The sound of gravel
Ratings7
Average rating4.4
15
Ratings7
Average rating4.4
The true story of one girl's coming-of-age in a polygamist family. Ruth Wariner was the thirty-ninth of her father's forty-two children. Growing up on a farm in rural Mexico, where authorities turn a blind eye to the practices of her community, Ruth lives in a ramshackle house without indoor plumbing or electricity. At church, preachers teach that God will punish the wicked by destroying the world and that women can only ascend to Heaven by entering into polygamous marriages and giving birth to as many children as possible. After Ruth's father--the founding prophet of the colony--is brutally murdered by his brother in a bid for church power, her mother remarries, becoming the second wife of another faithful congregant. In need of government assistance and supplemental income, Ruth and her siblings are carted back and forth between Mexico and the United States, where Ruth's mother collects welfare and her stepfather works a variety of odd jobs. Ruth comes to love the time she spends in the States, realizing that perhaps the community into which she was born is not the right one for her. As she begins to doubt her family's beliefs and question her mother's choices, she struggles to balance her fierce love for her siblings with her determination to forge a better life for herself. Recounted from the innocent and hopeful perspective of a child, this is the memoir of one girl's fight for peace and love.
Reviews with the most likes.
The Sound of Gravel is Ruth Wariner's story of growing up in a polygamous cult. Her father was killed when she was young, and her mother married another polygamous man (as the book says, she was his second second wife). Ruth tells a tale of hardship - they were impoverished, living in squalid conditions, and the children were frequently left to fend for themselves. But there were moments of beauty and joy as well. If I hadn't had kids who required my attention and a job that actually wanted me to work, I could have easily read this book in less than 24 hours. It's well told, engaging, and it pulled me right in. I was provided an advance reader copy for review, but I can't wait to have my very own copy on my shelf.
Ruth was born into a family of polygamous Mormons. The family had taken refuge in Mexico in order to practice their polygamous beliefs. Her father, the leader of the group, was killed by a rival brother, and her mother remarried.
This book is the story of Ruth's young years, living in Mexico, moving to the US now and then, with her mother, step-father, and many siblings. It's a powerful story of poverty and suffering and loss. It gives me hope to have read Ruth's awful story and to see how she has been able to leave that group and move on to live a happy adult life.
