A WRITER TURNS DETECTIVE TO LEARN WHAT HER MOTHER’S LIFE HAD BEEN LIKE BEFORE ALZHEIMER’S STOLE HER MEMORIES. A TRUE STORY OF FORGIVENESS AND HEALING.As fiercely independent Ruth struggles to stay self-reliant at the age of 86, each day brings her closer to an event that will alter her life forever. While her author daughter shifts through Ruth’s possessions prior to her move into a skilled … skilled nursing facility, she discovers a previously unseen photo from 1949 and realizes how little she knows of her mother’s life.
As Alzheimer’s continues to warp Ruth’s once sharp mind, she can no longer shed any light on the past. Yearning to know who her mother was as a person in her own right, the author painstakingly reconstructs Ruth’s life from photos, letters, public records and firsthand memories.
What emerges is a portrait of a bright, beautiful woman who is propelled through decades of broken promises and heartache, bouncing from one ill-fated relationship to the next, but always staying strong, always surviving. Through a timeline going back sixty years, the author gleans a much better understanding of the woman she had known only as Mom.
“SOUL-BEARING AND HEART-WARMING.” K. ANSBRO
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Disclaimer this is a beautiful life story that makes you weep in tears. Finding Ruth: A Daughter’s Quest to Discover Her Mother’s Past by Cynthia Hamilton is an amazing story that touches the heart of everyone who reads it. Alzheimer’s is a nasty condition that affects the family of the patient on a different level then the patient. This book is a wonderful story of a daughter’s love for her mother and what she finds out about the mother in her research. Cynthia Hamilton did an amazing job writing this story. This story took me on a roller coaster ride of emotions. I give a lot of credit to Ms. Hamilton. She is a strong woman to take the time to see her mother through her mother’s eyes. I highly recommend this story for two reasons. First, so that you can see the beauty around the life of the patient. Second to bond you closer to that person and try to see their life through their eyes.
Finding Ruth: A Daughter’s Quest to Discover Her Mother’s Past
By: Cynthia Hamilton
5 out of 5 stars
The story Finding Ruth: A Daughter’s Quest to Discover Her Mother’s Past by Cynthia Hamilton is a biography/memoir book. It tells the life story of the author’s mother. It is a tale that is emotional and also hard to put down. I found Ruth to be strong, intelligent, and at times stubborn. I found her story to be filled with love, disappointment, and at times despair. The book has a way of staying with you and I found myself thinking about it long after I had read the last page. There are descriptions of the different relationships she has as well as how through it all she took care of herself and her children. The author has pieced together her mother’s life through memories, photos, letters, and public records. There are moments that are heartbreaking. Don’t miss out on an amazing story of one woman’s life as told by her daughter which is sure to touch your heart. I highly recommend reading it.
“A beautifully written story of a soul’s journey!”
This is a story of Ruth. It’s told through the eyes of her daughter. After witnessing many of the trials and tribulations in her mother’s life, the author wanted to better understand the “person” who was behind the label of “Mom.” She started out by gathering up as much information as possible about her mother’s life. Armed with that information and her own personal remembrances, the author put her findings into story form. And she did it beautifully. This story unfolds in a way that enables the reader to not only understand the events in Ruth’s life, but to feel what she was feeling. More importantly for me, it gave me an overview of what I like to think of as a soul’s journey.
Ruth started out as a smart, extremely attractive young woman who was interested in the arts, beauty and life itself. However, as she stepped forward, eager to explore the world, she wasn’t prepared for the idea of a stable but unsatisfying first marriage. After five years, she decided to bravely leave that marriage in search of true love and fulfillment. However, once again, she found herself swept up by circumstances that were extremely challenging. Never seeming able to stay ahead of the trials and hardships that populated her life, she did her best for her children. She also continued to search for the elusive quality called love. However, as the years passed, she eventually found herself succumbing to the pain and failures she’d experienced. The harsh realities of life seemed to outweigh the good. A sense of bitterness ensued.
