A book club friend referred to reading The Sound of Gravel as a wild ride which I thought was a good description. Ruth Wariner's childhood living in a polygamous family with a mother and occasionally her abusive stepfather was filled with anxiety and will to survive. The ramshackle house in the Mexican LeBaron colony was shared with families of mice, no electricity or running water. Her mother would eventually give birth to ten children constantly reaffirming her belief that she is doing God's work while sharing her second "husband" with other women. Ruth's father was killed by his brother, Ervil Le Baron who was considered a prophet by his followers. With no stable income, her mother made monthly trips to the U.S. to claim government welfare, choosing to live in poverty rather than in the welcoming home of her parents in California who would have loved to shelter their grandchildren. Despite her difficult childhood, Ruth overcomes the trauma and eventually has her happy ending with husband, Alan.
While difficult and emotional to read in places, the memoir is very well written and Ruth does an excellent job at describing her thoughts and surroundings.
Note: You may remember in 2019 that a family was killed in Mexico while on their way to a wedding in Arizona - they were part of the LeBaron colony which is situated in an area 6 miles along the highway near the U.S. /Mexico border and often has brushes with the cartel and landowners who contest the land which was bought from a man who was not the landowner.
