Peace Like a River by Leif Enger - 9780802139252 - Compare Prices on New & Used Textbooks, Cheap Textbooks

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).

		Peace Like a River by Leif Enger ISBN-10: 9780802139252 ISBN-10: 0-8021-3925-6 ISBN-13: 9780802139252 ISBN-13: 978-0-8021-3925-2 Paperback 2002-08-20 Atlantic Monthly Press Find Lowest Price
Editorials

Amazon.com's Best of 2001 To the list of great American child narrators that includes Huck Finn and Scout Finch, let us now add Reuben "Rube" Land, the asthmatic 11-year-old boy at the center of Leif Enger's remarkable first novel, Peace Like a River. Rube recalls the events of his childhood, in small-town Minnesota circa 1962, in a voice that perfectly captures the poetic, verbal stoicism of the northern Great Plains. "Here's what I saw," Rube warns his readers. "Here's how it went. Make of it what you will." And Rube sees plenty. In the winter of his 11th year, two schoolyard bullies break into the Lands' house, and Rube's big brother Davy guns them down with a Winchester. Shortly after his arrest, Davy breaks out of jail and goes on the lam. Swede is Rube's younger sister, a precocious writer who crafts rhymed epics of romantic Western outlawry. Shortly after Davy's escape, Rube, Swede, and their father, a widowed school custodian, hit the road too, swerving this way and that across Minnesota and North Dakota, determined to find their lost outlaw Davy. In the end it's not Rube who haunts the reader's imagination, it's his father, torn between love for his outlaw son and the duty to do the right, honest thing. Enger finds something quietly heroic in the bred-in-the-bone Minnesota decency of America's heartland. Peace Like a River opens up a new chapter in Midwestern literature. --Claire Dederer
Product Description 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).
Reviews

A gem on every page Not a bad page in this book. I first found myself marking pages, then marking passages, and, finally, typing out my favorite lines. He's got that many. I've never done that before. This is an inspiring, gifted, unusual read. Great mix of spiritual, supernatural, and down-to-earth goodness. You won't be disappointed.
different voices of characters The prose is so beautiful and the poetry the daughter writes is wonderful. That one author could write the prose and the poetry too is amazing! Each character has a distinct voice which is not true in so many stories. I loved this book.
Among best books This book has everything...extraordinary writing, a good plot, wonderful characters, range of emotions--from sadness to elation, pathos, poignancy. It is a great read. Have read many books this summer and this one continues to be among those I treasured most.
Great Read! Just finished this book and loved it all the way through to its fantastic ending. What a storyteller.... I highly recommend this for everyone to read!
One of my favorite novels ever I didn't want this book to end. I savored the last few chapters and made them last. I went to bed early to read because I enjoyed this book so much. My favorite thing about this book was the voice it is told in. The protagonist/narrator is so down to earth, self effacing, and interesting. I just bought Mr. Enger's second book. I hope it is as good. I hope you enjoy it too!