Status
Available
Call number
Call number
F Sch
Collection
Publication
Doubleday (2000), 352 pages
Description
Fiction. Literature. Historical Fiction. HTML:Deftly written and emotionally powerful, Drowning Ruth is a stunning portrait of the ties that bind sisters together and the forces that tear them apart, of the dangers of keeping secrets and the explosive repercussions when they are exposed. A mesmerizing and achingly beautiful debut. Winter, 1919. Amanda Starkey spends her days nursing soldiers wounded in the Great War. Finding herself suddenly overwhelmed, she flees Milwaukee and retreats to her family's farm on Nagawaukee Lake, seeking comfort with her younger sister, Mathilda, and three-year-old niece, Ruth. But very soon, Amanda comes to see that her old home is no refuge�??she has carried her troubles with her. On one terrible night almost a year later, Amanda loses nearly everything that is dearest to her when her sister mysteriously disappears and is later found drowned beneath the ice that covers the lake. When Mathilda's husband comes home from the war, wounded and troubled himself, he finds that Amanda has taken charge of Ruth and the farm, assuming her responsibility with a frightening intensity. Wry and guarded, Amanda tells the story of her family in careful doses, as anxious to hide from herself as from us the secrets of her own past and of that night. Ruth, haunted by her own memory of that fateful night, grows up under the watchful eye of her prickly and possessive aunt and gradually becomes aware of the odd events of her childhood. As she tells her own story with increasing clarity, she reveals the mounting toll that her aunt's secrets exact from her family and everyone around her, until the heartrending truth is uncovered. Guiding us through the lives of the Starkey women, Christina Schwarz's first novel shows her compassion and a unique understanding of the American landscape and the people who live on… (more)
Subjects
Original publication date
2000-09
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User reviews
LibraryThing member karieh
This story about tragic events in the life of a small family is engrossing and well written. Christina Schwartz immediately snags the reader with the character of Amanda, a very complex woman, shrouded in sorrow and mystery. I wasn’t sure whether I ever ended up liking her, but I certainly was
For a woman whose very life is so tied up in her sister and her parents, whose feelings completely overtake her at times, she has a unique ability to shut down all emotion, and close off the truth even to herself.
After one of the most horrible (yet mysterious) events of her life, she very methodically examines her wounds. “My hand wasn’t as bad as I’d feared. Most of the blood had dried and the punctures were small in circumference. Many of them were deep, however. There would be scars, a ring in the meat at the base of my thumb. Who could have imagined such a little thing would have such strength? Who would have thought she would struggle so fiercely? I found my father’s whiskey and dabbed a little on my wounds. Then I drank a glass. People said it made you forget.”
That’s all the reader gets – that’s all Amanda allows herself to think. We don’t yet know who “she” is – or what the fierce struggle was about. While I wouldn’t say that mystery was the only reason I kept reading, the bits of information that are gradually revealed by the author are rationed very well.
Schwartz slips artfully from one character to another, and from first person to third person. She creates believable voices for tragic young women, shell shocked men, and young children.
“Arthur, six, came to full wakefulness as the water splashed into the washstand that stood against one wall of the room he shared with his brother. He stayed still with his eyes closed, listening to the hangers scraping along the rod and the dresser drawers sliding open and not being banged shut. When Maynard left the room, Arthur got out of bed and went in his pajamas to squat beside his city of blocks. He did his best work in the morning, while the bolt on the bathroom door slide open and shut, the water rushed through the pipes, feet galloped down and up and down the stairs, china clinked in the kitchen, and finally the front door slammed and slammed and slammed.”
And as with the last book I read, “The Falls” by Joyce Carol Oates, a body of water plays a major roll in the book and is in fact, one of the main characters.
“Released from their ice prison, the waves tossed themselves against the hull with ecstatic abandon, pitching up a fine spray that shimmered in the fledgling spring sunlight. I dipped my fingers in, and instantly my hand ached with cold. That must have been what it felt like, the night I drowned.”
In summary, I guess I would say that “Drowning Ruth” is a great mix of a book you don’t want to put down, and moments of very insightful character development. I would certainly pick up another of Schwartz’s books.
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interested in her life and her feelings.For a woman whose very life is so tied up in her sister and her parents, whose feelings completely overtake her at times, she has a unique ability to shut down all emotion, and close off the truth even to herself.
