Peace Like A River.
Written by Annie on October 27th, 2009
No one paid me to say this. In fact, I wish I could tell you that I knew the author of this book, Leif Enger, and he had asked me personally to blog about his first novel. I wanna know him. Leif, if this blog post pops up on your google alerts, hi. My name is Annie. I have just returned from swimming in the sea of your novel for the last few weeks and I absolutely adored it. Can we grab coffee sometime when you are in Nashville? I think I’m bound to be a better writer if we sit at the same table for a few minutes.
Our book club just finished reading Peace Like a River
Amazing. Deep. Thought provoking. Funny. Heartbreaking. Heartwarming. Beautiful.
I checked it out of the library. But I am going to buy a copy. THAT is the AnnieBlogs2009 stamp of approval. You get my money? You win. Congrats.
I’m not going to give you the back cover copy- I didn’t love it [no offense, Leif. I bet you didn't write that part].
The book is told from an 11 year old boy’s point of view- about his family and that one time his brother killed two other boys. It’s full of tragedy, miracles, prayer, asthma, an airstream trailer, murder, Westerns, outlaws, good food, love, and the spunkiest little girl I could ever have the pleasure of meeting.
I could see this book in my mind. Every scene, every page, is written with such precision and grace that it shows details without being pushy. The bad guys are REALLY bad. The good guys are DEEPLY good. The bad guys who end up being the good guys? You never see it coming. The ageless wisdom and responsibility of Swede, the daughter, is admirable and heartbreaking at the same time.
And throughout is a poem. A cowboy poem. You know the kind. The kind of poem that makes you feel like the bad guy is surely going to prevail and the good cowboy may not have enough time to rescue the girl before the campfire goes out. And that poem, woven from start to finish, stole my heart. My secretly-in-love-with-the-wild-west heart.
So there you go- I just had to tell you about it. I mean, what good is a blogista if she doesn’t give you reading recommendations?
So if you are looking for some fall reading, I vote Peace Like a River
Have any of y’all already read it?
27
AM
I recently read The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks in a day and a half. I cried like a baby.
Now I’m looking for something else that won’t be a let down. Sounds like this might be it. If only our library has it…
27
AM
And they have it! I’ll get it today. Thanks!
27
AM
it is one of my all time favorites!! love love love it!
27
AM
Wow. I’m intrigued!
27
AM
I read this book about a year ago and LOVED it as well. Just gave it to a friend last week. It’s just such a beautiful story- the end is the absolute best. I feel your love for it, Annie, and he finally released his 2nd book which I can’t remember the title of because it’s in a moving box somewhere- google it. It’s about boys and western stuff- looks good. I don’t like much fiction, but I LOVED this one- excellent writer!
27
AM
It’s on my list now!
27
AM
Guess I will be looking for this book on our little shopping excursion this weekend! Have you read “Same Kind of Different as Me”? I HIGHLY recommend it if you haven’t – just have tissue ready for like the last four chapters of the book!! That’s all Im saying …
27
AM
wow, the book sounds amazing!! def. will look into it!!
27
AM
I haven’t read it, but you sold me! I will read it next!
27
AM
Perfect timing…
27
AM
I’ve read the book! And I loved it as well–so powerful and thought provoking
27
AM
I read it! It was amazing. Now I can’t remember all the story but I do remember the effect it had on me and every time I see the cover I am brought back to those emotions. Words can’t express it but my heart takes a big sigh and lets go.
27
PM
Its on my shelf of way too many books I have purchased and have yet to read….I’ll move it to the top of the stack!!
27
PM
It’s right up there with my favorites!!! Love it…
27
PM
Yes yes yes. LOVE that one.
Someone may have already said this, but “So Brave, Young & Handsome” is good stuff, too. Very different, but good.
28
PM
Not only have I read it, I own two copies of it so I can loan it out. Because I love it. And you might not believe me, but just today I picked up one copy, paged through it, read some parts and thought, Hmmmm, maybe I should read this again. Now.
I also have “So Brave, Young & Handsome” on my shelf and thought maybe I should read that next. But probably I’ll just reread “Peace Like a River”. I need to read something really really really good right now.
29
AM
i read pace like a river in my novel writing class, and loved it. it’s not the kind of book i would pick up on my own, and i did not expect to finish the book and regret it because there wasn’t anymore to read. But that’s exactly what happened. Our teacher made us write a paper to defend whether the book is a good piece of literature or not, and it made me think through the story and how it’s presented, and in the end i realized we read the book for novel writing class because of how effortlessly leif enger ties in the poem with the story, and how subtle yet provoking the story is. so, in short, i agree with you that this book is a must-read. thanks for blogging about it — the book deserves to be chatted up
7
PM
Found this in a used book store in CO Springs today, and bought it… because of this blog.