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Summary: AWESOME!
Review: Brilliantly executed. Intricately woven cast of characters who get caught up in this turn of the century sequence of events that lead to a thrilling climax. Hard to believe that this is a first novel. Can't wait to read more...
Rating:
Summary: Tough to put down!
Review: Drowning Ruth - the title pulls you in and there you'll stay until this tale is complete! Can't wait for this author's next novel!
Rating:
Summary: A Brilliant First Novel
Review: This is a brilliant first novel, an exquisitely written and deftly told story of relationships and a tragic accident surrounding them. It a manner remninscent of Seamus Deane's "Reading in the Dark," the mystery unfolds in a compelling manner as the pages turn.
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Summary: Tell your friends!
Review: I've read over a dozen books this summer (including Oprah's pick) and must say that this was by far the best of the bunch! I know the phrase "I couldn't put it down" is somewhat of an over used expression but I really couldn't put it down! I know what I'll be recommending to anyone that's looking for a great read.
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Summary: Exciting New Author
Review: Ms. Schwarz is that fairly rare combination of an author who is both literary and a great story teller. She discloses crucial facts in a release pattern that creates exciting tension and makes it impossible to put down the book once you've started it. I can't wait for her next novel.
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Summary: Great Characters!
Review: In this world of increasingly plot driven books, I found this one to be a refreshing change of pace. Each character was so well mapped out, that all of their actions were very true to their personalities. I'm from the "Nagawaukee" area, so the descriptions of the lake and the sailing were an added bonus.I'll read more of her books, regardless of the setting!
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Summary: What a Storyteller, What a Tale
Review: One of life's pleasures is happening upon a book that you simply cannot put down. Drowning Ruth was one such book for me. I found it to be a brilliantly crafted narrative, one whose characters are particularly forceful. Schwartz draws us in from the very beginning, immediately allowing us to engage with her characters and to imagine living out life's dilemmas with them. The novel is also beautifully written. The author is a thoughtful user of language, someone who clearly values the vivid details of a story -- the exact color of a marble, the precise fabric of a frock. Reading her prose is indeed a treat.
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Summary: Can't wait for her second novel!
Review: I just finished Drowning Ruth last night, and I am bereft. I miss all the characters already, and I especially miss the lake--the most inscrutable character of all in this haunting story. Schwarz's writing is pure pleasure to read. Her prose is clean and fluent, and her seamless shifting among narrative voices is the work of a virtuoso. I can't think of a bit of human experience that Drowning Ruth does not explore. We've got passion, betrayal, grief, terror, the joy of romantic love, the strange workings of memory, and more that I can't put words to. In short, it's exactly what a novel is supposed to be. Maybe I'll just settle in and turn back to page one.
Rating: 
Summary: A Slight Disappointment
Review: I had high hopes when I started this book. The author combines excellent character development with mysterious atmosphere, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading the first half of the book. However, I was a little let down with the rest of the story. Seemingly integral characters disappear from the story, never to return. You are prevented from knowing other characters as much as you want to. And some characters, so compelling, mysterious, and alive in the beginning of the story, seem to lose those traits and become uninteresting. I don't want to prevent anyone from enjoying this book and forming their own opinions. However, for me, this engaging story unravels with a conclusion that is too neat & does not do justice to the wonderful beginning.
Rating:
Summary: Now featured on my personal Top Ten list . . .
Review: 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!!
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