A review by margardenlady
The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton

2.0

This book was hands-down, the most depressing thing I've read in ages. Justifiably likened to Dickens, it was compelling in the way a train wreck or a house fire is compelling... you are horrified, but you need to keep reading to see what else could possibly happen. None of the characters were likable, although you definitely empathize with the narrator - Ruth. The lives of these characters is devastatingly bleak. The climax was much as I expected. The redeeming value in the book is that the author's words are exceedingly effective in painting this set of desolate scenes. She is obviously very skilled in her craft.