Chapters 12-13 Summary

In chapter 12, Ruth tells Ruby's story as his counselor Sherry told it to her. Ruby was a surprise baby, born prematurely in a time when his parents had believed they were done with childbearing. Ruby's mother was an alcoholic and fell asleep with him in the bathtub one night, weeks after he was released from the hospital, and the father found his son drowning in the water. When Ruby was revived, his mother promised to never allow harm to come to him again. This set up a situation in which Ruby's mother was constantly making excuses for him, treating him like a baby even as he became an adult. Ruby's father was abusive, often beating Ruby for his shortcomings. It was a family dynamic that caused Ruby to grow up with a violent temper and a lack of direction. Ruby could...