Ruth

by Kate Riley

In this mesmerizing and profound novel, the arc of a woman's life in a devout, insular community challenges our deepest assumptions about what infuses life with meaning.
 
Ruth is raised in a snow globe of Christian communism, a world without private property, television, or tolerance for idle questions. Every morning she braids her hair and wears the same costume, sings the same breakfast song in a family room identical to every other family room in the community; every one of these moments is meant to be a prayer, but to Ruth they remain puzzles. Her life is seen in glimpses through childhood, marriage, and motherhood, as she tries to manage her own perilous curiosity in a community built on holy mystery. Is she happy? Might this in fact be happiness? Ruth immerses us in an experience that challenges our most fervent beliefs.

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Religion, Historical Fiction, Contemporary, Audiobook, Cult Classics

256 pages, Hardcover

First published August 19, 2025

Reviews

[Ron Charles]

It would never work out, but I’m in love with Ruth.

She’s the impish narrator of Kate Riley’s novel about a Hutterite community in Michigan. Chances are you don’t know anything about the Hutterites — I didn’t until last week — but one of the many delights of this autobiographical story is that Riley feels no rush to lay out their beliefs.

Instead, we come to feel the tight dimensions of this little Anabaptist sect just as Ruth does — with a mixture of innocence and incredulity. Born into the faith in 1963, she grows up under the loving supervision of the Brotherhood, which forbids personal property and discourages the “festering intimacy” of family life. In keeping with Hutterite tradition, their colony — the Dorf, as members call it — is a group dedicated to hard work and spiritual striving.

Ruth is no atheist, but the fabric of her faith feels like a too-tight garment of scratchy wool. “She prayed God leach her of all curiosity,” Riley writes, “but He would not.” That rebuffed supplication becomes both her triumph and her tragedy.

No one goes wanting in the Dorf that Riley describes, but “the Brotherhood lived in a constantly recalibrating state of voluntary poverty.” Their meeting hall, dorms and shops are built from timbers and decorated with green shutters in the Bavarian style of the mother country. Ruth can’t help noticing “their resemblance to the house at the end of Candyland.”

The outside world, Ruth learns, is a howling wilderness of “printed T-shirts and cohabitation before marriage.” Meanwhile, her community of some 300 souls is....

To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/...

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC for review. To be published August 19, 2025.

3 stars

So, it’s not exactly a cult book, my cult book loving friends, but it’s not NOT a cult book either. The novel follows Ruth from childhood through middle age in her Anabaptist sect where all is shared and decisions are made by elders (however there is no abuse here.) Ruth’s life is fairly regimented and while Ruth is, for her group, a tiny bit of a free spirit, she doesn’t really question the world she lives within nor does she appear to chafe against its teachings. But is she happy? That’s the fundamental question here, and you’ll have to decide for yourself.

There were definitely things I liked about this book; often books about a religious community are quick to label it “bad,” when, here, certainly, there’s no real evidence there’s anything bad about the Brotherhood at all…there’s no coercion or abuse here and plenty of people leave the congregation. These are simply people who choose to worship and live differently than most; the people depicted here are more like the Amish than anything. Can happiness be found there? Of course.

That said, I found the book choppy and a bit stilted at times. I was never entirely clear what happened to some of the characters who just seemed to vanish. So, while there were high points, there were things that could have been improved upon, for me.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found the style of writing to be refreshingly witty and sophisticated, a welcomed change from the colloquial style of many contemporary authors. This book is not plot driven, rather it depicts a community through the perspective of one woman. Her voice is laugh-out-loud funny at times, and consistently beautiful and rich in detail. Ruth feels like an outsider in her community, and letting the reader in on that feeling felt special and relatable.

I will re-read this again with a pen!

[Celine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 (ish!)

A fresh, funny, moving book. So totally unique!

[Holly R W]

DNF at page 75.

This is the story of Ruth, who is being raised in a Hutterite family in Michigan. It is a quiet story about her life and their community. Everything is shared. They have no personal possessions. They strive to live their faith in a communal way. Strict conformity is expected, down to the smallest of behaviors.

