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The Roundtable

Leif Enger's "I Cheerfully Refuse"

By Joe Donahue
Published August 23, 2024 at 11:33 AM EDT

Leif Enger hailed as a storyteller of great humanity and huge heart is the author of the New York Times bestseller “Peace Like A River” which has sold well over a million copies and “Virgil Wander” both novels beloved by readers all around the globe for grace, charm, and depth of meaning.

“I Cheerfully Refuse” is his latest novel set in a not-too-distant America. A tale of a bereaved and pursued musician embarking under sail on a sentient Lake Superior in search of his departed deeply beloved bookselling wife.

Amidst the Gulliver like challenges of life at sea and no safe landings Rainy, the endearing bear of an orphean narrator, is lifted by physical beauty, surprising humor, generous strangers, an unexpected companion, and a young girl who comes aboard. The novel is a symphony against despair and a rallying cry for the future.

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Joe Donahue
Joe talks to people on the radio for a living. In addition to countless impressive human "gets" - he has talked to a lot of Muppets. Joe grew up in Philadelphia, has been on the area airwaves for more than 25 years and currently lives in Washington County, NY with his wife, Kelly, and their dog, Brady. And yes, he reads every single book.
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