Enger s poetic prose sparkles, illuminates and warms the heart. The novel is set in americas heartland in minnesota and north dakota. Its tough to give magic realism an allamerican spin, since god always seems to. Leif engers latest could easily veer into saccharine territory. A rich mixture of adventure, tragedy, and healing, peace like a river is a collage of legends from sources sacred and profane from the old testament to the old west. Lovely, forbidding lake superior inspires minnesota. The new virgil may have vertigo, but he also has acquired some gumption.
Leif enger s lifelong loves gave wings to his third novel, but it almost never saw the light of day. In 1915 minnesota, novelist monte becket has lost his sense of purpose. A stunning successor to his best selling novel peace like a river, leif enger s new work is a rugged and nimble story about an aging train robber on a quest to reconcile the claims of love and judgment on his life, and the failed writer who goes with him. His writing is a smooth mix of romanticism and gritty reality, recalling the old wests greatest cowboy stories.
Now, kites play a big part in virgil wander, his first novel in 10 years after peace like a river and so brave, young, and handsome. His new novel is a stunning successora touching, nimble, and rugged story of an aging train robber on a quest to reconcile the claims of love and judgment on his life, and the failed writer who. Appearing just as terrorists flew planes into the twin towers, engers story about a saintly. From the first page of leif enger s first novel, set in the dakotas midtwentiethcentury, the miraculous and the gritty coalesce in a fashion seldom seen in our day. Less so for once in a distant while there comes a novel that brings me to tears as i turn its final pages. Leif engers first book, peace like a river established him as a gifted storyteller. Leif enger to speak in sierra madre that evokes his new novel leif enger in conversation with kpccs john horn. Leif engers new novel brims with grace and quirky charm. Such is the plight of virgil wander, who gives leif engers new novel its name and is one of the most engaging protagonists ive encountered in years. The first novel in ten years from awardwinning, bestselling author leif enger, virgil wander is a sweeping story of new beginnings against all odds that follows the inhabitants of a hard luck town in their quest to revive its flagging heart.
Leif engers miraculous valerie ryan, the seattle times novel is a perfect book for an anxious time. Leif engers new novel brims with grace and quirky charm the. After his car plunges off a cliff into the icy waters of the lake below. A new voice of the midwest arrives in leif engers virgil. It is particulary gratifying, then, to invite you to meet leif enger here at rakestraw books on friday, 26 october 2018 at noon. Booksellers have chosen virgil wander, the first book in a decade by novelist leif enger grove press, october 2, as their numberone selection on the october indie next list when virgil wanders car flies off the road into lake superior, the midwestern movie house owner emerges from the lake alive, but with his language and memory skills not completely intact. Our midwestern readers are the perfect audience for this book, and i cant wait to put it personally in their hands this fall. Leif enger s miraculous valerie ryan, the seattle times novel is a perfect book for an anxious time. I looked again at the cover and title that had drawn me to the book for a. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read peace like a river.
A western tale, so brave, young, and handsome june 17, 2008 set in the american west in 1915, leif enger s new novel, so brave, young and handsome, is. Now, kites play a big part in virgil wander, his first novel in 10 years after peace li. Wander is an orphan, a fallen seminarian, a movietheater owner. Buy peace like a river by leif enger online at alibris. Leif enger s peace like a river touched me in a similar way. Leif enger to speak in sierra madre that evokes his new. And that brings me to a book that i discovered a few years ago. Help about wikipedia community portal recent changes contact page. Leif enger is an american author who wrote the novel peace like a river. Mns leif enger releases new novel duluth news tribune. Hailed as one of the years top five novels by time, and selected as one of the best books of the year by nearly all major newspapers, national bestseller peace like a river captured the hearts of a nation in need of comfort. Book discussions the sioux city libraryweekender book club will discuss leif engers peace like a river on april 7 at the morningside branch library from 7. From the time leif enger was little, flying kites was an outofbody experience for him.
Leif enger may have made us wait 10 years since his last book, but his newest, virgil wander, is definitely. So brave, young and handsome is a novel about three men who are none of these things failed author monte becket who is the least brave of the three, retired train robber glendon hale no longer as young as he was, and aging detective charles siringo not young or particularly handsome as the book proceeds. Leif enger s new novel, virgil wander, is one of the most eagerly anticipated books of 2018. We know how many of you loved his debut, peace like a river, as much as we did, so we are sure that many of you will share our excitement for this new book. Minnesota writer leif enger s new novel on andrew carnegie medal fiction long list. What a gorgeous, quirky, and utterly charming book. The 1st novel in 10 years from awardwinning, million book bestselling author leif enger, virgil wander is an enchanting and. Leif enger s novel, peace like a river, is generating enough prepublication buzz that it is already being compared to charles fraziers 1997 surprise national book award winner, cold mountain. Coming soon new releases nook book bundles nook daily find nook foreign language. Leif enger will present her new hardcover novel virgil wander, followed by a discussion with the audience. It is the combination of a compelling story, vital characters, and sublime writing that fill me with awe at the writers ability and sorrow in bidding farewell to such a treasure. Leif enger news newspapers books scholar jstor june 2011 learn how and when to remove this template message.