At first, I found it interesting, but now the writing has stalled for me. It is a little too quiet.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a novel that’s more interested in character study than plot, but wow—what a voice! It follows the titular Ruth, member of an “intentional” religious community, from pre-teen to her fifties, detailing every observation from her devout and cloistered life. You’d think the writing would be dry, but it is the exact opposite—sharp, introspective, witty, and at times laugh-out-loud funny. The narrative nods to the escapism, fascination, and preconceived notions involved in reading such a story, and it’s no wonder—Riley dropped out of college to join a similar faction, and considers it the happiest time of her life.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never would have picked up this book unprompted but I got an ARC as a first-round reader for a prize and I'm so glad I did! Don't read this expecting a clear, linear narrative. It's more a collection of anecdotes, the overarching narrative implied and impressionistic. That's not usually my favorite style, but each section is so well crafted, and Ruth's experience of her life in a Christian commune (which is itself fascinating and seems to be based on the real life Bruderhof Communities) is so layered and bittersweet, I ended up loving the book and feeling like I'd really known Ruth. Some reviews say that they found the narrative choppy, that they found Ruth remote and/or inaccessible, but to me that's like complaining that a Monet is blurry. Part of the power of Riley's style is allowing the reader to fill in some of the blanks. I found it very affecting.

[Merry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt completely disconnected from this story and particularly from Ruth. The text never allowed me to get close to her, to hear her voice. Maybe that was the author’s intent, to mirror the isolation felt by Ruth in the commune, but for me, feeling isolated from a story does not equate to an entirely pleasant reading experience.

[Ann Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book. It gave me sweet Gilead (the wonderful Marilynn Robinson book, not The Handmaid’s Tale setting😬) vibes and I could have kept on reading for even longer.

Ruth has grown up in an Anabaptist Hutterite commune (think Amish-ish but with electricity, conservatism, and big hearts for social justice). We see glimpses of her world and beliefs through almost mini-chapters, starting from childhood and going through middle age.

The format of this book was perfect. At first it seemed a bit slow and makes the reader feel out of the loop since we’re finding out more about the commune as we read. BUT, once you have the vernacular and routine down, then you can really sink your teeth into the small stories and commentaries on commune life. The second half especially shines as Ruth ages, even while maintaining her childlike spirit.

I loved Ruth’s playfulness and whimsy so much, especially since she’s in a place that you think might not always appreciate those characteristics. She’s funny and she’s herself even if her neighbors may not know what to make of it sometimes.

There are so many well-written, clever observations throughout this book and I found myself underlining and re-reading them. It is such a testament to Riley’s writing!

I went into this book expecting culty vibes, but I quickly realized my expectations were way off. This book shows the imperfections and beauty of an insular life of faith in such a genuine way. Can happiness be found even in a “confined” lifestyle? This may end up being one of my favorite books of the year.

[D · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful, witty, singular, brilliant book. Not sure what I expected—and I’ve never read Miriam Toews—but it certainly did make me think of the movie of Women Talking, though less plotted and less grave, more like a fictional ethnography. The attention to detail is so wonderful and specific and clever and strange, as is the refusal of any kind of major judgement and of any plot arc or transformation… almost an autofictional quality in its quotidian-ness, like Knausgaard, with such a keen eye for social mores and rules. I thought most often of Zora Neale Hurston and Laura Ingalls Wilder and of the Shakers and the 19th century utopian communities along the Ohio River, but mostly I was just totally absorbed by the window into this parallel world.

I will say I have zero interest in joining the Brotherhood, and that I don’t share Kate Riley’s belief in this being appealing as a way of living in any serious way—I would hate how circumscribed women’s roles are, how much curiosity is discouraged or punished, the persistent severing of close ties. But what a feat to describe a way of life thus different with this much compassion and wit and rich interiority!!!!

[John Kenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really impressive! Riley has created a character cursed with curiosity in a Christian communal sect, but told completely within the worldview of that community, the language and the preoccupations of family, community and faith, so much so that at times it was easy to feel disoriented. But overall Ruth is one of the most compelling characters and remarkable books I’ve read this year.

[Lavelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was honestly soooo hard for me to connect with this book

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review: Ruth by Kate Riley
(Inspired by life near Sarasota’s Peace Church community)

I live in a bedroom community just outside Sarasota, Florida, home to a large and visible Peace Church population--including Amish and Mennonite families. I’ve long been intrigued by their way of life. The women, in particular, appear so grounded and content. So when I came across Ruthby Kate Riley--a novel about a curious woman questioning the religious framework she was raised in--I was immediately drawn in.

As someone who grew up Catholic and often wondered why others accepted doctrine so unquestioningly, I found Ruth deeply relatable. Her internal struggle to reconcile faith, obedience, and curiosity mirrors my own experience. Like Ruth, I’ve never been able to quiet that voice that asks, But why?

In the novel, Ruth lives in a fictional Christian settlement, but many of the surnames in her community mirror those of the Amish families here in Florida. Riley paints Ruth as a woman who exists on the fringes--always slightly apart from the wholehearted believers around her. She longs for the same fire and certainty that animate her neighbors, but can’t manufacture it. Her curiosity, rather than being seen as a path to wisdom, is considered a weakness--even a moral failing. In a world where unquestioning obedience is prized, Ruth struggles with guilt for simply wondering.

