Books › Peace like a river
Peace like a river
456 pages
A lyrical, wintry road trip through the 1960s Midwest where the miraculous and the tragic walk hand in hand.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like stepping into a crisp, snow-hushed Midwestern landscape where the ordinary world is quietly infused with the miraculous. The narrative unfolds at a steady, deliberate pace, carried by prose that is both grounded in gritty reality and elevated by a profound sense of wonder. It is a deeply earnest and tender exploration of family loyalty, faith, and the moral complexities of justice. The atmosphere is steeped in a nostalgic, almost mythic Americana, balancing the warmth of a fiercely loving family against the biting cold of a fugitive chase. It will deeply satisfy readers who crave soulful, beautifully crafted storytelling that treats faith and miracles with literary grace, leaving a lingering sense of bittersweet hope.
- Mood
- wintry
- miraculous
- quiet
- hopeful
- atmospheric
- Tone
- earnest
- reverent
- nostalgic
- tender
- mythic
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- everyday miracles · fierce family loyalty · moral ambiguity · chronic illness · divine justice · coming of age
- The writing
- Lyrical, unhurried, and deeply evocative, blending Midwestern pragmatism with a sense of the miraculous.
- The arc
- Moves from a fragile, sheltered childhood through a harrowing, morally complex journey, culminating in a bittersweet but profoundly grace-filled redemption.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love soulful, beautifully written family sagas with a touch of magical realism and deep moral resonance.
Content notes
- gun violence
- murder
- chronic illness
- death of a parent
About the book
"Raised on tales of cowboys and pirates, eleven-year-old Reuben Land has little doubt that miracles happen all around us, and that it's up to us to "make of it what we will." 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."--BOOK JACKET.
Description from Open Library.
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