Everything that once was rundown and rusted suddenly seems new and exotic, buffed to a striking shine. Leif enger will autograph his new hardcovers that are purchased from rainy day books at or prior to this event. Virgil wander is a lush crowdpleaser about meaning and second chances and magic. A longtime minnesota public radio reporter, enger published his first novel, peace like a river in 2001. Minnesota author leif enger, who moved to duluth this summer with his wife from central minnesota, recently penned a book entitled virgil wander, with lake superior, kite flying and surfing. Leif enger s debut, peace like a river, is one such work. Leif enger will present his new hardcover novel virgil. Leif enger was raised in osakis, minnesota, and worked as a reporter and producer for minnesota public radio for nearly twenty years. Once in a great while, we encounter a novel in our voluminous reading that begs to be read aloud. Leif enger s peace like a river is a beautiful, evocative first novel by a writer with an extraordinary range.
A new voice of the midwest arrives in leif engers virgil wander. Author interview leif enger, author of peace like a. A western tale, so brave, young, and handsome set in the american west in 1915, leif enger s new novel, so brave, young and handsome, is rife. Enger was born in 1961 and was raised in osakis, minnesota. Wherever you the reader are, youre made to feel, by leif engers writing, that smalltown minnesota could be home. And in these trumpian times, isnt that just the kind of book and protagonist were all searching for. As he regains his balance and mental stamina, he strikes up a friendship with an old man named rune, who has arrived from the arctic circle.
He lives on a farm in minnesota with his wife and two sons. Its an endearing yarn, set in a sleepy town near lake superior, inhabited by a quirky cast of characters and even quirkier raccoon and sturgeon. Leif engers third novel, virgil wander, centers on the eponymous protagonist who lives in the quaint, rustic town of greenstone, minnesota. We are practically a cult, we faithful fans of leif engers first novel, peace like a river. Within a few paragraphs of begining leif enger s peace like a river, i had to stop and smile and turn the book over to read frank mccourtsangelas ashescomments on the back one more time. Such is the plight of virgil wander, who gives leif enger s new novel its name and is one of the most engaging protagonists ive encountered in years. Lake superior inspires minnesota novelist leif enger. Leif enger s bestselling debut is at once a heroic quest.
The 1st novel in 10 years from awardwinning, million book bestselling author leif enger, virgil wander is an enchanting and timeless allamerican story that follows the inhabitants of a small midwestern town in their quest to revive its flagging heart midwestern movie house owner. Its been 10 years, but minnesota author leif enger is. Robin enger in any case, virgil s effort to rediscover himself is just one of several slowly developing quests in this warm and fuzzy place. Minnesota writer leif engers new novel on andrew carnegie. Peace like a river by leif enger 2002, paperback for. Leif engers dazzling new novel, virgil wander, has that perfect blend of a. Leif engers miraculous valerie ryan, the seattle times novel is a perfect book for an anxious time of great literary merit that nonetheless restores readers faith in the kindness of stories marta salij, detroit free press. Leif engers dazzling new novel, virgil wander, has that perfect blend of a wonderful sense of place our very own minnesota. The first novel in ten years from awardwinning, millioncopy bestselling author leif enger, virgil wander follows the inhabitants of a midwestern town in their quest to revive its flagging heart. Mark nichols of bank square books calls virgil wander, the first novel in 10 years by leif enger, a perfect remedy for those whose hearts ache. Leif engers peace like a river my favorite novel ttc. By day, virgil begrudgingly works as the town clerk, but by night, he is the proprietor of the empress, a fledgling movie theater that specializes in projecting its exclusive and illegal film collection. Such is the plight of virgil wander, who gives leif engers new novel its.
The title character suffers a concussion and loses part of his ability to. His second novel, so brave, young, and handsome, was also a national bestseller. Duluth you may well learn some new words by reading leif engers longawaited third novel, virgil wander. He worked as a reporter and producer for minnesota public radio from 1984 until the sale of peace like a river to publisher groveatlantic allowed him to take time off. Once you begin leif enger s peace like a river, you are carried away by the elemental surge of its story, the sheer eagerness to see what happens to the engrossing characters who exist far from the intrusions of the media in the timeless arena of family love and anguish over a lost member. His richly evocative novel, narrated by an asthmatic 11yearold named reuben land, is the story of reubens unusual family and their journey across the frozen badlands of the dakotas in search of his fugitive older.