What makes Riley’s writing especially delightful is her wit and quiet humor. A few of my favorite lines:

“The only solution for anger at your husband is to bake him a pie.”
Spoiler: It doesn’t work.

“She did not just ruin dishes but ruined them elaborately… Her tuiles contained the shells of both eggs and nuts.”

“It took Ruth trial and mortifying error to learn what of the Bible was now accurate only in metaphor.”

“The library’s encyclopedias, clear and sedative beside the Bible’s cryptic thrills, still misled. Ruth lived for decades in an alternate reality containing Zanzibar and dipsomania.”

These moments of levity balance the heavier themes and make Ruth’s story not just profound, but a little bit quirky and very human.

In the end, "Ruth" is a story about a woman navigating faith, doubt, and identity within a tightly bounded community. It’s for anyone who has ever stood at the edge of belief, longing to belong, but needing to question. I’m so glad I found this novel, as it offered me not only a window into a community I see every day, but also a somewhat mirror for my own spiritual journey in my youth.

[AMenagerieofWords Deb Coco · Rating 2 out of 5]

The difference between fear and reverence was semantic.
Ruth
Kate Riley

Normally I finish a book and write my review immediately while my thoughts are fresh. Rarely do I feel the need to wait and process my reaction.

I can honestly say I felt absolutely nothing while I read this book, nothing after finishing, and nothing after sitting on it a bit.
•
Ruth has been classified under Cult Classics— I’ll start there. If you are hoping for a juicy cult novel, you’re going to be let down. Cult Lite would even be a stretch. Ruth is born into a fictitious religious sect in Michigan in the 1960s. The novel takes us from her childhood, through her entire life, yet the narrative style keeps us at such a distance I never felt I knew anything other than circumstance.
•
The “Brotherhood” seems to be modeled on Amish tradition - we don’t see Ruth abused, but more constrained. Ruth marries, has children and lives a somewhat “traditional” life, but she subtly rejects the rules imposed upon her. She is probably the most emotionless protagonist I’ve ever come across, and possibly this is by design. The author skates so along the surface that we never get an understanding of any character’s emotional state. Maybe that is a way to illustrate that no one is allowed to stand out - that a controlling religion denies personality and independence. That is just my best guess - and if that is true, the book is brilliant and form follows function. But it still doesn’t make the story interesting or compelling - I was bored to tears because I felt so detached. This story is the perfect example of “show, don’t tell.” There is so much telling and no showing. I needed more.
•
I’ve seen some reviews state that they felt Ruth was a humorous character - I can assure you I didn’t laugh once. I didn’t like Ruth, I didn’t not like Ruth, I didn’t know her well enough to feel anything. Very rare to finish a book that is dedicated to one main character and feel that way.
•
What I loved? The cover! You may have read the NYT article The Book Cover Trend You’re Seeing Everywhere - this falls right into that trend beautifully. One good thing.
•
Thank you PRH audio for my copy - out 8/19.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so grateful to be a part of the #Riverherd by @riverheadbooks with books like 𝑹𝑼𝑻𝑯 𝒃𝒚 𝑲𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝑹𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒚, and it was a delight to add the @prhaudio to this disarmingly captivating novel, coming August 19th.

This is the story of a woman born into a sect of anabaptist Christians, for whom being set apart is a form of holiness laced with some fear, but more often desire to please the God they worship. We glimpse Ruth in vignettes of youthful curiosity, through the courtship and marriage to Alan, and then through the moments of motherhood that defy understanding in every emotion.

This is a character study that is structurally succinct, adding no extra frills, much like the life Ruth lives. I found it read like interconnected stories that weaved a life of one who challenged her lot, yet found a peace and, at times, much laughter in it.

As one who grew up in an anabaptist tradition, there was much in this story that was both vaguely and very specifically familiar. I will always associate anise with Pfefferneüsse, and watermelon with Schnetka (I actually think it is something else, not sweet, but I remember calling it this). There was also much that felt new and a fascinating look behind the curtain of some of these tight communities.

What this is not, is a story to highlight the abuses of closed communities or to accuse. Rather, this felt like an invitation to explore another version of life and look for the similarities while acknowledging there will be places that feel more uncomfortable, but to resist filing them into the evil category. There was no villain here, instead a collection of moments that make Ruth a gem to behold.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

My only wish is to spend more time with Ruth.

The audio, narrated by Rebecca Lowman, gives a steadiness to Ruth and captured her wit in a way that felt honoring to the character. The way this book is structured may give a pause at first if you listen exclusively, but if you can allow each pause to close the previous tale and breathe before the next it will go well. Having both formats was a breeze and I adored it.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are plot spoilers here, but this isn’t a book that exists for the plot.

