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Peace Like a River

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Peace Like a River

Written by: Leif Enger
Narrated by: Chad Lowe
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Born with no air in his lungs, it was only when Reuben Land's father, Jeremiah, picked him up and commanded him to breathe that Reuben's 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 1960's midwestern life of the Lands is upended when Reuben's brother Davy kills two marauders who have come to harm the family. 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, and they cover territory far more extraordinary than even the Badlands where they search for Davy from their Airstream trailer.

Sprinkled with playful nods to Biblical tales, beloved classics such as Huckleberry Finn, the adventure stories of Robert Louis Stevenson, and the westerns of Zane Grey, Peace Like A River is at once a heroic quest, a tragedy, a love story, and a haunting meditation on the possibility of magic in the everyday world.

 Coming of Age

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I had a hard time getting into this one initially. But by the end I was really enjoying it. As others have said, the music interludes are annoying and unnecessary. The reader is great. The plot is sad, but I enjoyed seeing it through the boy's eyes. I wish they made it a little more clear about the apparent miracles the boy saw - helped you to see it through the boy's eyes, and told you if it really was unexplainable or not. I wish there had been a better outcome for Davey. His sister's poetry is great, a neat thread throughout. Overall I recommend it as an enjoyable listen :)

Enjoyable but sad

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