Drowning Ruth

For me, this novel became a mystery that I had to figure out. Author Christina Schwarz tells the story of the drowning of Mattie in 1919 Wisconsin through different voices and views, and some flashbacks. Mattie is the young mother of Ruth, 3 years old, whose husband is away at war. Mattie's older sister, Amanda, is a nurse who gives up her job under questionable circumstances and moves into the family home with Mattie and Ruth. After Mattie drowns, Amanda stays to take care of Ruth, even after her father comes home from Europe. The reader can almost feel the half-buried grief that these characters have through their lives, which makes one want to know even more so what exactly caused it.