NPR's Book of the Day Kate Riley’s novel ‘Ruth’ was inspired by her year in an insular religious community
Sep 2, 2025
Author Kate Riley shares the inspiration behind her debut novel, 'Ruth,' drawn from her year in a secluded religious community. She explores the theme of limited access to information and the protagonist's quest for understanding. The conversation dives into the contrast between insular environments and broader perspectives, highlighting Ruth's internal struggles and search for authenticity. With humor, Riley reflects on the pressures of being a debut author and the possibility that this might be her first and last novel.
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Learning The Limits Of Canonical Knowledge
- Ruth learns by trial and error which biblical references are metaphorical versus literal.
- The book shows how limited canonical knowledge leaves gaps about the wider world like China or outer space.
Communal Life And Peace Church Roots
- The community in the book is in the peace church tradition with shared property and consensus decision-making.
- Kate Riley likens living there to being at summer camp your whole life with constant communal negotiation.
Curiosity Versus Limited Information
- Riley positions Ruth as intensely curious yet constrained by limited access to information.
- She wanted to explore how inquisitiveness behaves when you can't just look things up online.
