The Sound of Gravel

A Memoir

By: Ruth Wariner

Narrated by: Ruth Wariner

Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

"The narration by Wariner compliments the candid nature of her story...A captivating and emotional story delivered in a straightforward way without an ounce of self-pity." (Library Journal)

A riveting, deeply-affecting audiobook memoir of one girl's coming-of-age experiences in a polygamist cult.

Ruth Wariner was the 39th of her father's 42 children. Growing up on a farm in rural Mexico, where authorities turned 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 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 her mother collects welfare and her step-father 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 Ruth 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 true story of a girl fighting for peace and love. This is an intimate, gripping audiobook resonant with triumph, courage, and resilience.

©2016 Ruth Wariner (P)2016 Macmillan Audio

Open and Hones

What did you love best about The Sound of Gravel?

The author was open and honest about the bad and good. I am sure it was difficult to relive some of those experiences but I think it is important that we understand what some of these children are going through.

Great but narration was bland

Heart touching story but the narration needed a change of tone. Brought tears to my eyes.

unbelievable yet raw with honesty

this is by far the best memoir I have read. Ruth I am proud of you!

I miss them already

I love this book. There were moments when I was absolutely shocked and surprised, which rarely happens when I listen to books. I usually suspect what is happening, and then am still entertained listening afterwards. There were moments during this book when I stared out the car window with a surprised look on my face. I felt a bond with the children in this family, and disgust for others. It was so good. It was SO good. I miss them.

Awful True Story

First have to say what courage Ruth the author and main character in this book has. Wow! Though the story disgusts me at times, I'm honored to have read it to learn about someone so strong in horrible circumstances and think indirectly knowing her story makes me want to go out and be a better person; live life to fullest.

Harrowing story, ultimately courageous

A compelling, often heartbreaking story. I kept wanting to jump into the story and rescue the children from the situation they were in...or make it fiction instead of fact...but of course I could not do that. The story pulled me along very quickly in the hope that the adults around these children would wake up and take better care of the children they had, and that things would get much better for the families in the story. The main character's and other children's courage at various points in the story, and their resilience were, for me, the real bright spots of the story. My daughter recommended this book highly to me, and I am recommending it to others in my sphere of reading influence, including my niece and members of my book club.

Unbelievable!

Ruth is an inspiration. Her writing is vivid and robust. I found myself thinking about her story even when I wasn’t listening. Bravo!

Told with appropriate feeling and enthusiasm

Every time I read/listen to a story like this, I am always so grateful for what the Lord has blessed me with!
I am so glad she was able to escape into a better life, as well!
I really like how the author read her own story. It is always a better telling of the experience when the one who wrote it, reads it to us! She was able to mimic the people's actual voices better than I would have been able to, since she was there and I was not. Also, authors that read their own stories are able to enunciate the important words/phrases where they're supposed to and bring more enthusiasm to the story than those who read other people's stories.

Wow

Gut wrenching and captivating. This book strikes up just about every emotion as it shows the lows of humanity and someone so brave to overcome them.

Inspiration. Hard things. Can be done.

Astounding. . .I will be pondering this one for a very long time.

A few months ago I was privileged to attend a book club meeting where the author, Ruth Wariner, was presenting her book and left a generous period of time for questions. I had not yet read the book, and didn't think I would. . .sounded like uncomfortable reading on many levels for me. . .I am only two generations away from polygamy. She took all questions, all of them, tidy and simple and the convoluted, messy ones. It became clear that this quiet, composed woman was a hero. She was brave and fierce and stoic. I ordered my audible copy and started listening that very evening.

She'd lived inside a tornado for her first 14 years and was spit out in a scene as tragic as any penned by Shakespeare . . .and she stood up, dusted herself off and flew into action. Astounding. A hero, a mother to her siblings. . .no. . .a sister in the best measure of that word. You need to meet her. Read her story. . . .if you are a parent, you need to feel the damage done by hers and see? feel? the places where choices could have been different and changed a bunch of lives for the better. If you are a child, anyone's child, you will see it's absolutely often the right thing to do to RUN, to keep on, one foot in front of another, AWAY from where you first came to yourself. There is a place where a stand can be made - this far, no further! You have options. Scary for sure, and braveness requisite, but options are there. Ruth's story is an inspiration, stark as it is, that hard things can be done. Must be done. Must. Be. Done.

And then, as a special gift and blessing to all, the story needs to be told. Thank you, Ruth.