After one of the most horrible (yet mysterious) events of her life, she very methodically examines her wounds. “My hand wasn’t as bad as I’d feared. Most of the blood had dried and the punctures were small in circumference. Many of them were deep, however. There would be scars, a ring in the meat at the base of my thumb. Who could have imagined such a little thing would have such strength? Who would have thought she would struggle so fiercely? I found my father’s whiskey and dabbed a little on my wounds. Then I drank a glass. People said it made you forget.”
That’s all the reader gets – that’s all Amanda allows herself to think. We don’t yet know who “she” is – or what the fierce struggle was about. While I wouldn’t say that mystery was the only reason I kept reading, the bits of information that are gradually revealed by the author are rationed very well.
Schwartz slips artfully from one character to another, and from first person to third person. She creates believable voices for tragic young women, shell shocked men, and young children.
“Arthur, six, came to full wakefulness as the water splashed into the washstand that stood against one wall of the room he shared with his brother. He stayed still with his eyes closed, listening to the hangers scraping along the rod and the dresser drawers sliding open and not being banged shut. When Maynard left the room, Arthur got out of bed and went in his pajamas to squat beside his city of blocks. He did his best work in the morning, while the bolt on the bathroom door slide open and shut, the water rushed through the pipes, feet galloped down and up and down the stairs, china clinked in the kitchen, and finally the front door slammed and slammed and slammed.”
And as with the last book I read, “The Falls” by Joyce Carol Oates, a body of water plays a major roll in the book and is in fact, one of the main characters.
“Released from their ice prison, the waves tossed themselves against the hull with ecstatic abandon, pitching up a fine spray that shimmered in the fledgling spring sunlight. I dipped my fingers in, and instantly my hand ached with cold. That must have been what it felt like, the night I drowned.”
In summary, I guess I would say that “Drowning Ruth” is a great mix of a book you don’t want to put down, and moments of very insightful character development. I would certainly pick up another of Schwartz’s books.
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LibraryThing member cameling
Amanda, nurse returns home to her sister and niece after suffering from unexplained bouts of fatigue.
Her sister drowns in a lake by their house off an island, and she raises her niece, Ruth on their family farm. Ruth's father, Carl, wounded in the war, arrives back, and Amanda assumes the role of
The story alternates between Amanda and Ruth, between different time periods. There is a mystery surrounding Amanda. Why is she so reticent? Why does she not want Ruth to go into the water? Why does she not want Carl and Ruth to go to the island? And why is she fascinated with Imogene?
The mystery is an interesting one. The manner in which it is written is not. None of the characters were particularly well drawn out. I'd recommend this only to those who enjoy insipid novels.
Her sister drowns in a lake by their house off an island, and she raises her niece, Ruth on their family farm. Ruth's father, Carl, wounded in the war, arrives back, and Amanda assumes the role of
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care-giver to help him mend.The story alternates between Amanda and Ruth, between different time periods. There is a mystery surrounding Amanda. Why is she so reticent? Why does she not want Ruth to go into the water? Why does she not want Carl and Ruth to go to the island? And why is she fascinated with Imogene?
The mystery is an interesting one. The manner in which it is written is not. None of the characters were particularly well drawn out. I'd recommend this only to those who enjoy insipid novels.
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LibraryThing member gbill
A brief impressionist painting of what it’s about: two sisters on a farm in Wisconsin around the time of WWI. An ominous lake with an island. A mysterious drowning. Matchmaking. Secrets. Madness brought about by despair. The long reach of the past, which sometimes cannot be outrun.
A brief
Quotes:
On breaking up:
“Clement swam so close that the spray thrown up by his kicking wet my cheeks. Wasn’t this enough, more than enough? Our happiness, after all, had once been real, even if he’d lied to spur it on. Why had I, in insisting that I be the most prized, the only beloved, hidden myself away from such delights?”
And:
“I dropped my hands to my sides, but I knew why I couldn’t find a rip, although I thought I’d torn free. The simple truth was, she’d wormed her way in so deep, I’d never get her out. If I changed my name and went to the ends of the earth and never came back, still she wouldn’t let go. She was stuck like a burr in my hair. No, it was deeper than that – she was inside me like a bone or an organ. She’d seeped into my blood with the air I sucked into my lungs.”
On poo. I laughed over this one; like me Schwarz is from Wisconsin but I don’t ever recall thinking this while driving through farmlands:
“It was a morning ripe with the smell of manure, an odor acrid when it first penetrated the nostrils, but compelling and pleasant like a good cheese the longer it clung to the air.”
