A powerful debut novel that\'s hilarious, heartbreaking, and ass-kicking (Jamie Ford), of a Puerto Rican family in Staten Island who discovers their long-missing sister is potentially alive and cast on a reality TV show, and they set out to bring her home.
What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez is a vivid family portrait, in all its shattered reality, exploring the familial bonds between women and cycles of generational violence, colonialism, race, and silence, replete with snark, resentment, tenderness, and, of course, love..
What follows is a family road trip and reckoning that will force the Ramirez women to finally face the past and look toward a future--with or without Ruthy in it.
When Dolores catches wind of their scheme, she insists on joining, along with her pot-stirring holy roller best friend, Irene.
After seeing maybe-Ruthy on their screen, Jessica and Nina hatch a plan to drive to where the show is filmed in search of their long-lost sister.
It\'s 2008, and their mother, Dolores, still struggles with the loss, Jessica juggles a newborn baby with her hospital job, and Nina, after four successful years at college, has returned home to medical school rejections and is forced to work in the mall folding tiny bedazzled thongs at the lingerie store.
Could it be Ruthy, after all this time? The years since Ruthy\'s disappearance haven\'t been easy on the Ramirez family.
She rushes to tell her younger sister, Nina: This woman\'s hair is dyed red, and she calls herself Ruby, but the beauty mark under her left eye is instantly recognizable.
One night, twelve years later, oldest sister Jessica spots a woman on her TV screen in Catfight, a raunchy reality show.
When thirteen-year-old middle child Ruthy disappeared after track practice without a trace, it left the family scarred and scrambling.
Magazine - Popsugar - Bookriot - Debutiful - Powell\'s Book Blog A March Indie Next Pick! Belletrist and Readers Digest book club pick! The Ramirez women of Staten Island orbit around absence.
Magazine - Good Housekeeping - Bustle - The Week - Goodreads - Bookriot - Pop Culturely - SheReads - Litreactor - Electric Lit - The Mary Sue - People Español - Zibby Mag - Debutiful - Her Campus Best Books of March by Time - Shondaland - Ms.
A Most Anticipated Book of 2023 by Elle - USA Today - Today.com - Ms.
A powerful debut novel that\'s hilarious, heartbreaking, and ass-kicking (Jamie Ford), of a Puerto Rican family in Staten Island who discovers their long-missing sister is potentially alive and cast on a reality TV show, and they set out to bring her home
