Miracles

Peace Like a River is a novel built on miracles; the book even begins and ends with miracles. First, it must be emphasized that the miracles in Peace Like a River are thought to be worked by God solely through the hand of Reuben's father, Jeremiah Land. Second, they have a deeper significance than the event in which the miracle takes place.

The first miracle in the book occurs when Reuben is born. He cannot breathe and his doctor cannot get him to do so. Twelve minutes after he stops breathing, Jeremiah comes into the delivery room and commands Reuben to live in the name of God. And lo and behold, he does. Reuben witnesses a miracle that his father performs while praying, although Jeremiah was apparently not aware of it. One night, Jeremiah was praying in the back of his truck and walked on air without realizing...