Ruth Bear
Ruth Behar tells a fictionalized story of an incident in her life, where as a new immigrant to America, she is a victim of a car accident that leaves her in a body cast and bedridden for an entire year. Through rich, emotional and poignant vignettes we observe life, through her eyes as a ten year old child, just as Ruthie is successfully learning all the rules and language of being a kid in Queens, NY. Behar successfully unfolds Ruthie’s existence through funny, warm, touching and traumatic little chapters that touch on her immigrant experience, her family’s past life in Cuba, their longing for it, healthcare, apartment life, her education and her most innermost feelings. As my many sticky notes attest to it, there’s a lot that is shared in this easy to read book. Through Ruthie’s very long year of recuperation Behar writes about the freedoms of belief, expression and creation and weaves in words of Emma Lazarus and paintings of Frida Kahlo. She delves into Ruthie’s days of happiness and days of cloudy sadness. She deals with the difficult act of forgiveness towards the young, irresponsible driver and passengers of the car that caused her and her family so much pain. Through the inclusion of friendly, helpful characters in the story Ruthie’s mind and heart is opened up to other ways that help her towards mending her body and soul. She writes prayerful letters to God, Shiva, Nancy Drew and Frida. She questions if and how she will, “become whole after you’ve been broken?” She agonizes over her pain but keeps silent to not upset her family, but mostly her beautiful mother who mourns the loss of her old Cuban life. She reads books over and over again and becomes a lifelong reader. There is so much to absorb from and learn from Ruthie’s character and Behar’s poetic and sincere words. Now I look forward to reading Behar’s next book, Letters from Cuba.