And then later:
“By the time she reached the playground the sun had begun to set in crimson streaks and the manure had mellowed in the cool of the evening so that it now just seasoned the air with a hint of organic richness.”
A brief
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review: it’s a very plot-driven book which is always a bit limiting for me personally, but the story is well put together and well told, unfolded through different perspectives and in layers of past and present through to the last page. Quotes:
On breaking up:
“Clement swam so close that the spray thrown up by his kicking wet my cheeks. Wasn’t this enough, more than enough? Our happiness, after all, had once been real, even if he’d lied to spur it on. Why had I, in insisting that I be the most prized, the only beloved, hidden myself away from such delights?”
And:
“I dropped my hands to my sides, but I knew why I couldn’t find a rip, although I thought I’d torn free. The simple truth was, she’d wormed her way in so deep, I’d never get her out. If I changed my name and went to the ends of the earth and never came back, still she wouldn’t let go. She was stuck like a burr in my hair. No, it was deeper than that – she was inside me like a bone or an organ. She’d seeped into my blood with the air I sucked into my lungs.”
On poo. I laughed over this one; like me Schwarz is from Wisconsin but I don’t ever recall thinking this while driving through farmlands:
“It was a morning ripe with the smell of manure, an odor acrid when it first penetrated the nostrils, but compelling and pleasant like a good cheese the longer it clung to the air.”
And then later:
“By the time she reached the playground the sun had begun to set in crimson streaks and the manure had mellowed in the cool of the evening so that it now just seasoned the air with a hint of organic richness.”
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LibraryThing member lmm161
I'm not sure how i felt about this book. At times, I loved it. At times, i found it tedious. At times i found it endearing. And at times, I found it annoying.
Many friends loved the book. I didn't love it. I enjoyed the parts of the story told by Ruth the most, I found Aunt Mandy to be tedious and
So I'm not sure if I would ever reccomend it to anyone. But if I saw someone picking it up, I wouldn't say "put it down" either.
Many friends loved the book. I didn't love it. I enjoyed the parts of the story told by Ruth the most, I found Aunt Mandy to be tedious and
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more than a little bit shelfish.So I'm not sure if I would ever reccomend it to anyone. But if I saw someone picking it up, I wouldn't say "put it down" either.
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LibraryThing member JillKB
I'd actually give this book 3.5 stars. I almost gave it a 4, but while this book was well-written and the mystery kept me interested until the end, it took a long time for me to get into this novel. Part of the reason is that the main character, Amanda, is very difficult to like most of the time --
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although sympathetic, I also think she is one of those toxic people who hurts the ones she loves. Show Less
LibraryThing member melydia
I have surprisingly little to say about this book. It kept my attention at a time when I had little else to do but read, but it was not a real page turner. The secrets that come out among the characters were worth the wait, th4e characters themselves were fairly three-dimensional, and the
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description of rural Wisconsin in the first half of the 20th century was compelling. The ending, however, was a bit of a letdown, even though it appeared to be implying a kind of happy ending. I think my problem was that I felt dislike for Amanda rather than the sympathy I imagine the author was attempting to invoke. I felt she was obsessive and selfish from the very beginning. Her remorse about the death of her sister was not convincing and I did not care much about what happened to her, even though she was basically the main character. The rest of the story was good, and perhaps another reader would empathize more with the posessive Amanda than I did. Show Less
LibraryThing member xuesheng
Set on a lake in rural Wisconsin, this is the story of a family, especially two sisters and how the decisions of one impact the rest of the family. The author constantly had me anticipating a different direction for her characters before turning their story in another way. It was a hard book to put
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down so I would definitely recommend it. Show Less
LibraryThing member pdebolt
This deceptively simplistic book is the story of secrets kept and the far-reaching effect they have on the person who perpetuates them. The characterizations were well done. At the end of this novel, the reader has a good comprehension of their motives, their insecurities and their hearts.
LibraryThing member readingrat
A wonderful example of pacing, plot and the expert use of an unreliable narrator.
LibraryThing member mamaVISION
This book is set in my home state of Wisconsin, I loved the imagery of the setting. I chose this book for a bookclub, and it had mixed reviews which surprised me.
The main character Ruth is unforgettable. I remember seeing the Author speak, and she said she cried when she dropped the manuscript
The main character Ruth is unforgettable. I remember seeing the Author speak, and she said she cried when she dropped the manuscript
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into the mail....she didn't want to let Ruth go. Show Less
LibraryThing member jauntyjinty
Seem to recall a very good sense of place.
