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Summary: Drowning Ruth . . .Surfacing Truth
Review: Christina Schwarz offers a dynamic mystery story about choices and consequences. At times the writing was reminiscent of Margaret Atwood's "Cat's Eyes" in that there are a few people's lives that are woven together so delicately yet so profoundly. I can't write much about the plot without sharing elements of surprise. I can share with you one of my favorite quotes from a very minor character in the story:" (Arthur) had a sense that there might also exist some entirely different destination, one that he couldn't yet see but which lay just beyond the obscuring undergrowth of long habit and expectations, troubled him and kept him from moving forward. He had no idea how to hack through that foliage, no whether whatever he uncovered would please him, but neither did he want to follow blindly the manicured course on which his feet were already set." This speaks with a beautiful metaphor of how hard it is to truly live a life free of habit and expectation--it is no easy journey!
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Summary: An Entertaining First Novel
Review: Chosen as an "Oprah's Book Club" selection, this well written first book by Christina Schwarz is a mysterious tragedy that slowly reveals itself as the book unfolds.Told in both the first and third person narrative,what happens to Amanda Starkey, her sister Mathilda, and Mathilda's daughter Ruth, become the backbone for a web of secrets that ultimately could ruin all their lives. To tell too much would give away crucial plot points, and considering the ending of the book doesn't come as much of a surprise, the less you know going in the better. I will say the story is rich in atmosphere, with vivid descriptions of the cold Nagawaukee Lake winters. It's also quite a well structured narrative, even if the payoff isn't as satisfying as I would of liked.
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Summary: Those family secrets will bite you back...
Review: This was a very well written first novel and I couldn't put it down once I began reading it. It bothered me a bit how the writer kept bouncing around with the character's voice and that is the only reason I don't think it deserves a five star rating.
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Summary: Secrets...
Review: Drowning Ruth is a novel about the secrets kept (and surpressed) by Amanda Starkey and her family. I couldn't help but notice Amanda's last name throughout this book, "Starkey." The fact is, her life is very stark due to her tight-lipped secret keeping. Everyone in the novel is kept hostage by these secrets. While they wouldn't amount to much in this era, it is easy to feel for the people of an earlier time when a girl's perceived moral fortitude was all she had to offer a scandal hungry society. Loves are lost, women betrayed, and children are had and raised in this novel. Not at all original? The various twists and turn leading to the books rather bland ending are what makes this book something new. The ending is trivial and almost leaves one wondering if the author honestly believes that her readers took that long to figure out her long winded "mystery." However, all things considered, the book is a good read, not fantastic, but good.
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Summary: It's all in the telling....
Review: Stories like this one have been told many times. We recognize the characters from other books we've read. Even the plot rings a bell. A mysterious death, the possessive spinster, a wallflower niece, the popular friend, a philandering husband, etc. It's all there. But this unique story is told from three different points of view - a narrator, Amanda and Ruth. The writing style has potential for confusion, but its anything but. Every line is well-choreographed, building drama and emotion as we sit with our eyes glued to every word. You can't put this book down once you get past 50 pages, so don't try. Just savor every word till the final one is read.
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Summary: Disappointing
Review: After having read so many glowing reviews of this book, I thought I would give it a try since the book was set in the area where I live. I've found so many of the Oprah picks to be dark and dismal, and this book fell into that category. The author's method of writing......telling the story from different viewpoints of different characters and switching from different time frames sometimes was confusing. Also, the characters weren't developed enough and what the character's motives were and what they were really feeling wasn't clear. It was a suspenseful book and it kept me wanting to read to find out what really happened when Mathilda drowned, but the ending came suddenly and was implausable to me and was very disappointing.
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Summary: Disappointing
Review: After having read glowing reviews of this book, I expected much more than I got. It was a dismal, dark book, as I find with so many of Oprah's picks.....in fact, so much so, that I'd stopped reading the Oprah picks. But since this book was set in an area that I'm familiar with, I decided to give it a try. It was very hard to follow, with the different people narrating at different times in their lives and the story jumping back and forth. It was interesting and kept you wondering what was going to happen, but the ending seemed to be suddenly rushed and disappointing. The characters could have been developed much more, and more insight given as to what they were actually feeling. I also detect a definite lack of sprituality of any kind in the Oprah picks and this book was no different!
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Summary: Family Drama
Review: This book is definately a page turner. I kept rushing ahead to get to each chapter. This gripping story keeps you asking questions. The charaters of Amanda and Ruth are interesting. Both characters are deeeply effected by the turn of events that shape both of their lives. The crucial event takes place on the family's land where there is a house and lake and just as the title hints, the water becomes a character of the novel. The two women are so much alike yet very different. Amanda as the over-bearing Aunt and Ruth the emotionally damaged little girl who grows up very much like her Aunt in many ways but changes directions when she recognizes a pattern. Other supporting characters make for an interesting read. This story is a bit sad but it is very true for the time period and the author is very conscious in her efforts. There are bits of very good humor that keep the story alive for the reader.
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Summary: an inticately crafted, deeply moving novel
Review: I opened this book expecting to read a page-turning thriller. It is that, but it's much more. Christina Schwarz explores her characters' motives in an extraordinarily nuanced way. Her writing is polished and modulated, and her sense of place and time is rich. This is a wonderful book--perfect reading for winters' evenings.
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Summary: Kudos on a first novel!
Review: Drowning Ruth is a beautifully written story. Ms. Schwarz weaves her story through the voices of Amanda, an overbearing sister and aunt, and Ruth a lost child. We are taken on a finely tuned journey through their lives to reach a final destination. It is a moving story of love, betrayal,loyalty and the concequences of each. Unlike most stories you can never guess what is coming next. Ms. Schwarz does a fabulous job of taking the unexpected fork in the road. Read and enjoy!
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