Peace Like a River: By the Grace of Lurvy Summary & Analysis

Christmas looks bleak for the Lands—Dad finds irregular work, but soon comes down with a bad cough. Reuben and Swede wonder if they could look appropriately grateful if they receive only oranges for Christmas like poor characters from books do. Ten days before Christmas, Dr. Nokes visits for tea and finds Dad's cough alarming.

Reuben says that years later, Dr. Nokes said his main concern wasn't Dad, but Reuben, as his asthmatic lungs would never be able to handle pneumonia. Back in the narrative, Dr. Nokes convinces Reuben that while Swede needs practice being a nurse and should care for Dad, Reuben should talk to Mr. Layton about tearing down his unused corncrib (a ventilated outbuilding used to dry and store corn). Dr. Nokes tells Reuben that he has a strong back and Mr. Layton will pay him. Reuben is flattered and falls for the trick to get him out of the house and away from Dad's pneumonia.

Reuben begins the job of taking down the corncrib in the middle of December. While the corncrib looks ancient, Reuben struggles to make any progress with his crowbar. When he returns home for lunch, Swede offers him a bowl of villing (milk and sugar with dumplings). Reuben isn't impressed and tells the reader this is "sick food."

Swede tells Reuben that Dad is worse, and his lungs are filling up like Reuben's do. Hearing Dad thumping his chest, Reuben goes into Dad's room. Dad asks Reuben if this is what it feels like when Reuben struggles to breathe. He asks Reuben if he'd like to move to New Mexico. Reuben thinks it sounds fantastic, but Swede asks what will happen if Davy returns and they've left Roofing. Reuben tells Swede that Davy would find them, and says that New Mexico is still out West. Reuben loses himself in a daydream about his family riding together in New Mexico. He realizes that he went into Dad's room to help but never asked Dad if he needed anything. He offers Dad a glass of water and then eats his villing, which he finds good.

Back out at the corncrib, Reuben encounters a young boy named Raymond in the corncrib. Raymond is extremely congested and asks Reuben if he can watch the corncrib come down. He sits and talks about all manner of things while Reuben works on the corncrib. Finally, Reuben discovers that he's been struggling because his crowbar is bent incorrectly, and his progress accelerates as he figures out how to use it properly. Raymond asks Reuben if his brother is a murderer.

Reuben says that while the corncrib was the hardest work he'd ever done at that point, he realized soon that Swede's job of caring for Dad was harder. One night, after Reuben returns home, he stands at Dad's bedside and watches him sleep. Dad's breathing is so labored that Reuben thinks of his own scary nights and fearfully shakes Dad awake. Dad asks Reuben to pound his back, and his breathing becomes easier.

Reuben finishes tearing down the corncrib a few days later. He wishes that Raymond were there to watch as he piles up the slats and posts. When he gets home, Swede is in a foul mood. She takes Dad his dinner but won't speak to Reuben. Reuben plies her with half a candy cane, and Swede finally motions to their Christmas cards and says that they haven't gotten one from Davy. Reuben wonders out loud if any historical desperados sent Christmas cards, which doesn't sway Swede. Their conversation is interrupted when Mr. Layton knocks on the front door. He refuses to come in, but pays Reuben $25 and two candy bars for his work on the corncrib.

Swede and Reuben spend two days wondering what fantastic things $25 could buy. Reuben wishes he knew what Bethany Orchard wanted for Christmas so he could buy her a present. On December 23, Dad finally gets out of bed. Reuben, overjoyed, runs to help Swede make oatmeal for breakfast. At Swede's request, Reuben searches several places for sugar or syrup, but they have none. They settle on putting wrinkled apples in the oatmeal. When Reuben goes to fetch Dad for breakfast, he enters Dad's room and comes face to face with a man he barely recognizes. Dad isn't wearing a shirt, and looks like a skeleton.

Later that morning, Reuben tells Swede that he'd like to buy a canoe. Swede replies that they're out of food and have no money to buy more. Stepping out of the narrative, Reuben explains that he truly needed this spelled out for him, as needing to spend his hard-earned money on groceries annoyed him for a variety of reasons. Reuben silently fumes as Swede washes dishes, and Swede begins to describe a scene from Little Women in which one character sells her hair to buy a train ticket for another. Reuben realizes with disappointment what has to be done.

Reuben lists some of the foodstuffs he and Swede buy. Dad is especially happy with the coffee, and remarks on Reuben's strength as he drinks his cup. Then they hear a knock on the door, and Swede leads a man in a suit with a federal ID into the kitchen. This man says he is Andreeson, a federal investigator tasked with capturing Davy. Andreeson asks Dad to contact him if Davy makes contact, and says that the feds are involved now because Davy likely crossed state lines. As Andreeson says goodbye, Dad tells him that they won't speak again.

That night, Swede tells Reuben how the outlaw Cole Younger was captured after a bank raid. The night before Younger was to go on trial, the sheriff promised Younger that if he could name the killer of one of the bank tellers, he'd ensure Younger's freedom. In the morning, Younger handed the sheriff a paper that said, "be true to your friends." Reuben thinks this is a fantastic display of loyalty, although he feels compelled to mention several other historical figures that performed similar acts of loyalty.

On Christmas Eve morning, Swede wakes early and begins preparing Christmas dinner, saying she can't wait for actual Christmas. Reuben and Dad spend the day wandering through the house smelling the food smells wafting out of the kitchen. Finally, Swede sets the table and calls them for dinner. Someone knocks at the door, and Dad goes and lets in Mr. DeCuellar and Mrs. DeCuellar, carrying gifts for Swede and Reuben. They also offer Dad the keys to Tin Lurvy's Airstream—Lurvy died unexpectedly, and left the Airstream to Dad in his will. The entire party moves dinner out to the trailer. Reuben asks Dad why he keeps laughing, and Dad answers that he prayed that morning for either Davy to be sent home, or for them to be sent to Davy.