Peace Like a River

Reuben Land is the 11-year-old protagonist and narrator of the story. He views his role as witness to his father’s miracles as his reason for telling the story and as the reason he was granted life. Reuben is a complex character with a rich history and personality. The transformation his character undergoes within the scope of the narrative informs the book’s coming-of-age subgenre.

Two key motivations influence Reuben. The first is his chronic asthma. He opens his narrative with the line, “From my first breath in this world, all I wanted was a good set of lungs and the air to fill them with” (1). Asthma attacks plague him throughout the story, putting limitations on him during the best days and making him fear for his life on the worst. Reuben’s second key motivation is his role as witness to the miracles he believes God works through his father. His miraculous birth shaped his belief that he “was preserved in order to be a witness” (3). Since Reuben is the only one to see or notice many of the miracles surrounding his father, fulfilling this role feels crucial and gives him purpose.