Sisters, Ruthie and Lucille are
left by their mother in the porch of their grandmother’s house in the small town
of Fingerbone in Idaho. Their mother doesn’t come back and her body is
found later. In Fingerbone the people
are embittered, the environment harsh and the winters long. Friendless, the girls seek solace in each other’s
company. Their grandmother cares for them
as best she can, but enlists the help of her sisters-in-law (Nona and Lilly)
should anything happen to her. After the
death of their grandmother the elderly sisters-in-law arrive, but are anxious
and can’t cope with two adolescent girls.
Sylvie, the girl’s wayward aunt, arrives and takes over their care. It is clear from the start that Sylvie has
led the life of a transient and Ruthie and Lucille’s fear that they will be
abandoned again is tangible. The story
is narrated by Ruthie who is haunted by memories of her ancestors and drawn to
the lake where many of them died. As the
girls approach adulthood Ruthie becomes more introvert and feels a connection
with her aunt, whereas Lucille scorns her aunt’s attempts to raise them and
dreams of a more conventional upbringing.
The story is one of loneliness. It
was one of those novels where, when you reach the end, you feel the need to
re-read it, which I couldn’t do as I had borrowed it from the library!
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