Before Familiar Woods: A Novel

Ruth’s son Mathew and his friend William were found dead in their tent three years ago. Everyone in town blamed Mathew, turning Ruth into an outcast. Now her husband as well as William’s father have both gone missing, and it’s too much for Ruth. She’s going to find the answers no matter the cost. As this is developing, Milk has come home from deployment to find that his wife has abandoned their eight-year-old son. He now has to find a job and a home while readjusting to being a father and a civilian. He turns to Ruth for help. There’s something about Milk’s son that reminds her of her own and Ruth begins to feel that she is before familiar woods.

This book was fairly dark and somewhat depressing. It seemed like more of a drama than a mystery or thriller. The characters were pretty rough and had more of a Southern feel to them then I would have thought New Englanders have. If you enjoy dark, gritty dramas, you will enjoy this book. It is more about character development than mystery. Even though the book wasn’t one of my favorites, there was a quote I really enjoyed that I’ll leave you with:

“We fill our pockets with our worries. That’s different than men. They don’t let go of theirs exactly, but they keep them hidden somewhere and come back to them now and again. We carry ours with us. Into every room and then into our graves.”