But that wasn’t the end of the story. Ruth developed Alzheimer’s. When I looked up the definition, I found that it’s a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. In Ruth’s case, it seemed to sweep away her mind’s agonizing memories and pain. In the latter days of her life, Ruth returned to the happy, cheerful person she’d once been. She wasn’t capable of caring for herself, but she was capable of loving freely again.
After reading Ruth’s story, I felt inspired by the fact that underneath all the bitterness that can result from a very difficult life, the beautiful heart and soul are still there. When the mind is cast aside, our true essence exists in a purity and innocence that we rarely experience in our normal state.
A searingly honest look at the rawness of family dynamics, and at the lengthy chain reactions which impact on the next generation. I was fascinated by the loyalty of a daughter doing her best for a mother who was emotionally distant, but that seems to be the case so often. Ruth repeatedly made the wrong choice of man, and part of me wondered what lay in her own parents’ lives to create that flawed judgement, and how far back those fractals crept on the family tree. Those relationships certainly impacted on Ruth’s children’s lives. The vintage photo of the beautiful woman on the cover made me chose this book, combined by my own interest in psychology, and I wasn’t disappointed. It delivers an honest look at Ruth’s enduring pattern of thinking with her heart rather than her head, of endurance in the face of adversity, the sheer bloody-minded determination of a woman set on doing her best for her children, but often distilling into a caustic bitterness. It lays out all Ruth’s humanity so poignantly, showing us a woman dealing with her own emotional anguish in the only way she knows how, and letting go of her anger as her memories break down through the decline of Alzheimer’s. Highly recommended to anyone interested in biographies, psychology, and memoirs.
Finding Ruth is a very different book than I’m used to from Cynthia Hamilton. Cynthia delves into her mother’s past to discover the memories that Alzheimer’s has blurred, altered and in some cases removed completely.
Ruth’s story is a rollercoaster ride spanning over sixty years. The emotions bounce off the page through Cynthia’s writing and you want nothing more than for Ruth’s story to be a happy one.
I found myself hooked, needing to know what happened next, so I can only imagine what this must have been like for the author to have been piecing together pictures and clues and memories to try and discover who her mother really was.
The outcome of this is an emotional memoir about a real woman who made some difficult choices throughout her life.
If you enjoy memoirs or non fiction stories then I would recommend this.
This is an absolutely magnificent true-life book. The author Cynthia Hamilton has done a perfect job of telling her mothers (Ruth’s) story. It is a book that if her mother was capable, would be very proud of. It is beautifully written that you will not help but fall in love with Ruth.
I will openly admit to being captivated by Ruth’s spirit and her grim determination to do as what she sees as ‘the right thing’ for her three children. There is no doubting that Ruth has made some pretty terrible mistakes; one of those mistakes comes in the form as her second husband Maurice, which is what catapults her into making further mistakes. However, there is a side to Ruth that we could all learn from. She is a truly wonderful person. She is kind. Thoughtful, and has an appreciation of the beauty that surrounds her.
This book must have been difficult to have written for the author. Delving into someone else’s past has its revelations. Delving into your mother’s past and being confronted with those revelations can not have been easy, due to the emotional connection.
Ruth’s story will empower you. It certainly made me think. However hard you think your life is, try holding down numerous jobs, being a mum of three, and running a house, and if you think that’s easy, back in Ruth’s day you didn’t just shove something in a washing machine and watch it go round; washing was hard work back then! Ruth is a remarkable lady.
This book is gripping and as intoxicating as Ruth is. It is a story that will touch your heart. Cynthia Hamilton is a very talented author.
In my opinion, this is a must-read this summer, autumn, winter, spring. And if you’re wondering about gifts, this book will make an excellent gift too. Honestly, I am completely blown away by it. You’ve just got to read it!!!!
Finding Ruth: A Daughter’s Quest to Discover Her Mother’s Past
by Cynthia Hamilton
This was a very engaging read. I was hooked from the beginning. I found myself curious as to how difficult this was to write, or maybe not difficult at all, maybe it revealed more of an understanding. This book was so well written that I felt like I was right there. Ruth went through a lot in her lifetime which explains some of her bitterness later in life. She was truly a strong beautiful woman in her youth, but it seems as though her search for love left her wanting. I found this book to be very intriguing. This is definitely a must read. I highly recommend this book.
