#5

'" We're out of food, Rueben," she answered.
Having used great gestures describing the canoe I planned to purchase and the adventures we would enjoy thereafter, it irritated me that she would change the subject,
"Well, let's go get some then."
"We can't."
I really did need it spelled out for me; the truth is, I'd been wondering when Swede would take the initiative and suggest we go up to the Red Owl for groceries. We ofter did the shopping, the two of us, pulling our painted wagon, Dad's money in my pocket; in the winter we used a toboggan.
"If we spend any more money right now," she said, "we shall be broke."
Her Emphasis on shall put me in mind, as it was certainly meant to, of Pastor Reach, whose inflections left you in no doubt of his good sense. I was smitten into silence while Swede stacked dishes in the sink and ran water on them and waited for me to make myself gallant.
But I was more interested in canoes than gallantry. I was annoyed that we were our of money and Christmas almost here; also that Swede knew we were out of money before I did, and her younger then me. I was annoyed that I'd worked hard to earn twenty- five dollars and now would have to give my twenty- five dollars to Otto Schock, the Red Owl man. There was a lot to be annoyed about, and I could afford to grouse because Dad had eaten his small breakfast and thanked us and gone back straightaway to his bed of exhaustion. I stood festering in the kitchen. "You don't want the canoe, then?"
I like to believe we have all said things that approach this in stupidity (122).'

This passage made me realize how strong a nine and an eleven year old children are. When their dad is sick they go out and work for money and sacrifice things they want for the family. Even tho Ruben really didn't want to give up his twenty- five dollars for groceries, he does. An eleven year old is always thinking about themselves and what they want; to give all of this up took strong courage.
In the end of the passage Swede makes a comment about how he must not want the canoe anymore. This builds Swedes strength and ability to stay positive in some of the worst situations. They are without food, money, and a father for the moment, and she can still joke around with each other and make remarks that near the line of stupidity.
Will they find Davy?
What will they do about mr. andreeson?
How will they afford for themselves till the dad is better?
Will reuben get sick?

#4

'"Come on, Reuben, I've got soup ready!"
She squared me up at the table and set down a bowl of something white- not what you think of as soup, though dumplings bobbed on the surface. "It's villing!" she announced.
I know what it was, It was hot milk with a little sugar stirred in, also some butter and a shake of cinnamon (111).'

I related with this passage because i grew up eating the same exact food but with white rice mixed in with the milk instead of dumplings. I have never heard of anyone else to ever eat this. I was amazed when this passage appeared in my book.
The passage also illustrates how hard the smallest daughter can work. She prepared the meal for the father while he was sick and shows that she is a very strong young child. She has the power to lead the family in a hard time even tho she is the youngest.

#3

'But gradually- oh, it hurts!- something began to work on me. I began to have, of all things, self-confidence. It crept up like an oily friend. It seemed to me that Elvis began to look less certain of hemself, walking to and fro. Clearly he'd expected I'd be putty by this time. ...
Turning back to me, Elvis smiled. "Reuben, was Davy angry that night?"
He thought I was hesitating out of fear to answer the question. I confess to you now I was only looking for the right voice- something legionnaireish. Oh, I still wanted to do my best by Davy, I haden't forgotten him; but I wanted to sound smooth doing it, you see. Like a hotshot, Mighty Stinson would've said.
Elvis prompted. "Something like that happening to his little sister- say, I would've been upset, a thing like that."... "No sir, Davy was as easygoing as anything."...
Then Elvis said gently, "Now Reuben. Haven't you told us how your brother sticks up for you? Protects you?"
I had (89-90).'

This passage lays out a self guilt that Reuben holds for atleast a little longer in the story. This was the downfall to Davy's court case. It creates more of a character for Reuben of how he is a brother and wants to help his brother out but ends up in sending his brother to jail for his self confidence in answering the court questions. It tells the reader that this is not a perfect family. That one of the children has murdered two people and is going to jail. The steriotypical family is not this family. This passage shows that the family's whole life will turn around because of this one case. Nothing will be the same without the oldest of the children. What will end up happening to Davy? The two kids talk about breaking him out, but will they?
What will happen the the Land family and how will it function without him? Will they go back to school after this since they didn't right after it happened?

#2

'Minutes later I woke: Davy was poking me in the side. Finger to his lips, he nodded east. A lone snow goose was approaching, fighting the wind, making low questioning honks at our flock of rags. I put my face against the ground, trying not to move- a goose is an easy bird to spook, The loner's honks got louner and more confident as it decided to land for breakfast. It was utterly fooled. I'd actually started feeling sorry for the doomed bird when Davy grabbed my shoulder and spun me so I lay on my back. He jammed the Winchester into my hands.
"Take him, Rube." (7)
This passage demonstrates the strength and love in the family. Reuben is too young to hunt but his older brother offers an easy shot to shoot. This is a strong connection of the family and how through hard times to come, they must still stick together. Maybe listen to the younger children and give then a chance. Or maybe now he will feel special about himself and his brother but later on he might dissapoint his older brother. Why did they randomly decide to go hunting? Why did they leave home at 11 oclock at night just to go to the farm to hunt? Why was Davy being so quiet in the car and not talking to the father?

Peace Like a River

'When I was born to Helen and Jeremiah Land, in 1951, my lungs refused to kick in.
My Father wassn't in the delivery room or even in the building; the halls of Wilson Hospital were close and short, and Dad had gone out to pace in the dame September wind. He was praying, rounding the block for the fifth time, when the air quickened. He opened his eyes and discovered he was running - sprinting across the grass toward the door,
"How'd you know?" I adored this story, made him tell it all the time.
"God told me you were in trouble."
"Out loud? Did you hear Him?"
"Nope, not out loud, But He made me run, Reuben. I guess I figured it out on the way."
...
When Dad skidded into the room, Dr. Nokes was sitting on the side of the bed holding my mother's hand. She was wailing- I picture her as an old woman here, which is funny, since I was never to see her as one- and old Nokes was attempting to ease her grief. It was unavoidable, he was saying; nothing could be done; perhaps it was for the best.
I was lying uncovered on a metal table across the room.
Dad lifted me gently. I was very clean from all that rubbing, and I was grat and beginning to cool. A little clay boy is what I was.
"Breathe," Dad said
....
"Reuben Land, in the name of the living God I wam telling you to breathe." (1-3)

This passage helps to get the idea through that this is a religious book. The characters of the book will be religious and believe in God heavily. It also shows that this family is very close if Reuben had heard the story many, many times. The passage said that whenever he heard the story he always thought of him mom as being a old crone, so he must have heard the story multiple times. This passage also helps the reader to realize that this story will be all about someones life. You can assume that it would be Reuben because he said I in the story.

What happened to the mom? She is never mentioned after this point.
What are the three miracles that the father has done?