:: peace like a river/pages 19-69 ::

[photo by Megan Dunham. She was drinking Coca-Cola Zero, as you can see.]

Good grief, where to begin? I took nine pages of notes! I'll try my best to narrow 'em down. This will be a challenge since within pages 19-69, events happened in epic proportions, it seemed to me. That word "epic" popped up a lot, too. Let's look at the definition (warning - I'm a serious dictionary nerd):

-a long poem, typically one derived from ancient oral tradition, narrating the deeds and adventures of heroic or legendary figures or the history of a nation.
-the genre of such poems.
-a long film, book, or other work portraying heroic deeds and adventures or covering an extended period of time.

I believe Swede is typing out her own epic, don't you? I love the juxtaposition of her cowboy poetry with the Land family's unfolding drama. I may be wrong, but I see some correlations between the characters in her poem, her family, and their enemies. I see Sunny Sundown as Jeremiah Land, and Valdez as Israel Finch & Tommy Basca. I see two narrators, though. Swede the Writer is obviously one, but Reuben is the other - he often calls himself a witness. He takes his role quite seriously, both to bear witness of his Dad's miracles, and to everything that goes on around him:

"But a witness must obey his strengths, and mine, forgive me, lie in keeping the story moving."
[page 33]

Somewhere in these pages Reuben describes he and Swede as a pair. He was disturbed when she shut him out of her room, to work on her epic. And though he has a keen eye for what happens, he cannot write with a poetic spin - only Swede can. It's as if they need each other, and will always need each other. Do you agree?

Their conversation on pages 68-69 made me laugh. As a writer, I knew what Swede meant by, "Just because I write it doesn't mean it really happened." But after chuckling, I wondered, if Valdez does represent the evil of Finch and Basca, why couldn't Swede kill Valdez? Then I began to think, after Davy shot those two boys, did she begin to see Davy as Valdez? I thought, Surely not. But then I recalled her emotional reaction to Davy's shooting - so intense that Jeremiah had to restrain her in the bathroom. And, she didn't seem happy with Davy at all when they visited him in jail, though she did eventually hug her brother.

What do y'all think? Why can't Swede kill Valdez?

And about that murder, or self-defense - which was it? When I first read pages 48-50, I thought the line, "I heard the dry complaint of the kitchen floor" was brilliant. What a perfect description of a dreadful sound you do not want to hear in your home in the dark of night. Your heart would stop for fear of an intruder. I read that phrase and knew an awful scene was about to occur. And then, of course, Davy shot those two boys dead; the family's enemies wiped out. My first assessment of the encounter was self-defense. However, Basca and Finch did not attack this time. Sure, they were planning to, but before they could, Davy shot 'em down.

On second thought, I jotted this in my journal:

"Since the murder was gruesome, I liked that the writing was not dramatized. Basca and Finch were evil, but this murder was just that - murder. No fight beforehand (for self-defense). After all, Davy said, "I meant to do it." [page 51] I think he was waiting for the opportunity - to take matters into his own hands (in contrast to Jeremiah who allowed God to use his hands. Up to this point, Jeremiah defended Dolly, but did not kill)."

I'd like to know, do you think Davy committed murder or practiced self-defense?

[forgive me, but my thoughts will jump around here today ....]

"A word here about this business of taking a breath." I just want to say that Reuben's description of his asthma on pages 19-20 is accurate. I understood all too well, as a former (minor) asthmatic. If you ever have to think about breathing to any degree, it is torture. Reuben's asthma worries me. He's a good kid, but he seems rather fragile with asthma. Basca and Finch are now dead, but I sense more danger to come, and I'm concerned for Reuben. Remember when Jeremiah was praying and air-walking? He uttered Reuben's name, not Davy's. [page 18]

Is it just me, or do you keep an eye out for Reuben, too?

I was fascinated by Jeremiah's explanation of the principle of "escalation." I believe that term of war builds on the foreshadowing of a great battle on page 4:

"If he were here to begin the account, I believe Dad would say what he said to Swede and me on the worst night of all our lives:

We and the world, my children, will always be at war.
Retreat is impossible.
Arm yourselves."

Just typing that quote gives me a cold chill. Why is Reuben remembering his Dad in the past tense? I don't think I want to know yet, since we haven't see the worst night of their lives. And what about this quote?

"But Dad had spoken correctly: They did not know they'd already lost."
[page 34]

.... Referring to:

"What those fellows don't realize is, we've already won. The victory is ours."
[page 25]

I, of course, thought he meant that Basca and Finch would get theirs, and they did, but do you think Jeremiah's opinion of victory is something greater?

Another quote that sent a chill up and down my spine:

"'Onward Christian Soldiers.' Nearing the hour mark I closed my eyes and saw a picture of myself, from the side, a runnel of blood sliding out of my ear."
[page 30]

Something big is a comin' for sure.

I absolutely loved the miracle starting on page 24. Jeremiah defends Dolly, beating Basca and Finch witless, Jeremiah's face glowing like the moon, and the only luminescence in that darkened locker room. He did indeed seem like an angel - smiling, strong, though his eyes were sad - I think due to the boys' evil natures. It's also interesting to me that the miracles in this book are not the big, main events. They almost quietly occur, an assumed part of the narrative. They just happen. Always astounding, but Jeremiah never speaks of them.

Well, except for that wonderful tornado story. I was literally swept away by Enger's description of the powerful storm:

-"a pale umbilical rope"
-"a strong slender lady hip-walking through campus."
[pages 52-53]

And HELLO - did anyone predict Mrs. Land leaving her family?! When I read that, I said aloud, "No!" I thought she died, not abandoned her children. It made me admire Jeremiah even more. For one thing, he speaks fairly well of his wife, the woman who left him and his children. And he is a great father to love and care for his children as he does. You can tell that Jeremiah, Davy, Reuben, and Swede are a close-knit clan.

The tornado story also revealed interesting aspects of Davy's character. Though I believe he committed murder, and he glimmers with danger for sure, he loves his family deeply. The way he slaved over that saddle for Swede, and even the murder - he was sick and tired of the danger imminent to those he loved.

But Davy did not believe Jeremiah should have survived that tornado. It seemed wrong to him, in his perception of God. The idea of a protective God bothered him. Davy wanted to do things himself, even own up to the charge of murder and not accept self-defense. Such a plea would imply that he did not control his actions, his life. Davy makes me nervous, but he is very intriguing.

Also, why did Superintendent Holgren hate Jeremiah so? Why in the heck did Holgren make him clean that disgusting, foul school basement? Was he scared of Jeremiah? Did he have a friendship with the Basca and Finch families? And how amazing was Jeremiah to dutifully clean up the sewage? It said a lot about him to me - he just quietly did his job. I don't think he enjoyed it or believed he deserved it, but he obeyed.

And now, because I'm a writer and drool over Leif Enger's sentences, here are a few of my favorites:

"I remember it as October days are always remembered, cloudless, maple-flavored, the air gold and so clean it quivers."
[page 40]

"The afternoon was still bright and smelled of wheat stubble and warm dust."
[page 42]

"Is it hubris to believe we all live epics?"
[said Swede - that word "epic" again - page 55]

"The weak must bank on mercy - without which, after all, I wouldn't have lasted fifteen minutes."
[said Reuben - I love this quote - page 56]

I know that I've left out quite a bit from pages 19-69. There is so much ground to cover! This is where y'all come in ....
What were your thoughts on these pages? What stood out to you?


* - [I'll be reading pages 70-128 for next week's discussion. I love how Enger labels the chapters. For example, the next four: "When Sorrows Like Sea Billows Roll", "Late in the Night When the Fires Are Out", "A Boy on a Horse", and "By the Grace of Lurvy." Very telling.]