First published 2005
Ruth and her sister Lucille live as orphans in Fingerbone, a small isolated town in America's northwest. After being passed between various relatives, the girls end up in the care of Sylvie, their deceased mother's sister who remains distant and mysterious. The harsh winter landscape surrounds them as the sisters face the challenges of growing up without stable guidance. Ruth watches as their unconventional guardian brings her own peculiar approach to caring for them. The girls must navigate their relationship with Sylvie while dealing with the absence that has shaped their young lives. Set against the stark beauty of their remote town, the story follows Ruth and Lucille as they confront questions of belonging and survival. Their journey toward maturity unfolds amid themes of abandonment and impermanence, exploring how people adapt when left to find their own way in the world.
Genres: literary-fiction, american-fiction, 20th-century, family-drama
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, unconventional-family
Setting: Fingerbone, America's Northwest
Period: 20th Century
219 pages · Paperback · Faber and Faber