Peace Like a River, Leif Enger

Characters

Jeremiah Land – was studying to be a doctor, but changed career paths after being caught in tornado Helen – wife, abandoned family, married a doctor Davy Reuben Swede – writer, future professor Swede’s two characters: Sunny Sundown and Valdez Killed by Davy: Isreal Finch and Tommy Bacca August and Birdie Shultz Tin Lurvy – traveling salesman, gave Jeremiah the Airstream trailer Thomas DeCuellar – defense attorney Martin Andreeson – federal investigator Roxanna Cawley Jape Woltzer – helping Davy, waiting for world to change (page 229), “Mr. Robinson,” planning to kill Andreeson Sara

For Discussion:

NOTE: Page numbers are from the paperback edition.

1. At the very beginning on page 4, Reuben narrated that his Dad would tell Reuben and Swede that, “We ard the world, my children, will always be at war.  Retreat is impossible. Arm yourselves.”   What did he mean?
2. Reverend Johnny Latt was described as a “Bible-thumper.”    Dad said to Reuben, “Everybody thumps something, Reuben” (page 28).   What did he mean?  What do you “thump?”
3. Consider the “miracles” attributed to Jeremiah in the book: reviving Reuben at birth (page 3), walking on air (page 17), healing the face of Supt. Holgren (page 80), repairing the rip in the saddle (page 48), the soup that kept increasing (page 47), and the car driving on empty gas tank.  What did you think about these?   If you are familiar with the Bible, do you see a parallel?  Do you think the author meant for the reader to see a parallel?
4. Why did the “miracles” stop when the family met Roxanna (page 292)?

5. Isreal Finch was written as a bad person, and yet when Reuben saw Isreal’s father he wondered, “Was it possible that real loss had occurred at the death of Isreal Finch? That real grief had been felt?” (page 132).  Why do you think the author gave the reader this insight?  What was the author trying to communicate?
6. What did you feel about Davy’s guilt or innocence in killing the two boys who had broken into the house?
7. Were there any truly “bad” or “evil” characters in the novel? 
8. Why couldn’t Swede kill Valdez in her stories?
9. What did the references to western outlaws such as Butch Cassidy, Bob Younger, Charlie Pitts, and Joaquin Murieta who was betrayed by his little brother (276) add to the story?   
10. Did you like Swede’s poems?  Did they add to your enjoyment of the novel?
11. When Reuben earned $25 dollars and the family was out of food, he offered the money for food instead of the canoe he wanted to buy.  Swede suggested to Reuben that his good deed of giving the money would not be as heroic if the family had to ask him to do it instead of him volunteering (page 122-3).   Does someone asking you to do a good deed lessen the goodness of it?
12. Do you think there is any significance to the crow the family saw on the road in North Dakota?  Jeremiah told the children, “All the years I spent in North Dakota, that’s the first crow I ever saw hit on the road” (page 133).
13. When Andreeson asked Jeremiah if August and Birdie Shultz had seen Davy, he told the truth even though his friends had lied and said they had not seen him.
14. Did Reuben betray his brother when he finally told that he had been seeing him (page 275)?  Did Reuben have a choice?
15. Did you enjoy the writing style?  Many of the sections ended with a question that foreshadowed what was to come.

*****
First Semester Success, 2nd Edition, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available as a ebook and hard copy from amazon.com and hard copy from wordassociation.com.  Click on the upper right link.