The Sound of Gravel: A Memoir

A New York Times bestseller, The Sound of Gravel is the remarkable true story of one girl's coming-of-age in a polygamist Mormon Doomsday cult.

“A haunting, harrowing testament to survival." — People Magazine
“An addictive chronicle of a polygamist community.” — New York Magazine


Ruth Wariner was the thirty-ninth of her father’s forty-two children. Growing up on a farm in rural Mexico, where authorities turned a blind eye to the practices of her community, Ruth lives in a ramshackle house without indoor plumbing or electricity. At church, preachers teach 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. After Ruth's father--the man who had been the founding prophet of the colony--is brutally murdered by his brother in a bid for church power, her mother remarries, becoming the second wife of another faithful congregant.

In need of government assistance and supplemental income, Ruth and her siblings are carted back and forth between Mexico and the United States, 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, realizing that perhaps the community into which she was born is not the right one for her. As Ruth begins to doubt her family’s beliefs and question her mother’s choices, she struggles to balance her fierce love for her siblings with her 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 true story of a girl fighting for peace and love. This is an intimate, gripping book resonant with triumph, courage, and resilience.

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Published Apr 25, 2017

368 pages

Average rating: 7.96

115 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

Harrietaspy
May 04, 2025
6/10 stars
Disturbing but very honest. A glimpse into polygamy and extreme Mormon beliefs.
mcdunnc
Jun 25, 2024
10/10 stars
Sobbing in my kitchen as I finished the audiobook. Wow. What a story.
HollyinHendo
Jun 21, 2024
7/10 stars
Ruthie’s resilience to survive is nothing short of amazing. Difficult to read due to the intolerable conditions and unfathomable abuse the children faced - hunger, neglect, physical and sexual abuse. The subjects could be triggers for some readers.
Christine V
Nov 09, 2022
October 2018-Cyndie

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