The Sound of Gravel The Sound of Gravel

The Sound of Gravel

A Memoir

    • 4.6 • 1.2K Ratings
    • $12.99
    • $12.99

Publisher 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.

GENRE
Biographies & Memoirs
RELEASED
2016
January 5
LANGUAGE
EN
English
LENGTH
352
Pages
PUBLISHER
Flatiron Books
SELLER
Macmillan
SIZE
7.6
MB

Customer Reviews

blbreads ,

Beautiful and heartbreaking

This 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.

callmeJudithCarey ,

My note to the author…

Dear Ruth,
I almost had to put this book down, several times and stop reading it. I’m not sure if it’s your style of writing or what you endured that left me so emotional for your family’s circumstance. I told myself that if this was fiction I could stop reading, but it was your real life story and you deserve to be heard. Reading the epilogue just shows that how you chose to overcome your trauma has shaped you into a beautiful, resilient soul. I don’t think the majority of people who went through what you did would choose to live their lives and share their stories. Whether you find this note or not, thank you for sharing. I’m glad I didn’t stop reading it. I’m so glad that you escaped.
Blessings

Truth072 ,

Loved it!

Heart 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!

More Books Like This

Pluck Pluck
2021
Kids and Cocktails Don't Mix Kids and Cocktails Don't Mix
2021
Chanel Bonfire Chanel Bonfire
2013
The Unwanted The Unwanted
2008
Three Girls from Bronzeville Three Girls from Bronzeville
2021
Name All the Animals Name All the Animals
2004

Customers Also Bought

Breaking Free Breaking Free
2017
The Girls with No Names The Girls with No Names
2020
Call Your Daughter Home Call Your Daughter Home
2019
The Orphan Collector The Orphan Collector
2020
The Girls in the Stilt House The Girls in the Stilt House
2021
High Achiever High Achiever
2019