Written by Leif Enger, Reviewed by Erica
This novel got a lot of publicity last year when it was selected as the candidate for “If All of Rochester Read the Same Book”. Turns out the hype was much deserved. This is one of the best books I’ve read lately, incorporating a detailed plot with a cast of characters so life-like I felt as if they were friends. The Land family includes father Jeremiah, a man of miraculous faith; Davy, the eldest brother who ends up on trial for murder and escapes from prison; Rueben, an asthmatic boy of 11 and the story’s narrator; and Swede, the younger sister who has a knack for writing epic Westerns. Though the story explores the weighty definitions of right and wrong, Enger infuses humor throughout and ends the work on an unexpected note. Highly recommended.