Ruined

By: Ruth Everhart

Narrated by: Pamela Almand

Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

It happened on a Sunday night, even though I'd been a good girl and gone to church that morning.

One brisk November evening during her senior year at a small Midwestern Christian college, two armed intruders broke into the house Ruth Everhart shared with her roommates, held all five girls hostage, and took turns raping them at gunpoint. Reeling with fear, insecurity, and guilt, Ruth believed she was ruined, both physically and in the eyes of God. In the days and weeks that followed, Ruth struggled to come to grips with not only what happened that night but why. The same questions raced through her mind in an unrelenting loop - questions that would continue to haunt her for years to come: Why me? Where was God? Why did God allow this to happen? What am I being punished for?

Told with candor and unflinching honesty, Ruined is an extraordinary emotional and spiritual journey that begins with an unspeakable act of violence but ends with tremendous healing and profound spiritual insights about faith, forgiveness, and the will of God.

©2016 Tyndale House (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Most intense book I've listened to

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ruth Everhart, the author. She questioned her faith and changed her life by doing so although the path was difficult- to listen to sometimes, too! Wow, is all I can say.

Which character – as performed by Pamela Almand – was your favorite?

Protagonist. Seemed like the narrator really captured her fear and questioning and how it wrapped around her entire life.

Any additional comments?

I'll look for more audiobooks by this author and by this narrator

This is worth every minute!

What did you love best about Ruined?

This is a savage book but ends up redeemd in the end. It is really hard to listen to because the narrator shows the emotions and pain Ruth is going through in questioning her faith and her whole life.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ruth, she's like so many of us

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Cry, for sure, but it made you feel victorious in the end.

Any additional comments?

Every woman should get this. You resonate really deeply with Ruth's sturggle and the listener is there every minute with her. Great job by the narrator and she made me feel she was the author.

A hard book to listen to but worth it

What made the experience of listening to Ruined the most enjoyable?

The redemption and faith of the author and her complete change of heart were a story that touched me

What was one of the most memorable moments of Ruined?

Obviously the rape scene was really powerful but not so horrible that I couldn't finish listening to the book and I'm glad I did. The narrator was able to describe the horror of it and give me shivers without going overboard with melodrama. And you could almost hear the personal growth that Ruth struggled with and her gaining confidence as she found anwsers to her questions. Good narration and a well-done audiobook.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Yes, so many times I really felt like I was feeling the same things she was going through.

Page turner!

The narrator of this book was very engaging and enjoyable to listen to! I was surprised at the level of graphic detail and utter honesty with which the author shares her traumatic story. I love her writing style--almost poetic and soothing to the ears. I love the way she pieces together her journey, alternating between past and present throughout each chapter. This book definitely holds your attention and is hard to put down!

At the same time, I do not espouse the author's Calvinist doctrine.

Very intense journey of faith and insight

If you could sum up Ruined in three words, what would they be?

powerful.moving.insightful

Have you listened to any of Pamela Almand’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes. This is one of her best. She realy conveys the disillusionment, uncertainty, and anguish the author goes through in the examination of her faith.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes