Peace Like a River

Since the day before school officially let out, the Deatherage family has been traveling together. We loaded up our big, color-changing Suburban and drove across the very long state of Tennessee until we reached Fifty-Six, Arkansas, the town where my dad grew up. My uncles, aunts, third cousins, great aunts, and great uncles came in from all over the country for the Family Reunion. We all converged with a great crush of hugs and kisses and exclamations, “Abby, is that you? You’re so big now!” “Little Zachary, the last time I saw you, you were only this big!” For the family I don’t know very well, the reunion provides a very cool time to get to know them. For the family I’ve grown up with, know, and love, the unconditional love is so soothing to be surrounded by. There’s no pressure on me to be cool, or funny, or fun to be with. I’m simply myself. That’s the best kind of family you can have.

Now, the six Deatherages are in Wyoming, tucked in a little house within the Tetons on Triangle X Ranch. It’s beautiful, majestic country, unspoiled by human development. The ranch sits in a glacier-made valley, surrounded by bunches of sage-brush and trees. As I write this, I can see rocky, jagged mountains, snow clinging to their peaks. They hang in the sky, wisps of clouds surrounding them, and seem all too divine to be a part of this rugged earth. Horses graze on the other side of me. Real cowboys stride past, confident, drawling, competent.

Surrounded by such country, who could resist writing about cowboys? Leif Enger, the author of Peace Like a River, lives in Montana, which I’m certain is just as beautiful. To me, it’s no small wonder that both of his books have maintained a delicious flavor of the true Western spirit. While not outwardly an actual outlaw, cowboy showdown Western, Peace Like a River resonates with adventure and romance. The Land family is the central focus of the novel: Swede, the youngest, is spunky, bright, and forceful. Reuben, the narrator, has weak lungs, and as a result is one of the weakest in the family. Though older than Swede, he follows her lead meekly. The oldest is Davy, handsome, headstrong, and cocky. And the cornerstone of the family is the Dad, a man of amazing faith, who walks with God in the same way Enoch was said to do in the Old Testament. Little miracles happen with him around, but they don’t make the Land’s life perfect. In fact, it ends up just the opposite when Davy goes to jail for shooting two boys, out for revenge on the Land family. When he escapes from jail, the family sets out after him on a literal and figurative journey of faith.

Peace Like a River is one of those books you just want to luxuriate in. I read each sentence carefully, just because Enger’s language is so beautiful. His descriptions are innovative, fresh, and beautiful, and his prose clear and figurative at the same time. You’re not drowning in metaphor, but swimming through a clear pond as you read. And the characters and so enjoyable and real. Swede is probably my favorite, though she rivals Roxanna. On a side note, Swede aspires to be an author, and we’re treated to some of her poems, which are excellent! Enger should have been a poet! Swede’s verses are clever, and so is her dialogue. The family feels like your own, like the cousins you always look forward to being with. And if that’s not reason enough to read it, it’s also a book I feel I could analyze forever and still not grasp the depth.

Strong themes resonate through the text; some are of family, of that binding love and “through-thick-and-thin” commitment. Reading this during the family reunion only served to strengthen my notice of this particular theme. Dovetailing family is forgiveness: the Land family has to deal with the consequences of Davy’s actions and forgive him, as well as those out to capture him. And the strong thread, twining everything together, the solid foundation of the story, is faith. The Land family’s faith supports them through every problem they encounter, and Enger’s portrayal of their faith is realistic. He doesn’t assume or imply that because of their faith, they are shielded from every bad thing. He simply shows a family walking in faith in the good and the bad. It’s something I love about the book, an accurate and encouraging example of real-life faith.

Beautiful in it’s language, depth, and clever characters, Peace Like a River’s element of faith is the best aspect of the book and a compelling Christian example of walking in faith. Reading it, God become near and powerful, not a distant majestic power. Although the characters are fiction, I see them as a role model for living in faith in daily life. What must it feel like to wake up every single morning knowing that only God can control your day? Isn’t that how we should feel every single day? I can only say that as I walk in my faith, Peace Like a River will remain a beautiful example to me of true faith.