Way Down Deep by Ruth White
Way Down Deep by Ruth White, is set in Virginia in the Appalachian Mountains in a small town named Way Down Deep, but the title has a meaning much deeper than the name of the town.
The reader learns about several adults who live in the town and at the Roost, the boarding house where Ruby has lived since she arrived in Way Down Deep who have issues with their past.
As the plot is revealed, the reader sees many of the characters looking way down deep in their hearts and souls to face their problems so that they may live happily in the present. The past sorrows of many of their lives had twisted their outlook on life in a negative manner.
Ruby and her guardian, Miss Arbutus, express their deep feelings and in doing so show the others a way to communicate and help themselves to live productive lives.
Ruby realizes that life holds its sorrows and “bitter berries,” but life also holds many happy moments if you are open to receive them.
This book is a great book talk for grades 5 and up. I found it to be a therapeutic read that opened me up to an optimistic view on life. Way Down Deep is a book many adults who work with children should read.
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