Peace Like a River by Leif Enger

311 pages

"Leif Enger's best-selling debut is at once a heroic quest, a tragedy, and a love story, in which 'what could be unbelievable becomes extraordinary.' Enger brings us eleven-year-old Reuben Land, an asthmatic boy in the Midwest who has reason to believe in miracles. Along with his sister and father, Reuben finds himself on a cross-country search for his outlaw brother who has been controversially charged with murder. Their journey unfolds like a revelation, and its conclusion shows how family, love, and faith can stand up to the the most terrifying of enemies, the most tragic of fates." -Back Cover

First of all, this book is beautifully written prose. I love the title and I love the author's mastery of language and description. His words flow on the page. (And as a bonus there's not an ounce of profanity.) He's also a great poet. Swede's ongoing poem about Sundown and Valdez is as captivating as the story itself and I enjoyed how it mirrored elements of it.

There was one aspect of the story that I got kind of hung up on and that made it a bit less enjoyable for me overall: the "unbelievable" never became "extraordinary" for me. It just stayed unbelievable. I believe in miracles but things like Reuben's dad healing the superintendent's scarred face after being fired and walking on air while praying in the back of a truck were too much for me. It's as if the author was trying to make him into some sort of prophet. I could believe in his revelations about where to look for Davy or having the gas last longer than it should have in their car and I could even believe him forcing Reuben to breath as an infant, essentially bringing him back to life, but I just couldn't buy into the rest of it.

I did like Reuben's dad. He's a good example of forgiveness, tolerance and love. While he never stopped loving his son and protected him, he never condoned what he'd done. His relationship with the traveling salesman and the federal agent are evidence of his compassion. The author does a good job of handling Davy and the consequences of his actions, never glamorizing it. I did not see the ending coming. Overall, a great read.