Award-winning author Jane Hamilton touched readers' hearts with her emotionally-charged novel, A Map of the World . She intimately involves her readers, again, with The Book of Ruth , winner of the PEN/Ernest Hemingway Award. Growing up in a world of physical and emotional poverty, Ruth believes her shrewish mother's assessment of her—that she is dimwitted and worthless. When she marries an emotionally unstable ne'er-do-well, her troubles only multiply. Her job at the dry cleaners can't afford her little family the luxury of moving out of her mother's house. As the incessant bickering between her troubled husband and her abusive mother reaches a violent climax, Ruth must find a way to survive. Angela Jayne Rogers' sensitive narration brings to life the enduring wisdom, compassion, and strength of this innocent but battered soul. The Book of Ruth shines as a bittersweet testament to the resilience of the human spirit.