Drowning Ruth by Christina Schwarz

This novel was recommended by Jacinta; she told me to read it and didn't say anything else about it. It was also a book in the Oprah's book Club, but then again so was She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb and I hated that. Anyway the book.

Loved it.

Its a very cosy little book, something you must read sitting very comfortably curled up somewhere with something to munch (in my case Lexus cheese biscuits)  to truly savour the words and descriptions in the novel. I would categorise it under family drama, but not in an over-the-top-soap opera-Bold and Beautiful way. Very realistic and above all believable. No character has any exaggerated heroism; in the sense that everyone has their moments where the reader can stop and admire what they have done. Her characters are all wholesome; sometimes you just hate them, other times you can't help but pity them for what they're going through.

I think the author has a true sense of human emotions, even the slightly more complex mix of emotions is portrayed through her characters not just the main happy, sad, love and hate. In that way, reading this novel was similar to reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

I found the book very subtly predictable, very subtly, like one would get a hint suddenly or suddenly would come across a  word that would suddenly not fit, making you turn back at least thirty pages and look for clues in the early chapters. I liked doing it. hee hee. Having said that, the predictability didn't suck the fun out of reading it like most books do. It worked to the novel's advantage and I wanted to carry on.

Finishing this novel you don't even demand a happy ending, as I always do with Nicholas Sparks, instead you humbly accept the closing given and ponder on that for a while. All I will say is it was a very satisfactory ending. Tee hee. so thanks Jes for that book.