Chattahoochee Mama

For a synopsis of Leif Enger's Peace Like A River, go here. There's just too many goodies to unpack, so I won't waste space giving a summary.  

Okay, first of all... LOVED this book. I loved all of the characters. Even though they differed drastically in many ways, I found there was something in each of them to which I could relate. I especially loved Swede. As quirky as she was, I couldn't help admiring everything about her... her imagination, her precociousness, her epic tale about the cowboy Sunny Sundown, and how she always kept Reuben in check. There are so many parallels we could explore about her poem but I guess that would take having an actual bookclub.=) 

Something else I wish we could discuss is the overt spiritual presence in the story... Did you like that? Did you think it too much or too little? I was apprehensive about this book for that very reason. I have found that religious protagonists are more often than not extremely alienating, but I didn't find this to be the case with Jeremiah Land. There was nothing preachy about him and he never forced his children or others to think or believe like he did. It seemed all 3 of his children grew up with different beliefs about God and His place in our lives.

Davy is such an interesting character to me. He is essential to the plot and yet we don't see him for several chapters. I was immediately intrigued by him when he asked Reuben if he thought God watched out for them, and when Reuben said, Of course... Davy asked, Do you want him to? Although, Davy always seems acutely aware and accepting of his actions and consequences, he is forced to spend his life as a wanderer... never completely safe or at peace. And it makes me wonder... does that reflect his spiritual unrest?

The title was like a constant reminder that someone heroic would die. So it didn't really seem tragic when Jeremiah gave up his life for Reuben. Beautiful and redemptive, if anything... but not tragic. So I guess I thought the ending was perfect. I loved how Enger brought full circle Jeremiah's ability to perform miracles, which resulted in him saving Reuben at both the beginning and end of his life. Sending him back without asthma was proof that a miracle had taken place, and Reuben would always be his witness.

So much more to say, but so little space.=) For a more in-depth exploration of the book, go here for some thoughtful discussion questions.

What did you love most about the book? Please leave a comment or link to your own review below!

Tomorrow is HOOCHEE BOOK CLUB day! Hope you've all finished Peace Like A River, because I am really looking forward to reading your posts and comments. I'll have a Mr.Linky ready for you bright and early tomorrow morning.=)

I'm anxious for Friday when I get to read all of your Hoochee Book Club posts and comments about Peace Like A River. I got a late start and I'm still not quite finished... but I've been reading in my spare moments and am hoping to be done by Wednesday.  

Something I am doing - and not totally sure why - is counting the number of miracles that Rube's Dad is connected to and performs. I thought it'd be a fun way to keep me actively involved in the story... but I'll let you know if it produces any relevance to me by the end. Also, this book is chock full of great quotes and I am loving the writing style. But that's all I'm gonna say for now.=)

I'm getting excited about the deadline coming up for our current reading selection, Peace Like A River by Leif Enger. You still have until Friday, February 27th to finish the book and report back on what you thought. I'll post a Mr. Linky so you can link your own blog if you have one.... I'm really looking forward to reading all of your posts and comments about the book!