Customer Reviews

Drowning Ruth

5 star:		(128)
4 star:		(120)
3 star:		(64)
2 star:		(45)
1 star:		(23)

 

 

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel -- from its memorable, engaging first sentence ("Ruth remembered drowning." How could *that* be?) to its quietly poignant final scene. The plot centers on a mystery of family secrets surrounding Ruth's murky memory. Along the way to its resolution, the author develops a psychologically sophisticated portrait of a family living in rural Wisconsin during World War I. Time, place and the personalities of some wonderful, idiosyncratic characters are presented in rich detail. This book reminded me of two personal favorites of recent years. Like *Snow Falling on Cedars*, it is densely atmospheric. The lay of the land and the vagaries of the weather become important elements in the story; the effect is to transport the reader into a vividly imagined world. Like *Anywhere But Here*, this book is eloquent in its portrayal of intensely ambivalent relationships among women: between sisters; between mothers and daughters. Drowning Ruth should appeal to fans of many genres: family drama; historical novel; mystery and psychological thriller, to name a few. I recommend it most highly!

I rarely send in reviews of books, but "Drowning Ruth" moved me to add my voice to the crowd. This is by far the most interesting and engrossing novel i have read in a very long time. I love it when I find myself sinking into the story, into the characters, and that is exactly the feeling I got when reading this novel. The writing is so good that it carried me away, to another place altogether, to a cold Wisconsin lake in the winter. Christina Schwarz paints such a compelling picture of the sisters' relationship that I felt almost a part of the scene. In fact, all of her characters are so vivid that i feel as though I would recognize them walking down the street. And the story itself is a page-turner. Anyway, BUY IT!! READ IT!!

DROWNING RUTH is deceptively clever. What seems initially like the conventional, usually predictable murder yarn turns out actually being a meticulously crafted story of considerable artistic merit. The circumstances of the drowning of Ruth's mother serves as the catalyst that precipitates an intriguing flow of interrelated events in the lives of Amanda (the drowned woman's sister) and her niece Ruth. Christina Schwarz is a wonderfully talented writer who has woven a rather intricate tale of psychological suspense. There are many engrossing trwists and digressions (but quite necessary) in this very emotional marrative. The mystery is sustained throughout because the reader, as if carefully and thoughtfully fitting together all the jagged pieces of a puzzle, learns in successive chapters what actually occurred that particular wintry night so long ago in the past of both Amanda and Ruth. The writer does a marvelous job in pacing the delicate unravelling of the knitting. This is a thoroughly enjoyable thriller.
I recommend this book very highly.

The first page of Drowning Ruth is so provocative and full of impending doom, that it will pull you into the story and keep you turning pages to the very end. Set in rural Wisconsin and spanning the time between World Wars I and II, the story, narrated by the two main characters, Ruth and her Aunt Amanda, begins with the late night drowning of Ruth's mother, on a cold November evening. This event causes a chain reaction of secrets, lies, betrayals and deceit that follows the characters through this story, changing all their lives forever. Ms Schwarz has written an intriguing first novel, full of great characters and riveting scenes, with enough twists and turns to keep you off balance and guessing. The real strength of this book is her eloquent writing and attention to detail as the story moves back and forth between the fateful night of the drowning and the present. The only real weakness to this novel is its rather hurried, predictable and anti-climactic ending. After such a tense and compelling story, the ending was a bit of a let-down. That said, Drowning Ruth is a very good first effort and I look forward to reading Christina Schwarz's future works.

What a great story! There are so many levels to this book. At the most basic; it's a powerfully engaging mystery that keeps you turning the pages way past midnight. But beyond that it's a totally engaging story about family relationships, love, and the power of secrets. Watch out for how the author peels back the layers of secrecy with simply placed statements that one by one reveal the truth as you learn more and more about the complex characters that populate this great first novel.

Skimming through the more recent reviews of the book, it occurs to me that many have approached the novel in a similar fashion to those who go see Charlie's Angels expecting a film worthy of Oscar contention. These folks, of course, leave disappointed; the movie is funny and has great action sequences, but it's not much more. Similarly, Drowning Ruth is a well-written novel replete with well developed characters. But it's not a period piece nor is it a mystery. Those who wish to gain insight into early 20th century America will be disappointed, those who are looking for a suspensful thriller will be disappointed. C'mon. It's an Oprah book. And that means one thing -- it's going to be about feeeeeelings. It's one of Oprah's better selections, though. I found the characters to be engaging and the relationships between them real and accessible. The novel was well-paced and thoughtful -- an enjoyable read.

