HomeFictionDrowning Ruth

Cover of Drowning Ruth

Fiction · 2001 · PG-13

Drowning Ruth

by Christina Schwarz

A woman's death. A lake that holds secrets. A family unraveling.

Worn out from nursing soldiers at a Milwaukee hospital and struggling to recover from a traumatic love affair, Amanda Starkey returns to her family's rural Wisconsin farm to stay with her beloved sister, Mattie, and young niece, Ruth.

For14+GenreFictionLength338 pagesRead time~9 hoursCommunity ratings0

This analysis was generated by AI from publicly available reader reviews, literary criticism, and book discussions. It has not been verified by a BookLens community reviewer and may contain errors. Be the first to verify →

Content snapshot

Flag an inaccuracy →

What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.

Violence

Some

A drowning death and its aftermath; historical WWI violence referenced

Language

Barely any

Clean literary prose

Sexual Content

Barely any

No sexual content

Substance Use

Barely any

No significant substance use

Emotional Intensity

A lot

Psychological trauma, unreliable memory, buried guilt, and the long-term damage of family secrets

What this book is about

When Mathilda retreats from WWI shell shock to stay with her sister's family on a Wisconsin lake, she witnesses something terrible—and what she chooses to remember, and what she chooses to hide, will determine every life around her.

Notes for sensitive readers

Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.

Psychological trauma and unreliable narration

Death by drowning as central event

Family secrets and sustained guilt

Reader Verification

Be the first to verify
this rating

Have you read Drowning Ruth? Submit a community rating to confirm or correct the AI estimate. Your review helps other readers make an informed choice.

Rate this book →

Free · ~5 minutes · No account required

Similar reads

More Fiction books from the catalog.

Think this AI estimate is off?

Flag an inaccuracy →

Where to Buy

Affiliate links — BookLens earns a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Buy on Amazon →