[1] Ruby's narrative weaves between personal and communal struggles, focusing on her relationship with her younger brother Percy, who is implied to have autism.

[2] Percy’s eccentricities, including his project of sending bottles downstream with messages, contrast sharply with the growing tension in the town as it prepares for its “drowning”.

Ruby’s coming-of-age journey involves grappling with her social identity as an outsider due to her strange vision and her brother’s condition.

novel's emotional core Other characters, like the affable Mr. Ellis Cole and Ruby’s first love, Troy Rutherford, enrich the narrative by embodying the broader themes of change and resilience.

Each section charts Ruby’s growth and the town’s steady decline, drawing on symbolism and metaphor to deepen the reader's understanding of rural displacement.