Drowning Ruth by Christina Schwarz

Mathilda Neumann drowned beneath the icy waters of Nagawaukee lake one winter evening of 1919, leaving behind her daughter Ruth, who then was only a toddler, to her older sister, Amanda. The tragedy caused grave depression to the family, including husband Carl. It took them years to cope and adapt with the loss, as well as the haunting memory of Mathilda. But how did she, a good swimmer, drowned? The answers remained repressed deep within their memories, as mysterious as the lake itself, until such time when everybody was ready for it.

Drowning Ruth is the mysterious death of Mathilda Neumann, told in various timelines by the narrator, Amanda, and Ruth. It was a bit dragging at first, but after the drama unfolded and the twists built up, it got really interesting. All the while I thought I understood the story, but I was wrong in the end.

Amanda is one of the main characters in the story. She was introduced as a troubled woman. The tragic death of her sister caused her to quit her job as a nurse because of somatic symptoms – in psychiatry, these are illness manifestations which have no physiologic relations, usually brought about by severe anxiety. Amanda was the only person who knew what really happened the night her sister drowned, but she kept it a secret. She tried to suppress the memory and decided to live a new life with her niece, Ruth. – both are known coping mechanisms exhibited after stressful events. Amanda experienced Post-Traumatic Stress disorder, manifested by her physical illness, nightmares, and flashbacks shortly after the event. She also had history of being admitted to a mental health institution. Keeping the secret safe was her only means of preservation.

Ruth was so young when her mother died, but she was there. She remembered running on ice, she even recalled drowning. But that was all her memory gave her. She grew up believing her mother drowned without any clear explanations on how it happened.

Mathilda, though already dead since the start of the story, was present in every chapter. As I have said, the book was told from different timelines. In a way, she was made alive in the book. Mathilda, as described by the author, was a very beautiful and charming lady. In fact, she was a better eye-candy than her older sister. There were lots of reasons why Amanda should envy her.

Though not explicitly said in the book, it was obvious that the sisters also underwent the “sibling rivalry” phase. I even assumed that envy killed Mathilda, apparently not.

As the author unfolded clues about the death of Mathilda, I made assumptions. At first I thought Mathilda drowned looking for Amanda and Ruth. Next, I thought she drowned trying to save Ruth. I also assumed Amanda left Mathilda drowning. But the ending was very different. I was surprised, and in a way pleased.

I admire how the story was written. The building-up of clues and characters pointed to various possible causes of death. Although the narration shifts from the narrator to and from Amanda/Ruth, which I found confusing during the start, it was vital in the building-up of the plot.

The story also involved 3 male characters: Clement Owens, his son Arthur, and Carl. All of them showed 3 different male personalities which highlighted the personalities of the female protagonists and how the story revolved. Clement was the love interest of Amanda. Arthur became the suitor of Ruth. Carl, as introduced, was Mathilda’s husband.

I also like the relationship that existed between Amanda and Ruth. They were not just aunt and niece living together. To compensate for their loss, a mother-daughter and sister-sister dynamic relationship existed.

I also like the idea of the lake being the central background of the story – quiet, calm, mysterious, and treacherous. The lake had been a big factor in the lives of all characters in the book.

I am not gonna spill the beans on how Mathilda died. I encourage you to read the book to find out. This book poses as a drama-suspense novel. If you hate the drama part, you might find it boring and dragging. But I could say that the death remained a mystery even until the very end.

Drowning Ruth was the first novel of Christina Schwarz. The book had been chosen by Oprah’s Book Club, the first I’ve read among their list. Initially I thought it was just some dramatic story, no more, no less. But the great suspense and storytelling of the author proved me wrong. I give it 4/5 stars.

I placed this book on my Bookmooch inventory before reading it. I never realized I'm gonna like it. Now I have to send it to somebody overseas. Well, I guess I have to share it with others.