A riveting, deeply affecting true story of one girl s coming-of-age in a polygamist family.RUTH WARINER was the thirty-ninth of her father s forty-two children. Growing up on a farm in rural Mexico, where authorities turn a blind eye to the practices of her community, Ruth lives in a ramshackle house without indoor plumbing or electricity. At church, preachers teach that God will punish the … that God will punish the wicked by destroying the world and that women can only ascend to Heaven by entering into polygamous marriages and giving birth to as many children as possible. After Ruth s father the man who had been the founding prophet of the colony is brutally murdered by his brother in a bid for church power, her mother remarries, becoming the second wife of another faithful congregant.
In need of government assistance and supplemental income, Ruth and her siblings are carted back and forth between Mexico and the United States, where Ruth s mother collects welfare and her stepfather works a variety of odd jobs. Ruth comes to love the time she spends in the States, realizing that perhaps the community into which she was born is not the right one for her. As she begins to doubt her family s beliefs and question her mother s choices, she struggles to balance her fierce love for her siblings with her determination to forge a better life for herself.
Recounted from the innocent and hopeful perspective of a child, The Sound of Gravel is the remarkable memoir of one girl s fight for peace and love. This is an intimate, gripping tale of triumph, courage, and resilience.
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Ruth Wariner grew up in a fundamentalist Mormon community in Mexico. This is the story of her childhood. She was the 39th of the Prophet’s 42 children. After he is murdered by his brother, Ruth’s mother enters another polygamist marriage. The family lives in a shack without heat or running water. The money they have is provided by her mother’s welfare checks, which she collects by crossing the border where she collects using a relative’s address. Her step-father’s earnings from truck driving are meager at best. The family does live for a time in California and Ruth is happy, but that doesn’t last. Her mother just can’t resist the charms of the step-father, even though Ruth has told her that he visits her at night (he’s really sorry for that Ruth and it won’t happen again). Things go from bad to worse to good in California with the grandparents and right back to bad. How a child survives such early trauma, turmoil, and responsibilities beyond their years makes for a compelling read.
Fascinating and ultimately redemptive story.
How sad that people have to live like this anywhere!
Good to know how other groups of people live
A realistic account of one of the fringe group polygamist families.
Thought-provoking, eye-opening, heart-wrenching true story of polygamy. I had no idea of the realities of plural marriage.
I felt so sorry for this family.
Ruth Wariner’s memoir is very emotional and tragic, yet heartwarming at the end. It was difficult to read what she experienced as a child being raised in a polygamist family. It was gut-renching wondering if her mother would save her children and leave the lifestyle she was expected to raise her family in. I know not all polygamist families live in such a challenging way. It was a shame to hear how her mother struggled to come to terms with what her “husband” was putting her and her family through. I was cheering for Ruthie through the entire book. I shed many tears for her but she persevered. It’s a difficult story to read but worth the effort.
Wow! I will be thinking of this one for a long time!
Story of a life lived in a very harsh way. A must read.
One of the best books I’ve read in a long time. The incredible determination of this young girl is amazing. It’s a testament to what the human spirit can achieve.
Eye opening
Great read with lots of information on the ways women are controlled in a society based on polygamy. Women become vessels for breeding, baby machines in relationships that are physically and emotionally abusive while living impoverished lives. . . led to believe all was God’s will. To survive and then to thrive could only happen to a strong, compassionate, intelligent, determined person whose strength of character saved her and her young siblings from a dreadful existence. The author is this person and her story is well worth reading.
I found it to read about the twisted LDS parenting/abuse this author received. She fortunately escaped the life and raised her siblings. Very well written and sadly all too common.
Very interesting story. Sad in parts but always a sense of how close the main character was to her family. It would be a rough way to live, and when the mother finally was able to leave and make a decent home for her kids she gave it up and was drawn right back to her sad situation.
I cannot imagine how the author survived. Amazing
A look at a very different way of life. Engrossing and full of surprises. Couldn’t put it down.
The main character was amazing, a true inspiration.
The best book I read in 2019
This is the story of the author’s childhood growing up in a polygamy family in Mexico. She was her father’s 39th child. When he died, and her mom remarried and had many more children, Ruth’s life got significantly worse. Bounced around to several towns and living through the death of several siblings and family members, Ruth finally broke free of the abuse she faced.
This was a great book. The story itself and what Ruth faced growing up is a story not to be missed. You will shake with horror and anger about what she and her siblings were put through as young children and be amazed at where Ruth is now inspite of it all.
This story is well written, well told and was gripping from beginning to end. I highly recommend taking a look into Ruth’s world. It is captivating.