A Novel that cover Everything

When you are a member of a Book Club you get a variety of reading to do. How my book club works is in December at the Christmas Party everyone has a chance to recommend a book for the following year and explain why it is your choice. In January all the recommended books are placed in a basket and eleven books are drawn out for the coming year. I must say I have read more novels this year than I care to write about but since this is epinions and I write reviews so this is what you will get.

This month’s book is Peace Like a River by Leif Enger and I should add that it was a National Bestseller published in 2001. If you would read all twenty-nine recommendations and praises for this book you would think it would be a blockbuster. Just a sample here: ”Peace Like A River serves as a reminder of why we read fiction to begin with” by San Francisco Chronicle, “There are miracles in this book, of faith and family and place, that come alive by the breathless climax” by The Seattle Times, The narrative picks up power and majesty, then thunders to a tragic, yet joyous, climax” by Detroit Free Press, or “A rich mixture of adventure, tragedy, and healing ..a journey you simply must not miss” by The Christian Science Monitor When I re-read these comments after reading the book I began to wonder what is wrong with me this book left me frustrated.

To say this book had it all is about right, it has birth, religion, miracles, tornado, murder, motherless children, more miracles, escape from prison, chase by Federal agents, prayers, Airstream trailer, poetry, snow storms, chase on horses in snow, illnesses, asthma, pneumonia, romance, accidents, Badlands, death, more poetry and western literature. I suppose I could just leave it go at this as that about covers the 311 pages in this paperback book. It leaves you staggering to even try to finish the book but I did finish it.

Basically it starts with the birth of the boy who narrates the entire books. His name is Reuben and is called Rube most of the book, the first miracle happens during his birth as the little boys lungs were not completely formed and was presumed dead until his father Jeremiah willed him to live. From this opening chapter it jumps to the family going to South Dakota and hunt geese, Jeremiah, oldest son Davy, Reuben and young sister name Swede. Jeremiah explained to the children about the times after Davy’s birth a tornado sweeps through the college town and Jeremiah was carried four miles to a farm place and had no injuries, another miracle. That is about it for the mother that is mentioned until several chapter later when it just mentions that she left when Jeremiah quite college after the tornado and took up farming. She wanted bright lights and that was about all that was said of her.

The family lives in a small Minnesota community were the father is a Janitor at the public school. Times are hard until an event happens to change everything, Jeremiah catches two boys attacking a girl in the girl’s locker room and he beats them up. The girl was a friend of Davy. The boys vow to get even with his family so they are all on guard. They tarred their front door, kidnap Swede for a while then return her with bruises and Jeremiah will not retaliate. After more episodes Rube hears them in the house late at night and Davy kills both of them with three shots. Davy is arrested, put in jail, goes through a trial and escapes as he could see the trial was going against him. Now this is the basis of the book and the chase goes on as he was never found.

All the events that occur are told by Rube and Swede as they are inseparable. Swede is the smart one only eight years old and Rube is eleven but has a lung problem and is always being treated. Swede writes the poetry and there is a story line in her poetry that goes on throughout the book. Jeremiah gets fired from his job as janitor and another miracle happens but not worth repeating. He then gets ill with pneumonia and with no income Rube takes on dismantling a shed for a man so they got $25.00 for groceries. There is more to that part of the story but it is not worth it.

For some reason since Jeremiah befriended a traveling salesman, he was left a Airstream trailer in the man’s will. Now that Jeremiah is recovering they decide to take off and look for Davy. They return to South Dakota a visit relative and find Davy had been there. They take off again with the Federal Agents following as they were sure he went to the Badlands to hole up. They spot state police in towns and could not stop for gas but finally find a wayside one on Sunday and knock on the door and a woman answers. She gives them gas lets them stay the night and a blizzard hits and is the biggest one for years. They are snowed in for days, and they decide they like this woman and a romance starts with Jeremiah and Roxanne the owner of this way side gas station.

The Federal agent stops by and convinces Jeremiah he should help find his boy and bring him to justice. Rube gets ill and a Doctor says he has had Asthma for years so he is put to bed to recover. After he is better he is helping with chores and sees a rider on a horse and is sure it is Davy. He takes off wading through the snow up the mountain and sure enough he finds Davy. He keeps it a secret but it finally becomes known and there are more snow chases up and down the mountains of the Badlands.

Davy escapes, Jeremiah dates Roxanne then they return to Minnesota and get married. They live on a farm outside of town when Davy comes to call. A shoot out occurs and Jeremiah gets shot, Rube has an asthma attack and then there is a dream sequence of both he and his father running as if on their way to death. Jeremiah dies but Reuben is saved and his lung become whole again with another miracle. Davy escapes to Canada, Swede becomes a famous writer. Rube marries the girl who was with Davy in the Badlands and everybody lives happy ever after.

Now that is the crux of the story but it is all the added stuff that just sends you crazy. I never could figure out why this book was called Peace like a River as there never was much peace or a river to speak of. This book could have been shortened by 100 pages for me and omitted the stories within the story. KEEP IT SMOOTH, KEEP IT FAST PACED AND FICTION COMES ALIVE!!