LibraryThing member Elektricia
Interesting story. You know something really bad happened. I had a feeling that I knew what, but I totally guessed wrong!
Since I am a voracious reader, and have a lot of mileage on my readometer, I am usually pretty good at picking up clues and references, but I misinterpreted these. And not
Since I am a voracious reader, and have a lot of mileage on my readometer, I am usually pretty good at picking up clues and references, but I misinterpreted these. And not
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because they were false clues (Ik hate it when a writer does that, tell you lies so that he can surprise you later on), but just because the human mind is more complicated than that. (than what, than easy, I guess) Show Less
LibraryThing member lahochstetler
This novel tells the haunting story of two generations of a Wisconsin family brought together and torn apart by the lake adjacent to the family home. Focused on four women, sisters of two generations, the novel develops around the sisters' relationship with the lake, and the tragedy that ensues
Scwartz's story jumps back and forth across time, from past to present and back again. This means that the story develops piece by piece, and this is what makes it something of a mystery. I found the plot development to be one of the more satisfying parts of this book, seeing the pieces of the puzzle fall into place. I enjoyed the developments leading up to Scwartz's telling of what actually happened the night of the tragedy. After that point, however, I found the plot to be something of a let-down. The conclusion seemed a bit too neat, and a bit forced.
The most enjoyable part of this book to me was the way in which Scwartz set the scene- the way in which she managed to capture the sense of a time and place. The novel is set in the Wisconsin countryside in the first half of the twentieth century, with most of the action focusing on the last years of WWI, and the 1920s. Scwartz offers a convincing portrait of Wisconsin farm country in the late-1910s and early 1920s. Her descriptions are vivid, without being overstated, and her story intersects with several significant historical events, including WWI and the influenza epidemic. Scwartz gives her readers a strong sense of connection to the seasons, the land, the lake. I really did feel like I was part of the world about which she wrote.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this novel. The development of the plot engaged me, and the scenery captivated me. I was a bit disappointed by the ending, but my reading was by and large time well spent.
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when it claims one of their lives. Much of the book is spent untangling the secrets which led to the drowning, and working out the complicated problems which arise from the family's attempts to keep these secrets. Scwartz's story jumps back and forth across time, from past to present and back again. This means that the story develops piece by piece, and this is what makes it something of a mystery. I found the plot development to be one of the more satisfying parts of this book, seeing the pieces of the puzzle fall into place. I enjoyed the developments leading up to Scwartz's telling of what actually happened the night of the tragedy. After that point, however, I found the plot to be something of a let-down. The conclusion seemed a bit too neat, and a bit forced.
The most enjoyable part of this book to me was the way in which Scwartz set the scene- the way in which she managed to capture the sense of a time and place. The novel is set in the Wisconsin countryside in the first half of the twentieth century, with most of the action focusing on the last years of WWI, and the 1920s. Scwartz offers a convincing portrait of Wisconsin farm country in the late-1910s and early 1920s. Her descriptions are vivid, without being overstated, and her story intersects with several significant historical events, including WWI and the influenza epidemic. Scwartz gives her readers a strong sense of connection to the seasons, the land, the lake. I really did feel like I was part of the world about which she wrote.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this novel. The development of the plot engaged me, and the scenery captivated me. I was a bit disappointed by the ending, but my reading was by and large time well spent.
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LibraryThing member angelswing
I really liked this book. It reminds me in some ways of Sue Miller's While I was Gone. There were two sisters Amanda the older and Mathilda the younger, and Mathilda had a young daughter Ruth. One night Mattie drowned in a icy pond and Ruth remembers drowning too, but she's alive. it is part
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mystery, part suspense, and part psychological thriller. A great book. Schwarz' first, but I can't wait to read her next one! Show Less
LibraryThing member countrylife
‘Enjoyed’ may be the wrong word for this almost dark tale. But the story drew me in and fixed me so firmly among these vivid characters on their lake in Wisconsin that I could not leave until the author released me by providing no further words.
Dispensing with the book description, since
The setting, a lakeside small town, a farming and fishing community; the story takes place from about 1910 through the 1930s. The characters, setting, situations and dialog felt true to its time period. One turn of the story left me thinking, ‘nah, that couldn’t have happened in that way’. But, the characterization, the sense of place in its Wisconsin setting, an interesting mystery and its method and timing of revelation, details which enrich rather than bog – QUITE well done.