Yet again, based on glowing reviews, I bought this book and staggered through 338 pages trying to determine specifically why it's been so lauded.

While the writing is just fine, crisp and tidy, and the characters are well wrought, there's really nothing new here. Certainly, there are no surprises. The book begins in 1919 and ends in 1941. I don't know why. There are no definitive period details that set the era for us (aside from brief mentions of corsets and hair bobbing). No one seems to suffer any of the ill effects that so many suffered in that period between the two world wars. It's a tale, often told, of history repeating itself. Everything is telegraphed, so that one expects exactly what is delivered. The character of Amanda, whose voice is predominant throughout, is so irritating that it's difficult to be sympathetic. And her niece, Ruth, who starts out an interesting, quirky and determined child who often thinks how wonderful it would be to have her own store (a lovely touch), deteriorates in the latter part of the book into a variation on a theme of Amanada and ultimately is just as irritating as her aunt.

The secondary characters, Ruth's father, Carl, and the farm help, Rudy, are more interesting and sympathetic. But the author disposes of Carl about midway through the tale (and doesn't mention him again until the final few pages; and Rudy is merely retired off without ever being allowed any significant input--despite the fact that he's featured throughout the book). From that point on the narrative lumbers to its very predictable conclusion. As a first novel, it's a solid effort, but it suffers from a lack of oxygen. It's like spending a very long evening in a dimly lit room, on an uncomfortable sofa, with people you've just met, who are not gifted in the art of conversation. You can't wait to get outside and gulp down fresh air.

The mystery of what happened the night Mathilda Neumann (known to her family as Mattie) drowns lies just under the surface - like Mattie herself - acting as a strange type of hair shirt, scratching the lives of those closest to her. Mattie's tragic, untimely death prompts her daughter, Ruth, to claim that she drowned too. Her Aunt Amanda Starkey, Mattie's sister, denies Ruth's memories, but there was more to that icy winter night than a simple drowning.

The many secrets held by this small but afflicted family gradually emerge in tense novel set during the winter of 1919, following World War I. With Mattie dead, Amanda possessively looks after her small niece, Ruth. Ruth's father, Carl, a man whom Amanda regards as weak and essentially useless, returns home from the war to find his wife dead and his household presided over by his edgy, secretive and autocratic sister-in-law.

Carl finds Amanda's assumption of the responsibilities of both the farm and his daughter unnerving - almost frightening - in its intensity. Meanwhile, the memory of his wife dims while his suspicions concerning the true circumstances of her death enlarge. Ruth, meanwhile, grows up under her shadowy memories of her mother's death and the events of that fateful, long-ago evening. Under the obsessive watch of her aunt, Ruth gradually begins to try to come to terms with her strange childhood, an attempt that will ultimately reveal all their secrets - particularly Amanda's.

First-time novelist Christina Schwarz guides the reader through the bleakness of the old virtues of silence and stoicism, maintaining a razor-thin line of tension between all the characters at every turn. Her setting is a long-forgotten world where a decent young woman could ruin herself by association with the wrong kind of man and, while the use of various narrators is a bit off-putting, that is no reason to pass this novel by. Schwarz redeems what could be called a predictable plot by approaching events without excess melodrama, telling her story straight-on and showing the damage humans can cause when trying to protect both themselves and the ones they love.

Once again Oprah has done a fantastic job in assigning her name to a new author. Christina Schwaz does an excellent job in her debut novel. The novel takes place during World War I (1914-1918); as the novel unravels so do the deeply rooted secrets of this mid western family.

Amanda, the big sister, gets dispatched from the war because she's incapable to carry out her nursely duties. She goes back home and moves in with her younger sister, Mattie and her child Ruth. Mattie's husband is serving in the war, so Amanda takes over and loves having her sister and baby all to herself. By the time the war ends, some devastating events take place - Mattie drowns, Amanda raises Ruth, and Mattie's husband Carl returns. Carl raises some questions when he gets back - What happened to my wife and how did she drown? Christina takes us through Ruth's coming of age, her friendships and her consciousness on how her Mom drowned. This is a page-turner that keeps you begging for answers until the very end.

It makes one think about secrets. Do you have any secrets that affect other people? Should you tell your secrets, or let destiny unravel them for you?

I thought this was an excellent book, which was so interestingto me that I was finished with it about 48 hours after I got it. Justas soon as you felt you were realizing the secret, another twist comesin and thickens the plot. The descriptions were very visual, withoutbeing too wordy. The characters were interesting and odd. The storyitself, which jumped around the timeline and different speakers, wasstill easy to follow. I would highly recommend this book - I've loanedit to three people already.