• Peace Like a River

  • By: Leif Enger
  • Narrated by: Chad Lowe
  • Length: 11 hrs and 35 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (2,380 ratings)

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Peace Like a River  By  cover art

Peace Like a River

By: Leif Enger
Narrated by: Chad Lowe
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Publisher's summary

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 1960s 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 even more extraordinary than 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.

©2001 Leif Enger (P)2001 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"Actor Chad Lowe reads with a warm, deliberative voice perfectly suited to Leif Enger's meditative and melodic story of a family's search throughout the West for its outlaw son. Lowe doesn't attempt any verbal flourishes, nor does he try to give specific voices to different characters. Instead, he simply and beautifully reads aloud - slowly enough for Enger's evocative prose to shine and with just enough emotion to magnify this tale of the redemptive power of love." (AudioFile)

What listeners say about Peace Like a River

Average customer ratings
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  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    1,574
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Story
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  • Overall
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    4 out of 5 stars

Very good story

It was a book any family could relate to.The narration was very good as was the story line.Worth the money

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A great coming of age book

I have listened to over 100 books on tape. The narrator made this the most poetic book I have ever listened too. The writing and its Christian message was a welcome relief to most novels today. Much like ”To Kill a Mocking Bird”. You will not be disappointed!!!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Real people in the day

The story is wonderful! The time is a time when people were real, I loved the narrator. Would recomend this story to anyone. Well worth the money and time.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A wonderful read!

I love listening to this! So well-written. I'm glad that it was recommended to me!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A Pleasantly Surprising Provocation to Read

Read it with my wife as part of her book club. I found the book surprisingly intriguing. The reader was excellent and the topic unique. Provocative!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderfully written and read

Throughly enjoyed this story. My husband and I listened to it while on trip from Pennsylvania to Florida. We traveled 12 hrs and 10 hours and this book entertained us. I highly recommend this audio book.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Literature not just a story

Wonderful descriptive phrases draws you into the characters.the story line is not predictable, convinces you that there still are truly good people out there. Narrator was perfect for the tenor of this book.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great story!!

A bit cheesy with the narration.. but a very well written book of humor, family bonds and miracles!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

So enjoyable!

The story draws you in and you don’t want to stop listening. A good clean listen for those who don’t want to hear cursing.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

intriguing and captivating

love the family loyalty and getting inside the head of an 11 year old boy. loved the father in this book.

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