Drowning Ruth

A Novel

By: Christina Schwarz

Narrated by: Blair Brown

Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

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 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.

©2000 Christina Schwarz
(P)2000 Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"A remarkable debut: surprising, unsettling and sure." --The New York Times Book Review

"A strong sense of portent and unusually vivid characters distinguish this mesmerizing first novel about horrifying family secrets and nearly annihilating guilt. Drowning Ruth is a complex and rewarding debut." --Anita Shreve, author of Fortune's Rocks and The Pilot's Wife

A well-written historical novel

Slow to begin but excellent character development and the narration is exceptionally elegant and distinctive. Ideal for this style of book. A very well written historical novel

An Excellent Read

I found this book to be captivating, heart wrenching, warming, and compelling. I did not want it to end. The surprise ending is an excellent and spellbinding end! The author is a fantastic writer. I await her next novel.

Wonderful and engaging!

I enjoyed this book thoroughly. The story was engrossing and I came to care very much about the characters and what happened to them. I cannot wait for Christina Schwarz's next novel. I enjoyed "Drowning Ruth" so much that I went out and bought the paperback copy for my mother! Highly recommended.

secrets, suspense and solitude

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

Yes, it's about strong women and the choices they make at a time in history where women didn't have that many choices.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Drowning Ruth?

The actual description of ice and snow

What about Blair Brown’s performance did you like?

Clarity

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

N/A

Couldn't stop listening!

This book kept me intriqued all the way through. At first I thought it was slow, but then found myself thinking about the characters after I turned it off. It is a little bit of a mystery but more than that it is a story about real people - people you could touch and feel and understand. I highly recommend it. Parts dragged a little, but I found later that even those parts added to the overall story and made the book complete.

Still Waters Run Deep

Set in Wisconsin, at the end of WWI, this novel explores a family?s loyalty, love and secrets.

If Ruth is still alive, why does she remember drowning? Through flashbacks, Christina Schwarz feeds us pieces of the truth, making you want to keep listening. The plot, though not totally original, is creative and a bit offbeat.

Note: This book is not a psychological thriller. It is about how life was long ago, about secrets people keep and why.

Also, other listeners have commented on Christina Schwarz?s writing style. The speakers and time periods change without notice. You will get used to the way this novel flows, so don?t let this be a reason to let this one pass you by.

Pronunciation

Would you try another book from Christina Schwarz and/or Blair Brown?

Probably not. I prefer longer books. That said, I enjoyed the book for the most part

Would you listen to another book narrated by Blair Brown?

Part of the reason that I bought the book was that it's set in Wisconsin, where I've lived all my life. I cringed every time she tried to say Waukesha or Fond du Lac or any of the other Wisconsin cities she mispronounced. I would think a narrator would make sure she knows how to pronounce the words she's reading.

Drowning Ruth

Never thought I would enjoy this book from the write up. It really seemed like a "womens book" ladies don't take this the wrong way but it is a type of book that would appeal to women.
Maybe that statement wasn't fair. I REALLY enjoyed the book regardless of my statement.
I have even bought a copy of the hardback and many friends have borrowed it and enjoyed it as much as I did. I will say it is a little depressing and heavy on the heart as the story progresses . I recommend it to adults only because of the sensitive issues.
Thanks audible for making this available to listeners.

Perhaps Overrated

I was disappointed with this book, especially after the rave reviews I read here.

First, it is difficult to follow because the story changes viewpoint character (sometimes from scene to scene) and also changes point of view. It is mostly told in third-person but jumps to first-person for little asides by the two main characters. These feel almost amateurish, as if the author didn't know how to work them into the story. Another problem is that the author choose two nicknames for two different characters that sound and read similarly, Matty and Mandy.

Second, the story itself lacks focus. There are large sections of story that don't have much to do with anything. One character is off thinking something or doing something but it doesn't have any effect on anyone else nor does it impact the plot.

Third, though the "suspense" of the story isn't revealed until the ending it did not seem strong enough to this reader to carry the whole book.

Also, this reader had problems with some of the actions of the main characters. They didn't seem to make sense and were never adequately explained.

Overall this book was probably worth listening to but was not as good as the reviews here would lead one to expect.

Loved it

This is the first audible book I was so riveted to that I listened even when not driving or on a plane. Excellent reader performance as well as story.