Thursday, July 9, 2009

Books by Leif Enger

I absolutely loved Enger's first book, Peace Like a River, and have recommended it to many people. If you haven't read it yet, you should because it has great characters, a wonderful story line and incredible prose. Peace Like a River is narrated by Reuben "Rube" Land, an asthmatic 11-year-old boy, living in small-town Minnesota circa 1962. When Rube's older brother, Davy, kills a schoolyard bully, the whole family, including his sister "Swede" and their father, embark on an epic adventure across country.

Enger's second book, So Brave and Handsome, is narrated by Monte Becket, a former postman who wrote a bestselling novel but who now suffers from writer's block. Monte is happily married and has a young son but can't decide if he has another book in him or if he made a mistake quitting his job with the post office. He meets Glendon Hale, a self-confessed rascal seeking redemption, and follows him across country while being pursued by Charles Siringo, a real-life bounty hunter who infiltrated the Butch Cassidy gang while working for the Pinkerton detective agency.

Both books use the imagery of the old west as background for the main storyline. Enger has a way with words that will make it difficult for you to put either book down once you start reading.

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