In everyone there will always be a constant nostalgia for the innocence that came with youth, even though the most notable part of innocence comes with its end. The novel The Ruins of California,\ by Martha Sherrill, follows the life of a young girl named Inez Ruin in the '70s and her journey through the loss of innocence.
In a time when new trends and alternative mentalities flowed throughout California, Inez found herself sandwiched between her frantic exercising mother, her narcissist father, a traditional grandmother and a free-spirited older brother. The novel starts out with Inez as a young girl and chronicles her life until she leaves for college. Sherrill turns Inez from a passive observer into an active member of her captivating family.
However, it is not Inez's experiences which shape her story, but her relationships with her family members and the people around her. Sherrill gives an almost clinical perspective of the entire family, sending their individual needs and problems to the forefront. It is almost as if the family is being psychoanalyzed.
Sherrill constructs complicated and intricate relationships between Inez and her family members. Each relationship is remarkably different, which helps shape what Inez becomes. The most notable relationship is between Inez and her father. Sherrill masters the complexity of a father-daughter relationship in impeccable detail. She brings their relationship to an intense state of a reality by placing them in eccentric, yet typical situations.
The main reason this novel is so touching is due to the beauty in Sherrill's writing. The descriptions of Inez's surroundings are elaborate down to the very last detail. The novel becomes so real that it is hard to remember it is merely fiction. The readers finds themselves rooting for Inez to survive the complexities of teenage years. Sherrill's writing brings the mentality of California and the authority and shyness that rests in teenage girls to life.
This novel is probably going to be more enjoyable for an older age group, for people looking for a tool to evoke memories of growing up. Although this is labeled as a novel, it should be remembered as a memoir. There is no definite plot, but by the end of the novel, Inez's extremely emotional relationship with her father shapes the entire story.
Without the character of Paul Ruin, the narcissist father, ""The Ruins of California"" would lack a sense of uniqueness. Paul is unlike any character you are likely to read about: he defines the typical yet unspoken idea of the parent that needs the support of their child. Inez gains authority over him by the end of the novel, creating a meaningful message of the instabilities that parents face. Sherrill has created a father figure and a story that will never be forgotten.\
