"Peace Like A River" written by Leif Enger

I must confess that I've had a copy of this book for several years now where it's been sitting on the shelf of my "to read" books. Several times over the last four years I have picked it up, looked at it and put it down but I finally read it this week. I know that a book can't be judged by its cover, but this one (although it came highly recommended to me) just wasn't looking very appealing. However, once I actually began reading it I was sorry it took me so long to get to it! It's an unusual story of a family, set in the midwest with a wonderful cast of characters and an intriguing plot, but what I really loved about "Peace Like A River" was Leif Enger's prose. He is clearly a master storyteller, but he also has a wonderful poetic style of writing that is simple yet evocative.

When I find myself thinking about a book days after finishing it, I know I have read something worthwhile. Together the characters, plot and setting create a powerful story of faith, love and family that raises as many questions as it seeks to answer. The Land family (interesting choice for their name) consists of Jeremiah (the dad), Davy (oldest son), Reuben (11 year old son) and Swede (their sister/daughter). They are poor in material wealth but rich in love and spirit. When faced with a terrible string of events that end with Davy running from the law, their faith - both in God and each other - keeps them strong. Despite the tragic events the family suffers, this is a well-written and uplifting story that has more than enough complexity to make it an excellent book club choice.

"Mudbound" written by Hillary Jordan

Life in the Mississippi delta circa the late 1940s was not an easy one - especially for the McAllan and Jackson families. The Jacksons are sharecroppers on farm property recently purchased by the McAllans. There is a symbiotic relationship between the families - they need each other to survive. Farming in the delta is a harsh life for Laura McAllan who is college educated and used to more genteel surroundings. World War II has just ended and prejudice (between the races, between the sexes, between the classes) is abundant in the delta. The Jackson's oldest son, Ronsel, returns home after fighting on the German front only to find the war of prejudice he left behind still raging. Ronsel and his family come to realize that sometimes we simply have to fight against injustice and that sometimes, we have to do something "wrong" to make things right.

Hillary Jordan creates memorable characters that are very believable and transforms their individual stories into something larger than themselves. It is a bittersweet tale about the human condition and our capacity to love and to hate. It is about the transforming power of love and as Laura tells us in the second chapter, "The truth isn't so simple. Death may be inevitable, but love is not. Love, you have to choose". We have the power of free will to choose how to live our lives - whether to hate or to love, to fight or walk away, to cheat or be faithful. Part of the human condition is making those choices and living (or dying) with them.

I personally enjoy hearing the same story told from different viewpoints and thought that Hillary Jordan used this convention very successfully. Each of the characters has a distinct and interesting voice- I looked forward to hearing from every one of them. I found Mudbound to be a compelling read and highly recommend it for a great book club discussion.