A short and sweet mini review of Leif Enger’s novel, Peace Like a River.
“People fear miracles because they fear being changed…” —Enger, Peace Like a River
A striking book about a family who faces the unthinkable when teenagers rush into their home bent on evil and end up with evil visited upon them. Enger’s effortless prose (with a bit of poetry from delightful Swede, the bright and courageous little sister of the family) carried me into the world of Reuben. Rube feels that he is on earth to be a witness to his father’s miracles, but he can’t figure out why his father can’t heal his own son’s brutal asthma. And when the family undertakes a long journey after tragedy strikes, it seems that their miracles are all gone. Eventually, though, Rube finds out that,
“Fair is whatever God wants to do.”
This book will be one I return to again and again. I’ve enjoyed some of the most beautiful novels I’ve read in years this year, thanks to some excellent recommendations. And I remember why I still love fiction as much as I did when I was a child.
Another novel I enjoyed this year: The Lincoln Highway. See more mini reviews here.