Finding Ruth
By Cynthia Hamilton
5 stars
I had not heard of Cynthia Hamilton before reading Finding Ruth, what a book to make a first impression. Cynthia took a diagnosis that is real and personal and crafted a memorable, heartwarming story.
I am having trouble finding the words to describe how this story made me feel. The detail was raw, emotional and real. I can’t even begin to imagine the emotion that was conjured up while writing the book.
Certainly a 5 star read, I am curious to read more from this Author.
Finding Ruth
A Daughter’s Quest to
Discover Her Mother’s Past
By Cynthia Hamilton
This story hold many secrets of a daughter finding out who her mother was.
Cynthia is the author in this insightful story. She is also one of the main characters that will take you back into her mother’s life. This all started with a picture Cynthia found dating back to 1949. Take the journey of Ruth’s life with Cynthia. Many things about her mother will be discovered.
Cynthia Hamilton wrote this story and discovered many things about her mother she never knew. You will laugh, cry and learn a little history. Alzheimer’s is an eye opener in this story. This book is well written and takes you, the reader, on a quest through Ruth’s life. What a remarkable story, as told by Ruth’s daughter. I absolutely love this story and the journey the author will discover for herself is remarkable. I will be reading more from Cynthia Hamilton. Well done!!
Finding Ruth: A Daughter’s Quest to Discover Her Mother’s Past By Cynthia Hamilton. Let me start by saying I think this author did a wonderful job on writing about a subject that’s hard. We all know that growing old can come with unwanted problems. This book takes you on a wonderful journey of a daughter trying to find out just who her mother was in the past. I love reading this story it completely had me so full of emotions. If you’re looking for a story that will reach you heart I highly recommend this one. I’m giving this story a five star review and truly had a pleasure reading it.
Mother / daughter relationships are so complex and ever changing. As a woman who recently lost my mother, I was a little worried going into this book. I wasn’t sure what emotions it would evoke.
Real life is stranger than fiction. as shown in this book about finding out who your mother was vs who she is now. I am so glad the author is self aware enough to be able to move on after the example of parenting that was set for her.
The story is written with an unbiased view of a woman who went through some tragic events.
I have always enjoyed this author’s stories and I’m glad to get to know her just a little bit more.
Finding Ruth was an emotional 5 star read about Cynthia’s mother Ruth’s struggle with Alzheimer’s.
Cynthia wanted to know more about her mothers history through the years. As she goes through personal effects etc..she starts to learn about her mother. Ruth had so many different life experiences some good and some not so great, heartbreaking actually.
As Ruth gets older she starts to develop signs of Alzeimers. With this she begins to lose some of the dark and hurtful memories and only remember the good.
Overall this story really tugged at my heart. Having a friend who recently lost a grandmother to this disease brought several emotions out in me. The way that Cynthia writes her story you feel like your right there with her experiencing everything. I was done with this book fairly quickly, once I started I didn’t want to stop. If you’re looking for a great story 1-click and get started today.
Finding Ruth: A Daughter’s Quest to Discover her Mother’s Past is the only thing I have read by Cynthia Hamilton. It’s not the type of book I normally read, but it sounded really interesting. It must have been hard for her to write such a lengthy and honest telling of her mother’s life. It wasn’t an easy one, full of glamour, but I bet what she learned explained a lot about her childhood. At times this was hard for me to read, knowing it was a true story, not a sad fictional story of hardship. I did continue to wonder throughout, why Ruth continued to marry, when one marriage after another fell apart. But it was a different time. I cannot speak to how it would have been to be a single mother in those times. I wish more time was spent on the later years, since the description’s mention of Alzheimer’s is what drew me in. It wasn’t brought up until the very end, but I still really enjoyed the story. I never got bored, and kept wanting to know what happened next and if Ruth would ever get her happily ever after. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys biographies about non-famous people. It was a captivating story and I give props to the writer for sharing such a hard story.
