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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
Beautifully written, incredible flow, hard to put down. One of the most heart-wrenching books, I found it more intense than Educated which was the book I was told it was most similar to. I agree, it is similar. My heart hurts for her and her family. I was hoping for a longer epilogue with more details.
As a big fan of memoirs, this is by far my favorite I’ve read. I found myself weeping throughout, truly caught up in Ruth’s world. For anyone that’s a fan of the Glass Castle, this is a top recommendation for sure
OH MY GOSH. This. Book. It easily just became one of favorite books I’ve ever read. And for so many reasons! First off, Ruth is an INCREDIBLE writer. She’s able to speak about her childhood from the innocent perspective of a child, and place us vividly into her life. Second, her story is incredible. Throughout the entire book I was in awe of the things she’s experienced and the strength and resilience she possesses even from an early age. I also loved how none of her writing sensationalized her experiences with polygamy; rather she humanizes this practice that we tend to be quick to judge. There are so many other things I can say about this book and how much I loved it. But ultimately, Ruth’s story is inspiring and heartbreaking, and she did an incredible job taking us with her along her journey.
My goal for next year is to read more memoirs because whew! This book is as tragic and heartbreaking as the blurb portrays, and it really gets thrown into high gear at the two-thirds mark with unimaginable devastation. Having a front row seat to humanity by way of peoples’ stories is really such a privilege.
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“As I pulled the covers up and let Micah settle in next to me, I heard Mom's voice in my ears: Children need to get used to being in the dark. She'd repeated that countless times throughout my childhood. No, I thought, they don't.”
“I wanted nothing more out of life than I did to keep my family together and make sure they were safe. The memory of those days reminds me of how exhausted Ihad been, but my siblings gave my life purpose, they were my bridge from pain to healing, from past to future. They are as much the authors of my survival as I am of theirs.”
“Mom couldn't teach me that because she didn't know herself. She couldn't show me how to be happy, only how to barely survive.”
“All the preaching, all the hours in church memorizing scriptures, how could that mean anything when the community supporting it wouldn't defend the innocence and safety of a child?”
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“As I pulled the covers up and let Micah settle in next to me, I heard Mom's voice in my ears: Children need to get used to being in the dark. She'd repeated that countless times throughout my childhood. No, I thought, they don't.”
“I wanted nothing more out of life than I did to keep my family together and make sure they were safe. The memory of those days reminds me of how exhausted Ihad been, but my siblings gave my life purpose, they were my bridge from pain to healing, from past to future. They are as much the authors of my survival as I am of theirs.”
“Mom couldn't teach me that because she didn't know herself. She couldn't show me how to be happy, only how to barely survive.”
“All the preaching, all the hours in church memorizing scriptures, how could that mean anything when the community supporting it wouldn't defend the innocence and safety of a child?”
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
The story was so raw and emotional, but she told beautifully. I kept forgetting that this was a memoir, but was glad to hear what happened as they grew up at the end. This was a gripping story that I couldn't put down. I'm glad most of them made it out of there.
This is a captivating and heart wrenching memoir that keeps the pages turning. It is a statement on the power of flawed beliefs and religion to control and ruin the lives of so many. Despite Ruth's tragedy, The Sound of Gravel is ultimately a testament to the enduring spirit of a powerful young woman doing what she must to save her family. Go on this journey with her, it's incredible.
4.5 stars rounded up. This raw and gripping memoir of a little girl, Ruth, who is born into a polygamist colony/cult in Northern Mexico is a really hard read. I felt sick to my stomach but compelled to hear the end of her story. The audiobook is read by her and very well done.
I really enjoyed reading this book. At times the subject matter was difficult - especially knowing it’s true!! - but the writing was good so it made it read like a novel.
This was an interesting account of Wariner's life as a child in a polygamist colony in Mexico. It was different from the other accounts I have read, and it was well written.