Negative peace? Can something as positive as peace unfortunately become negative? Throughout the book Peace Like a River by Leif Enger, a negative atmosphere sets in, surprisingly. When the story itself maintains a positive influence, it's almost as if the negativity takes on greater dominance. In this novel, narrated by the middle child, Reuben, who suffers from severe asthma, the reader is introduced to the very unique Land family. Jérémie, the father and main support of this family, has three children, two boys and a girl; Both Reuben and Davy are older than their Swedish sister. However, Helen, Jeremiah's wife and mother of three children, left the family when Jeremiah changed his career to become a school janitor. The Land family, however, is plagued with problems, causing the novel's negativity. It all started when Jeremiah was cleaning the boys' locker room after a football game; later, he heard screaming coming from the girls' locker room. When Jeremiah arrived on the scene, he witnessed a brutal sight; Davy's girlfriend Dolly was being abused by Israel Finch and Tommy Basca, two of the town's bullies. In an act of resolve, Jeremiah beat the boys, but the high school dropouts vowed revenge. To get away from the brutal scene, the Land family then takes a trip to where Jeremiah grew up, in North Dakota. Jeremiah's good friend August Schultz rented the family a farm for a few days, helping the Lands in their time of need. However, on their return to their house, the Lands found their front door tarmaced, undoubtedly the work of Finch and Basca. The sadness is even greater when the two tyrants kidnap the Swede on her birthday. Although she returned, the Swede is later seen with bruises and doesn't quite seem middle of paper...... helpless, financially and emotionally. Finally, throughout this novel, a negative mood tends to invade the storyline. Once something positive attempts to make its way through the darkness, it is almost immediately brought down by a negative turn. From the beginning of this novel, a negative outlook is induced when it seems that Reuben will not survive because of his small, faulty lungs. Additionally, the continued torment of the Earth Family through the actions of Israel Finch and Tommy Basca has resulted in even more palpable negativity. Finally, the economic depression also tortured the Land family as they continued to struggle to make ends meet throughout their daily lives. Due to the lack of positivity in Peace Like a River, it is safe to say that the novel has an extremely negative vibe; However, this fact may soon change in the scenario.