Peace Like a River, by Leif Enger (BOOK REVIEW)
Reuben 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 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 Midwestern life of the Lands is upended when Davy, the oldest son, kills two marauders who have come to harm the family; unlike his father, he is not content to leave all matters of justice in God’s hands. 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–among them a free spirit named Roxanna, who offers them a place to stay during a blizzard and winds up providing them with something far more permanent. Meanwhile, a federal agent is trailing the Lands, convinced they know of Davy’s whereabouts.
With Jeremiah at the helm, the family covers territory far more extraordinary than even the Badlands where they search for Davy from their Airstream trailer.
“Many a night I woke to the murmer of paper and knew Dad was up, sitting in the kitchen with frayed King James - oh, but he worked that book; he held to it like a rope ladder.”
This book was so rich. So full of goodness, wisdom and emotion. I wasn't really sure what to expect going into this book, but wow.
In all of my reading, I don't generally read a lot of literary fiction, so this book really exposed me to the genre. It felt a lot like a memoir and the writing had a very poetic side to it.
Something that was really cool about this book, was that it was told from the perspective of the little boy, Reuben. To get a story like this one, from a child's perspective was really thought-provoking. The thing that really got me about this book, was Reuben observing his father; so powerful. His father sets this amazing example of what a Christian is, and Reuben just absorbs all of it. His thought process of watching his father pray, or go to church services, was really cool. It felt familiar when I read those parts, because I can even remember some of the thoughts that went through my head when I was younger and saw adults praying or speaking in tongues.
With such a rich view of the way that this family lead their lives, the plot to this book wasn't crazy good. The beginning of it kind of surprised me, but after that it was a lot of travel which can get boring after a while. But the author did a really good job of tying you in, with so much wisdom and lessons in every chapter of this book. I don't know how else to explain the vibe of this book, other than; sweet and beautiful. It was just really beautiful. Unlike anything I've ever read before.
Though it was a slower book, I always loved reading it when I got the time to sit down and just allow the author to do his job. It was a really cool experience reading this. So if you want to read a moving and heart-wrenching story, I encourage you to read this book. When I first started this book, I started tearing up on the first page, so make sure to buckle-up for a wild ride of emotion, if you read this book.
"Make of it what you will."
I give this book a 7 out of 10 and recommend it to ages 14+
PRESS HERE to purchase this book.
Happy Reading!
-Ariana
.png)
Comments
Post a Comment