#1 in Faith
#5 in Faith & Spirituality
#40 in Biographies & Memoirs
#48 in Christian Faith
Written by Mary Haarmeyer & Craig Beeman
When a brutal attack unfolds in broad daylight, most people freeze. Sixteen-year-old Canaan Bower did not.
Raised in a close-knit family in Las Cruces, New Mexico, Canaan was known for his kindness, humility, and strength—both on the wrestling mat and in his everyday life. But when he witnessed a man assaulting a mother and attempting to abduct her children, instinct took over. Without thought for his own safety, Canaan intervened, tackled the attacker, and held him until police arrived. The story made national headlines—but the quiet boy at its center never sought attention. He simply did what he believed was right.
Peaceful Warrior tells the true story of Canaan Bower—not only the day he saved lives, but the life he lived before and after. Through the lens of his parents, his friends, and the community forever changed by his example, authors Mary Haarmeyer and Craig Beeman deliver a powerful, deeply moving portrait of grief, resilience, and the ripple effect of doing the right thing.
More than a hero’s tale, this book is a call to action—a reminder that even the smallest acts of love can create waves that reach far beyond what we can see.
Peaceful Warrior: The Canaan Bower Story was written by Mary Haarmeyer and Craig Beeman. Canaan Bower is a quiet boy who lives with his family. His mother, Kara, is very sweet and loving. His father, Troy, is very into football and has an easy rapport with Canaan. And his brother, Branson, was very tall and well built. It was Branson’s birthday, and the family had all gathered around to celebrate.
Later that night, while Canaan was sleeping soundly, a fierce thunderstorm raged outside his house. The next morning, Canaan got up early and was clearing off the large rocks and some boulders that had covered the street. He was concerned innocent motorists might not see the rambles in time and get into a wreck. One of his neighbors drove up slower and asked Canaan what he was doing. He explained about how the heavy storm left all the debris on the road, and she was very thankful he was taking care of his neighborhood. She wanted to brag to his mother about him, but he asked her to keep it to herself.
Canaan was a very thoughtful young man. He liked to help people, whether it was a call from a distressed friend in the middle of the night or a new student at school; he just wanted to help. He had a sweet, innocent heart that overflowed with love for his family, friends, and community.
I really enjoyed reading this very personal account of the Peaceful Warrior. You can feel how much love his family held for him. You can feel how much he meant to his friends and his school. I liked how well the book is written. There is nothing I found I didn’t like about the book. This is a wonderful book for people who enjoy reading true stories. Actually, this is a wonderful book for anyone with a heart to read. There was only one minor typo. I give this book a strong 5 out of 5 stars. I recommend it to everyone, because we all have a heart.
Being someone who reads predominately fiction, I was excited to venture into the nonfiction genre for this book, particularly as I familiarized myself with the inspiring individual this is based on.
To begin, this book is not written in a typical non-fiction format of relying on heavy information dumping, but in the style of a narrative story written in third person. Per both authors’ histories in screenwriting, the writing style places the reader not within the heads of the characters, but outside the scenes as if the story was being played out on stage. This gives the reader the ability to experience the scenes with a sort of zoomed out lens, of which coupled with the fact each chapter chronicles a separate event in which Canaan played an influential role in somebody’s life, unveils the true meaning and depth of the story.
The story itself does not solely focus on the actual event that catapulted Cannan Bower into the hero we remember him today. In fact, the main climax does not even occur until chapter 12. While some may struggle with the pacing, I believe the authors intentionally wrote it this way so the readers could grasp what truly made Canaan a hero: his character. Leading up to the convenience store incident, we see example after example of Canaan being a light in so many people’s lives. Whether it be his own family, friends at school, or the community in general, he truly touched so many people’s lives in such a short lifespan. After his story went viral, the added fame did not take away his compassion and humility. In fact, he was obviously quite uncomfortable in the spotlight which just added to his overall loveable nature. By the time the book came to its inevitable conclusion, I felt as though I had become a friend of Canaan myself.
Something I would like to mention is the use of faith throughout the book. It appears as though the Bowers were Christian or at least shared like-minded values. It was mentioned enough times for the reader to grasp the foundational moral compass that molded Canaan into the selfless person he was. That being said, I feel as though non-religious people alike would be able to enjoy this book as well since the spiritual talk is not so in your face.
In conclusion, I feel as though I came out of this book a better person than I went into it. The fact Canaan was younger than me and yet still exuded such grace and wisdom, made reading his story such a humbling and even spiritual experience. In the inspirational front alone, I have to give this book full stars! Personally, I feel as though this book should become a mandatory read within our education system. Similar to how we have ‘Rachel’s Challenge’ to combat bullying, we should have ‘Canaan’s Challenge’ to teach young people how to become true heroes themselves, having an unconditional love for others.
