Rating: 
Summary: An impressive debut
Review: I was very impressed with this stirring, well-crafted first novel. It's a great story, with a mystery at its core that keeps the reader enthralled until the final page is turned. The central mystery and its spiraling ramifications keep building until the conclusion. Very tough stuff for a new author to master. It has "Oprah book" written all over it!
Rating:
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.
Rating:
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.
Rating: 
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.
Rating:
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!
Rating:
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.
Rating:
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.
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