The sound of gravel

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.

Sad and shocking in a lot of the same ways as these cult memoirs usually are, but this one lacked something I can't put my finger on. It was certainly upsetting, certainly horrific. Maybe I wanted more about the religion? In any case, it's serviceable.