***SPOILER ALERT*** The mystery turns on something that in former times would have been considered taboo. Part of the story, then, was about trying to keep that secret, and still live a ‘normal’ life, and watching the after-effects and not knowing what to do about it. Strong women, relying only on their own strength and wits to solve their own problems, with no remorse admitted, but living with consequences.
Recommended. Highly.
Dispensing with the book description, since
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it’s on the works page; let me just give you my impression. And I AM impressed. As the story unfolds through the memories of a woman and her niece, it is exquisitely paced. It tantalizes you, knowing, with each revelation, that there is more unremembered or yet unmet, and wondering if she will remember enough, or have courage enough, to share it with you the next time you meet her in the story. The setting, a lakeside small town, a farming and fishing community; the story takes place from about 1910 through the 1930s. The characters, setting, situations and dialog felt true to its time period. One turn of the story left me thinking, ‘nah, that couldn’t have happened in that way’. But, the characterization, the sense of place in its Wisconsin setting, an interesting mystery and its method and timing of revelation, details which enrich rather than bog – QUITE well done.
***SPOILER ALERT*** The mystery turns on something that in former times would have been considered taboo. Part of the story, then, was about trying to keep that secret, and still live a ‘normal’ life, and watching the after-effects and not knowing what to do about it. Strong women, relying only on their own strength and wits to solve their own problems, with no remorse admitted, but living with consequences.
Recommended. Highly.
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LibraryThing member janismack
I liked this book. it kept me interested until the end when you finaly find out what happened between the two sisters in the story. The ending was bittesweet but at least not devastating.
LibraryThing member abutler_14
It took me a while to get into, but once I hit page 50, I was hooked. The mysterious drowning of Mattie kept me pushing through each page. The author had a wonderful and unique voice, one that is quite rare. I look forward to reading more of her stories.
LibraryThing member Enamoredsoul
I really liked this book because not only was it a wonderful mystery novel, but the author also infused a real sense of family drama into the storyline. The story keeps you turning pages, but at the same time, an astute reader can easily deduce the ending before the actual climax of the book -
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which is why I rated it what it is. Somehow, the ending left me wanting more - but it was undoubtedly an interesting book to read. Show Less
LibraryThing member juniperSun
Set in the early 1900’s, Amanda’s life unfolds with the help of flashbacks and the occasional introduction of Ruth’s thoughts. Amanda has no use for self-pity and is forthright about getting what she wants. It is only as we see her life as a whole that we realize how much she missed out on
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love as a child, and why she clings so tightly to the only one left her, her niece Ruth. Throughout the book we assume, like the neighbors, that there is something not right. Perhaps Amanda had something to do with her sister’s death, as a way to keep from losing her love. There is the tinge of unhealthiness about Amanda’s love. And when Ruth chooses to stay with Amanda, you are left wondering if her life will follow the same pattern or if the truth that has finally come out will heal those old wounds. Show Less
LibraryThing member elizabethn
very moving story of sisters.
LibraryThing member aimless22
Jumping from present to past and back again, Ms. Schwarz relates the fascinating story of Ruth, her Aunt Mandy and the mysteries of their family. While sometimes difficult to follow with the time shifts, the overall story adheres well.
LibraryThing member lindap69
Better than just the summer read I thought it would be not the overwhelming angst of some of Oprah's picks but plenty of life-altering choices.
LibraryThing member E.J
I wish Schwarz would have cut out about 1/3 of the book, it would have been a lot better. Also that whole island on the ice thing really creeped me out. She should have included ghosts - I think that would have added a nice touch. I know, I know. Go write your own damn book.
LibraryThing member pidgeon92
Fabulous novel set in the early twentieth century about familial tragedies and secrets.
LibraryThing member Marlene-NL
On Monday, September 27, 2004 I wrote:
Because I have promised this book to someone I decided to start reading it last night.To my surprise it was easy to get in to the book. A lot of the times with Oprah books I have problems to start, it takes me longer to enjoy the book but not in this case.It
Update: Finished and very much liked it.
Because I have promised this book to someone I decided to start reading it last night.To my surprise it was easy to get in to the book. A lot of the times with Oprah books I have problems to start, it takes me longer to enjoy the book but not in this case.It
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reads like a thriller.Update: Finished and very much liked it.
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Pages
352