Finding Ruth: A Daughter’s Quest to Discover Her Mother’s Past by Cynthia Hamilton
5 stars
I was drawn to this book as my grandmother had Alzheimer’s and passed away a few years ago. I knew what it felt like for me to watch her slip away but I had no idea what it felt like for my mom and siblings. This book shed a big light on some aspects of that.
This was engaging yet emotional. I recommend this book even if you’ve not been affected by this horrible disease.
Finding Ruth
By Cynthia Hamilton
4 out of 5 stars
Cynthia Hamilton is a vibrant and descriptive writer. This story is fast paced and entertaining. Personally I was confused by the book blurb which explained it was a journey by a daughter to reveal her mother’s past. I would not have known this was the case by just reading the book. I would have liked to have seen the epilogue as the prologue and then lead into the story of Ruth’s life.
Miss Hamilton tells the story of her mother’s adventure to find herself the perfect life and the series of attempted and failed relationships along the way. Cynthia relays the relationships that her mother had with her and her siblings as well as the changes to it through the years.
Aside from my initial confusion, I found this to be a wonderful account of Cynthia’s journey to know her mother.
Reviewed by Rhonda Pulk.
Finding Ruth
By Cynthia Hamilton
4 stars
I have read a few book by this author now and I love her writing style however this is very different to her other books as it comes from personal experience so I knew I would be in for something new from her. The book was extremely well written, it was heartfelt, personal, raw and very emotional at times. I do applaud the other for taking the time to document something as heart breaking as watching a loved one suffer with this awful condition. A condition that completely strips away the person that you once knew little by little. One I started reading this book I couldn’t put it down, I honestly felt like I was right there living this story with the author at times. I can only imagine how emotional it was for the author to compile everything to write this book but she did an absolutely amazing job and I 100% recommend it to other readers.
5 Star
Finding Ruth: A Daughter’s Quest to Discover Her Mother’s Past by Cynthia Hamilton is a wonderfully written book that touched my heart. It’s a story about the life story of the authors mom.I could relate with this story so much it made my heart hurt. This story has so much love it made my heart happy. I had a hard time putting it down till I finished. I know how heartbreaking this disease is and it’s not fair. I could go on and on but I wont. I will say this story will stay with you long after you finish. I highly recommend this book about a daughter who pieces together her moms life through memories, pictures public records and even old letters. I can’t wait to read more from this Author.
Finding Ruth: A Daughter’s Quest to Discover Her Mother’s Past by Cynthia Hamilton was a pretty okay read that kept me reading and got the feels flowing.
Out of my normal realm of reading, I didn’t know what to expect. This book pulled me in pretty fast, and it had this nice easy flow that made it easy to follow and read. This story is just as much about forgiveness as it is about a life journey through time and shattered memories. It really gets the feels going, and at times I really felt for Ruth. But I will say that things did get a little repetitive, and parts became are a little dry because of that. It was sadly enough to pull me from this compelling story. But other then that this book is well constructed, well researched, and has so many emotional scene that you can’t help but continue reading.
Overall this book is worth your time and energy; it’s a wonderful summer, or lazy Sunday read. To end this book gets my high recommendation and my stamp of approval.
Happy Reading
-E.A. Walsh
This was an interesting read! It is a real life story about the author’s very own mother…
When her mother unfortunately developes Alzheimer’s, Ms. Hamilton realizes that she knows very little of her mother’s life before the horrible disease and she sets off too learn all she can. This is a very different book than I am use to reading but I thought it was a good one! I was hooked on the authors attention to detail and I couldn’t put it down! Go pick this one up today!! Happy reading!
Finding Ruth: A Daughter’s Quest to Discover Her Mother’s Past by Cynthia Hamilton
5-Stars
Finding Ruth: A Daughter’s Quest to Discover Her Mother’s Past by Cynthia Hamilton was a compelling and intriguing story. I loved following Ruth as her story progressed. I felt she was a very layered and complex character. She had excellent development as the story moved. I could not put this book down! I loved her character and the way the author chose to portray her story.
The author did an excellent job on the setting and visualization for this story as well. It had enough detail but not so much as to distract from the storyline. The storyline was easy to follow and transitioned smoothly from one chapter to the next. This is definitely a novel worth 5-stars and I highly recommend it.