Claire Jiménez’s debut novel, What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez, is a quietly devastating, not-so-quietly hilarious look at sisterhood, grief, hope, family, and the ties that bind it all together. After reading, you’re going to want to talk through this one in a big way. Get your conversation started with these discussion questions. Be warned, though: there are spoilers below, so you best finish that book first. And if you want more to do with Ruthy Ramirez, be sure to check out our full Page & Pairing reading guide.
What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez
by Claire Jimenez
1. Dolores is the mother who knows more about the harsh challenges of the world than her daughters; Jessica is the protective older sister; Ruthy is the middle child; and Nina is the baby. Describe the way that each woman’s voice is distinct and how it reveals the role that each character plays in this family.
2. In the aftermath of Ruthy’s disappearance the Ramirez family’s lives are irreversibly changed. Thirteen years later, though the Ramirez women have carried on, they hold grief and the wounds of this enormous loss at every turn. In what ways is it reflected in their actions?
3. Discuss the ways each of the characters want more for themselves and their lives, what they are doing to achieve this, and the forces that work against them.
4. Discuss how reading about the reality TV show Catfight made you feel, and how it speaks to the depiction of women, especially Black and brown women, in media.
5. The Spanish language is a large part of the novel and often works as a bridge for characters to connect on a deeper level. Describe the ways its inclusion felt essential to the narrative.
6. Irene is both cherished friend to Dolores and meddlesome troublemaker for Jessica and Nina. How does our understanding of Irene evolve as the novel progresses?
7. “It was very endearing and very aggressive, this performance of motherhood.” The novel deals with complex mother-child bonds, and the experience of new motherhood. How does each woman’s experience of being a mother and/or a daughter affect their perspective of what happened to Ruthy?
8. The truth of what happened to Ruthy is unclear until the very end of the novel. Before the reveal, what did you think happened to Ruthy and why, based on the text?
Bonus exercise: Pick a family memory or legend and tell the story through the perspective of two different family members. What changes in each rendition of the memory? What stays the same?