Have you read any Jane Hamilton? I started with Map of the World, which was brilliant, and then moved on to The Book of Ruth. Actually, The Book of Ruth sat languishing on my shelf for veritable years until I did read Map of the World. Then I noticed that both books were by the same author, and I dove right into Ruth. As a result, Hamilton is now fast becoming one of my favorite authors.
Ruth, as the protagonist, narrates her life for us in harrowing, exquisite detail, from her unique childhood to her sobering, divinely realistic life as a woman. Ruth is a hard-scrabble, toughened child that never stops dreaming, even as her life evolves into one wobbly worn-out record that keeps playing in the background. From her (of course) absentee father to her emotionally volatile mother and other-worldly brother who escapes when he's of age, Ruth's childhood seems like a picnic compared to her adult life. That life is chronicled here with bits of tragedy, magic, and, yes, whimsy, and Ruth becomes so endearing that by the end, you want to keep her with you forever-- to protect, to love-- and to marvel at and with. She truly stands out as one of the most memorable characters of fiction I have read in years. Her journey, at it's very simplest, is one that we all must take: How do we deal with the hand we are dealt? I think you'll enjoy traveling with Ruth as she answers those and other questions in her fascinating tale.
Ruth, as the protagonist, narrates her life for us in harrowing, exquisite detail, from her unique childhood to her sobering, divinely realistic life as a woman. Ruth is a hard-scrabble, toughened child that never stops dreaming, even as her life evolves into one wobbly worn-out record that keeps playing in the background. From her (of course) absentee father to her emotionally volatile mother and other-worldly brother who escapes when he's of age, Ruth's childhood seems like a picnic compared to her adult life. That life is chronicled here with bits of tragedy, magic, and, yes, whimsy, and Ruth becomes so endearing that by the end, you want to keep her with you forever-- to protect, to love-- and to marvel at and with. She truly stands out as one of the most memorable characters of fiction I have read in years. Her journey, at it's very simplest, is one that we all must take: How do we deal with the hand we are dealt? I think you'll enjoy traveling with Ruth as she answers those and other questions in her fascinating tale.
I read this forever ago. I don't even remember the details (and don't remind me...maybe I'll read it again), but I remember that its impression on me was much like the one it had on you.
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