Ruth Sykes

Ruth is a great many thing in this novel. She has a large burn scar on her face. Ruth's sister, Eleanor (El), reports the abuse and the result is that El and Ruth are put into state custody. They are are taken to Father Arthur's orphanage called the Church of Christ! where El and Ruth share a room for a few years. Ruth's sister is removed from the house, and subsequently removed from Ruth's life, leaving Ruth alone in the world at the young age of 5. Shortly after her sister leaves, a boy named Nat arrives. He is Ruth's roommate and best friend. Nat and Ruth often host seances with the kids in the orphanage, leading to a meeting with Mr. Carl Bell. Ruth hires Mr. Bell as their manager for hosting seances for the public. Ruth goes to the hospital because her appendix bursts and, while...