The Friends of the Seaside Library hosts Ruth Wariner, author of The Sound of Gravel, the true story of one girl’s coming-of-age in a polygamist family. Ruth Wariner was the thirty-ninth of her father’s forty-two children.  Growing up on a farm in rural Mexico, where authorities turn a blind eye to the practices of her community, Ruth lived in a ramshackle house without indoor plumbing or electricity.  At church, preachers taught 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.

In need of government assistance, Ruth and her siblings are carted back and forth between Mexico and the U.S., 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 and begins to doubt her family’s beliefs and her mother’s choices.  She struggles to balance her fierce love for her siblings with the 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 memoir of one girls fight for peace and love.  This is an intimate, gripping tale of triumph, courage and resilience.

The event will take place in the Community Room. Book sales and signings presented by Beach Books.