Grand Central Publishing
What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez
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A powerful novel that's "hilarious, heartbreaking, and ass-kicking" (Jamie Ford) about a Puerto Rican family in Staten Island who discovers their long-missing sister is potentially alive and cast on a reality TV show, and sets out to bring her home.
Winner of the 2024 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction - Longlisted for the Aspen Words Literary Prize - March Indie Next Pick - Belletrist, Phenomenal, Page & Pairing, and Readers Digest book club pick The Ramirez women of Staten Island orbit around absence. When thirteen-year-old middle child Ruthy disappeared after track practice without a trace, it left the family scarred and scrambling. One night, twelve years later, oldest sister Jessica spots a woman on her TV screen in Catfight, a raunchy reality show. She rushes to tell her younger sister, Nina: This woman's hair is dyed red, and she calls herself Ruby, but the beauty mark under her left eye is instantly recognizable. Could it be Ruthy, after all this time? The years since Ruthy's disappearance haven't been easy on the Ramirez family. It's 2008, and their mother, Dolores, still struggles with the loss, Jessica juggles a newborn baby with her hospital job, and Nina, after four successful years at college, has returned home to medical school rejections and is forced to work in the mall folding tiny bedazzled thongs at the lingerie store. After seeing maybe-Ruthy on their screen, Jessica and Nina hatch a plan to drive to where the show is filmed in search of their long-lost sister. When Dolores catches wind of their scheme, she insists on joining, along with her pot-stirring holy roller best friend, Irene. What follows is a family road trip and reckoning that will force the Ramirez women to finally face the past and look toward a future--with or without Ruthy in it. What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez is a vivid family portrait, in all its shattered reality, exploring the familial bonds between women and cycles of generational violence, colonialism, race, and silence, replete with snark, resentment, tenderness, and, of course, love. A Most Anticipated Book of 2023 by Elle - USA Today - Today.com - Ms. Magazine - Good Housekeeping - Bustle - The Week - Goodreads - Bookriot - Pop Culturely - SheReads - Litreactor - Electric Lit - The Mary Sue - People Español - Zibby Mag - Debutiful - Her Campus Best Books of March by Shondaland - Ms. Magazine - Popsugar - Bookriot - Debutiful - Powell's Book Blog - TIME 100 must-read book of 2023 - Booklist Top 10 debut of 2023 - Library Journal Best Pop Fiction of 2023 - The Latinidad List Best Debut Novel of 2023 - Chicago Public Library Favorite Book of 2023 - Good Housekeeping Must-Read Book of 2023 - Today.com Standout Book of 2023 Includes a Reading Group Guide.Share
Book Details
ISBN:
9781538725979
EAN:
9781538725979
Binding:
Paperback
Pages:
256
Authors:
Claire Jimenez
Publisher:
Grand Central Publishing
Published Date: 2024-20-02
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The story Of Ruthy is a touching family story about love, life and loss. It’s about healing and how great loss can affect an entire family for the rest of their life. Very good book…I would have like to know if Nina ever ended up getting into Medical school…
As the daughter of immigrants I loved this story. I'm the proud daughter of Cuban immigrants. While, I did not grow up in New York, my family is the same in Florida. To this day I am fluent in Spanglish, Spanish and English. This story gave me the feels.
This book was short and sweet. I can't believe the way people couldn't stand the "cussing". It felt authentic and real. That is the normal way young people speak nowadays. Also, it entertained me like watching a TV show. The ending was sad, but I saw that coming.
In this story, you're reading about Ruthy and her family and how, at the age of 13, she suddenly disappears after track practice. Twenty years later, no one has seen or heard from Ruthy. One evening, Jess and Nina, who are Ruthy's sisters they come across a show called Catfight. In this show, there is a redhead with a birth mark under her one eye, and the sisters swear it is Ruthy, so they decide to make a trip to Boston with Ma and her friend Irene. While in Boston, will they find Ruthy, or are they just on a wild goose chase. Get yourself a copy and read the story to find out if the red head is Ruthy or not and enjoy some of the antics these girls go through.
If you are looking for a book with the letter z in the title, read this one! There was so much I learned about the Puerto Rican culture. It has mystery, drama and humor all wrapped in. Loved the different point of view chapters.
