The Sound of Gravel
By Ruth Wariner
- Release Date: 2016-01-05
- Genre: Biographies & Memoirs
Description
A New York Times bestseller, The Sound of Gravel is the remarkable true story of one girl's coming-of-age in a polygamist Mormon Doomsday cult.
“A haunting, harrowing testament to survival." — People Magazine
“An addictive chronicle of a polygamist community.” — New York Magazine
Ruth Wariner was the thirty-ninth of her father’s forty-two children. Growing up on a farm in rural Mexico, where authorities turned 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 man who had been 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 her mother collects welfare and her step-father 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 Ruth 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, The Sound of Gravel is the remarkable true story of a girl fighting for peace and love. This is an intimate, gripping book resonant with triumph, courage, and resilience.
Reviews
Beautiful and heartbreaking
5By blbreadsThis story is so heartbreaking, but also a beautiful story about strength and perseverance. I could not put it down. Thank you, Ruth, for having the courage to share it.Loved it!
5By Truth072Heart wrenching novel about a young girl as she traverses life in a polygamist family. Warning- it could definitely be brutal at times. I found myself wincing and needing to take a break from reading it to process my own emotions from experiencing (second-hand) Ruth’s abuse/traumas. Definitely a page turner. Highly recommend for those interested in learning more about the Mormon polygamist colony in Lebaron!Mesmerizing
5By Green scullsA book full of painful truths, love of family and success. Very well written!Love
5By Coco KemelgorThis is literally my favorite book ever! everytime i’m in the mood to read i always gravitate towards this book. 11/10; amazing !The Sound of Gravel
5By Bitty3BabiesA most heart-warming read! I couldn't put it down! Fast moving and most of all so interesting! A memoir written in the time period of the 1970-1980's -- a big Mormon family trying to live in their parents' strange world of polygamy and all its different religious beliefs & customs. I was also captured by the different personalities of the various family members and everything they had to endure -- the story brought me to tears! The strength and courage of the narrator/author was incredible and showed that she truly was a SURVIVOR!Unbelievable
5By 1lzrdlvrJust an amazing story of survival in extremely difficult circumstancesBring tissues
5By annielazzHeart wrenching and heroicBeautiful and heartbreaking - couldn’t put it down.
5By NkleindoA beautifully written memoir about courage, resilience and the bond between siblings. I felt deep sadness, and anger while reading about the egregious abuse Ruthie and her siblings endured under the polygamist community they were born into. This story is important in the fight against child abuse, and should be required reading for child welfare agencies.Couldn’t put it down
5By TNWhiskeyThis is a must read.Thankfull
5By 7SoviaK777This was a smooth read that didn't have too much fillers between the chapters. I was connected with the author most of the time.