Deftly written and emotionally powerful, Drowning Ruth is a stunning portrait of the ties that bind sisters together and the forces that tear them apart, of the dangers of keeping secrets and the explosive repercussions when they are exposed. A mesmerizing and achingly beautiful debut.Winter, 1919. Amanda Starkey spends her days nursing soldiers wounded in the Great War. Finding herself suddenly … suddenly overwhelmed, she flees Milwaukee and retreats to her family’s farm on Nagawaukee Lake, seeking comfort with her younger sister, Mathilda, and three-year-old niece, Ruth. But very soon, Amanda comes to see that her old home is no refuge–she has carried her troubles with her. On one terrible night almost a year later, Amanda loses nearly everything that is dearest to her when her sister mysteriously disappears and is later found drowned beneath the ice that covers the lake. When Mathilda’s husband comes home from the war, wounded and troubled himself, he finds that Amanda has taken charge of Ruth and the farm, assuming her responsibility with a frightening intensity. Wry and guarded, Amanda tells the story of her family in careful doses, as anxious to hide from herself as from us the secrets of her own past and of that night.
Ruth, haunted by her own memory of that fateful night, grows up under the watchful eye of her prickly and possessive aunt and gradually becomes aware of the odd events of her childhood. As she tells her own story with increasing clarity, she reveals the mounting toll that her aunt’s secrets exact from her family and everyone around her, until the heartrending truth is uncovered.
Guiding us through the lives of the Starkey women, Christina Schwarz’s first novel shows her compassion and a unique understanding of the American landscape and the people who live on it.
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Beautifully written, this character-driven novel examines the relationship between two sisters and how a tragic incident brands their lives and their families forever. The psychological tension and extraordinary imagery throughout kept me turning pages.
I read this book years ago, and recently picked it up again when it was a bargain read. I had mixed emotions second time around. While the book was well-written it was dark and disturbing. The book takes place in the 20s tells the story of Amanda, an army nurse, who goes back home to give birth to her illegitimate child. She lives with her sister, …
I read this book years ago, but the story still sticks with me. It’s about time to break it open and read it again. Loved the characters, the setting was perfect for such a haunting plot. If you’re looking for a well-written book that will stay with you long after the last page, then give Drowning Ruth a read. If Oprah likes it, you know it must …
This book caught my interest right away and kept it right through to the end. It was a little predictable but good right to the end.
SUCH a good, easy read. Wasn’t a thriller, but was a complex and introspective story with believable events and understandable and empathetic characters. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly reccomend.
I found it difficult to follow at first,but then got pulled in and wanted to just keep reading. I loved how the story goes back and forth in time…it gave tremendous insight into the characters struggles and triumphs.
good book.
A really good story about sister relationships, their roles in the family, relationships with men, etc. it also involves a few family secrets and how they influence the lives who keep them, and those who learn of the secrets much later.
I kept reading to figure out the “secret” that is kept until the end of the book. Meanwhile, the rest of the story kept me interested.
While the book was good, the characters were not that engaging to me.
A good read but kind of took the long way around to get there.
Interesting story with some unexpected twists and turns in plot.
My first Ophra Book Club book. Engaging
I had high hopes for this book because the premise was interesting, plus all the hype it received from “Oprah’s Book Club.” The book started out good, then I found myself struggling to keep moving forward. I was determined to finish it though, and when I did my 1st thought was “that’s it?” Somewhere along the way it fell flat and frankly I am …
Interesting and unusual characters. Kept me reading, surprisingly ending. Good read.
I loved this book so much! I read it with my book club and we all agreed it is a must read!!
Great ending but at times hard to read with the “voice” changes.
I read all the time, really, all the time. I move from one book to the next. This book, I literally could not put down because I had to find out the truth.
Tragic story, not sure if I liked it;but couldn’t stop reading it.
Drowning Ruth is a good book. It’s original, with interesting story lines and characters, succeeds in not being obvious as it unwinds. It has a unique opening that makes you want to read more. BUT, like so many of today’s books, it loses out because it goes on too long and then veers into the unlikely, betraying the characters.