Peace Like a River

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This article is about the novel by Leif Enger. For the song written by Paul Simon, see Paul Simon (album)

Peace Like a River

Author	Leif Enger
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre(s)	Novel
Publisher	Grove/Atlantic Inc.
Publication date	2001
Media type	Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages	320 pp
ISBN	9780802139252

Peace Like a River (2001) is a best-selling novel by Leif Enger, who took the title from the lyrics of the hymn "It Is Well with My Soul", which was performed at his wedding. Enger wrote the novel to amuse his family, taking story suggestions from his children and giving the lead character asthma to encourage one of his sons, also an asthmatic.

A film version starring Billy Bob Thornton is scheduled for release in 2009.[1]

[edit] Plot introduction

The novel is narrated by Reuben Land, an eleven-year-old boy suffering from severe asthma who lives with his unusual family in a small Minnesota town in 1962. His mother abandoned the family years before; his younger sister and best friend, Swede, writes epic poetry at age eight; and his father, Jeremiah, a school janitor, is a man of faith who quietly performs miracles – one of which is to bring Reuben to life after he is born dead.

The Land's quiet lives are disrupted one night when Reuben's older brother Davy kills two intruders and is charged with murder. When he escapes from jail during his trial, the Lands leave home to go in search of him.

They go first to their best friend August Schultz's farm after receiving a discreet post card hinting that Davy might be there. When they arrive, however, they find Davy has left but also receive an update on him. From there they continue on the road. As they search, however, they repeatedly encounter a federal agent named Martin Andreeson, who is also on Davy's trail.