York Post), Enger tells the story of eleven-year-old Reuben Land, an asthmatic boy who has reason to believe in miracles. Along with his sister and father, Reuben finds himself on a cross-country search for his outlaw older brother who has been controversially charged with murder. Their journey is touched by serendipity and the kindness of strangers, and its remarkable conclusion shows how family, love, and faith can stand up to the most terrifying of enemies, the most tragic of fates. Leif Enger's "miraculous" (Valerie Ryan, The Seattle Times) novel is a "perfect book for an anxious time ... of great literary merit that nonetheless restores readers' faith in the kindness of stories" (Marta Salij, Detroit Free Press).
Review: A modern take on the Western genre, an evangelistic picture of God in action, a heartacheingly beautiful journey through the sorrows of life? All of these: couldn't put it down, didn't want it to end.
For those unfamiliar with the old hymn:
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Review: With his comfortable, charasmatic writing style Leif Enger had me hooked literally from the Very First Page. Then, savoring the unexpected pleasure, I paused - resisting the urge to turn over, and absorbed the feeling for a few moments.
Finding that I not just liked it but liked it immensely, I re-read the page out loud to myself ... then didn't stop reading again until I had consumed every last page, paragraph and syllable. I only wish there were more, in a series... many more! Chores stood neglected, errands unrun and worries forgotten as I stole time to spend with the characters in this book. It's a rare treasure.
I'll not lend it out in case it doesn't 'boomerang', so I'm back to buy it for a friend because it is definitely one to share. If you haven't read it yet ~ lucky you :) That pleasure awaits!
Review: I had never heard of Leif Enger or 'Peace like a River', and it's not a book I would have chosen myself so I would probably never have read it if a friend hadn't given it me for Christmas. And what a treat I would have missed!
The narrator, Reuben Land - an asthmatic who didn't breathe for the first twelve minutes of his life and yet, miraculously suffered no brain damage - is grown up by the time he relates the story but he writes from the perspective of his eleven-year-old self. I didn't like the description in the second chapter of shooting his first goose (but that's just me, I hate anything that involves hurting animals - mammals, birds, frogs - you name it), but the descriptions and character depiction were masterful so I pressed on.
The story - essentially of a father and his two younger children trying to track down Davy, the older brother who is on the run from the law following an incident that is all too understandable - is strong and unusual. But it is the characterisation that sets the novel apart. Reuben becomes so real that it's almost as if you're there with him and his sister Swede. Even in alien and unfamiliar situations it is impossible not to empathise with him.
It's also a very American story, a story that simply wouldn't work if set in Britain, and as such uses words that are often unfamiliar (probably less so if you're used to American films) - 'bushwhacked' being but one example - but it is so compellingly written and peppered with wry humour that nothing, even their father's 'miracles', seems far-fetched or unlikely.
At no stage did I find the story predictable. Once started, you just have to keep reading to see what happens in the end, and there are many surprises on the way. The author even managed to make the ending both sad but positive, and for me at least, entirely unexpected.
Do give it a try. I'm sure you can't fail to be moved, inspired, or at the least diverted by a few hours of compulsive reading.
Review: Leif Enger - "Peace Like a River". This book blew me away. It is Leif Enger's first novel and it is utterly readable with an ending that completely ambushed me. The story is written from the PoV of an eleven year old boy (Ruben) and is set in the 1960's. His elder brother (Davey) kills two town bullies and goes on the run. Ruben's father, Ruben and his younger sister (Sweed) set out to look for Davey, traveling through Dakota in the middle of winter. Also searching is a Federal Marshal (Andreeson) and its a race to see who finds Davey first. A simple story at its heart, but one with so many layers and twists that it ranks as one of those rare books that, having read it, one comes away feeling totally satisfied.
Lief Enger certainly knows how to cook up a good story and if you've not read it yet, then I highly recommend it.
Review: Peace Like A River is a wonderful novel. Of the many books I've read this year, it is my favorite. The plot is quick to grab you. The characters are well-developed and I was quickly drawn into caring about them. In fact, I shed a tear over them. It is a beautifully written story.
The book is tagged christian fiction, and the father is very religious, but the book will appeal to all who read it.
| |
| | |
| |
|
|
|
| |