The Bauer Confidential

Facebook is a dangerous thing.  All those top 5 lists and notes are great time wasters.  When the favorite books lists started to appear, this one was on the top of one of my friends.  Since it was available at the library and I needed something to fill a little time each day, I decided to give it a go.  The story of the Land family, Peace Like A River follows this family through tragedy and miracles.  Narrated by the middle child Ruben, a child keenly aware of the value of breathing because of terrible asthma, the Land family becomes embroiled in a feud that has dire consequences for all involved.  There’s some thing unusual about Ruben’s father, his touch seems both miraculous and dangerous, both a gift and a curse.

This story is difficult to review without giving away too much.  Set in the upper plains states in the 1960’s, cold permeates the novel, as it mostly transpires during the winter.  The Land family crosses the barren landscape searching for the oldest child Davy, abandoning all they know to bring the way-ward son home.  They find much more than they anticipate, but loose more than they ever imagined in the process.

I enjoyed this book, though the micraculous aspect might be off-putting to some.  My favorite character was the youngest child, and only girl, Swede.  She’s got amazing strength, courage, and literary flare befitting a different century.  Her epic poem about outlaws and bountyhunters of the old west was my favorite part of the book and makes this book a worth-while read.  I couldn’t help but think all that the children in this book seemed wise beyond their years, though not completely immune to the foibles of childhood.  This book requires a pretty serious suspension of disbelief, but the closeness of the family, their love and sacrifices are moving.  This book is not particularly light-hearted, dealing with serious subjects though it has humorous moments.  The writing is quite good and I enjoyed it.