The Little Way of Ruthie Leming

Okay, so I started this book with no idea what to expect. My friend Shari said it was a really nice book, and to be honest, I didn't know if it was fiction or non before I started reading. But Shari was right, it's a really nice book.

The author, Rod Dreher, tells the story of his sister Ruthie, and along the way he tells his own story too. Rod and Ruthie grew up in a very small town in Louisiana, a place where family and community are everything, and where hunting, fishing, and little league are the activities of choice. Ruthie loves small-town life, but Rod is a bookish boy who dreams of traveling the globe. Ruthie and Rod pretty much live their separate lives, until Ruthie is diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer.

I don't want to give too much of the book away, because a big part of it is how Ruthie and Rod live their lives, and how their lives are impacted by Ruthie's cancer. Rod's sharing of Ruthie's story is a way to tell his own story, of how he came to be the man he is, and how he has come to believe the things he believes. It's a sad story, yes, but it's also an uplifting and hopeful story. I definitely recommend it.

The Little Way of Ruthie Leming