I generally love character driven books-- check. I’m familiar with the general area in which it is set, which is appealing. Ruth writes passive-aggressive notes, and sasses back to her husband-- A+. She is a voracious reader, although her selection is limited to whatever free paperbacks are being passed around the community—what’s not to like?

She has a rich, complex inner life. When reading about her younger years, I thought a few times that she was going to have a secular epiphany, and walk away from her Hutterite community.

In several reviews, the main point of contention seems to be “Is she happy?” I see why that’s germane-- the ending alludes to it, and suggests that she is. I’m not buying it. Her baseline state of being from childhood through age 80 is mild annoyance. Her children, while beloved, are more appreciated when they are absent-- except for her only son, who leaves the community.

I think she looks happy at the end because she is in Chicago visiting her son-- a trip that she had to wait until she was 80 to receive permission to take. Do I think she would have been happier if she’d left the community as a young adult? Not necessarily, but possibly. Her son certainly seems happy-- much happier than Ruth ever comes across in the entire book.

I’m glad I read this, but I can’t say it was a book I fully inhabited and enjoyed. It was interesting to learn both the similarities and differences between the Hutterites and the Amish. Heck, the Quakers even make a quick cameo, and they’re not even anabaptists.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A deeply affectionate and (very) gently humorous portrait of a female member of a modern-day North American anabaptist community, in which members have no personal property, life is communal, love of God comes before all else and self-abasing humility is required, as is absolute obedience. It’s a life so foreign that I struggle even to imagine it, but the Ruth drawn here is fully human, bright and witty and funny, qualities greatly unappreciated by her community. She believes devoutly and constantly struggles to master her sometimes upwelling boredom and irritation, not to mention resentment, at many of the conditions of her life. (Personally, I think I would find it very difficult to resist the urge to murder the self-satisfied fathead she’s married to.) I really can’t do justice to the debut author’s confident portrait of Ruth and this way of life. I would never have believed, before reading this, that I would be able to understand why anyone would wish to live such a life, but I felt very close to Ruth and felt I understood her desire to live this way, even with the modern world so accessible and with so many (including a sibling and one of her own children) abandoning the community for it. It was obvious to me while reading that the author surely had personal experience of such a life, it was so intimate in all its detail, and it seems she did, but you have to dig hard to find out anything at all about her. The “About the Author” at the back (remember, this is her first novel) is kind of hilariously mysterious: “Kate Riley was raised in New York City. This is her last book.” Well, I certainly hope not.

[Charlie Gill · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars.

"This was the world she wanted, and wanted to escape: a maze with strangers, and somewhere within it a single room containing the man who bored her."

A really intelligent exploration of 'cradle to grave' thought. The subtext of a phrase like that is negative, suggests malice and ill-gain. There is only the extinguishment of intersection, the ease of no choice. The Anabaptist Communist sect of Ruth would have been incredibly easy to have written with villainous/ exploitative intentions - to have reduced this world into a pigeonhole and written an exciting or satisfying story. Riley's strength is in giving us a good-faith interpretation of this world, infinitely more interesting than the cookie-cutter variations we have seen so many iterations of.

The anticlimactic end and the subdued continuation of Ruth's life is thematically satisfying, but leaves me wanting so much more. The scattered vignettes that brusque past temporal markers to build up the collage like affect of Ruth's life are brilliant but wear thin towards the end. "Everything happened so much." These 'clippings' generate their own rhythm, lent strength by Riley's prose and the constant subdued sardonic thoughts of Ruth. She is achingly clever in a man's world of happily ignorant faithful, one which has no room for her.

[Susie Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

{thank you to the publisher for my copy of this book}

Ruth is a kind of sort of cult book as the story is set inside a fictional devout, communal sect (a sort of Amish meets Christian communism) and it details Ruth’s experiences as a young girl into womanhood and explores the idea of whether or not she’s happy or if she’d be happier living a modern American life.

I will admit that the novel was a bit different than I expected, mainly due to Riley’s writing style. That’s certainly not a negative thing, but something to be aware of as I don’t think her quick, vignette-style scenes (which could be described as “choppy”) will be for everyone.

It was a different sort of reading experience for me, which I always appreciate. Don’t go into this expecting a plot-driven book or a lot of action. There were parts I wanted to keep reading about that suddenly stopped and we were moved onto the next topic. But there were also parts that are super witty and made me laugh out loud and parts that made me think deeply about religion, community, and tradition.

I can see Ruth landing on many best-of lists at the end of the year and starting many conversations about belief, belonging, and the value of doubt.

[C. L. Lenzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an unusual novel, because it is a rare glimpse into a way of life that most of us are unfamiliar with. The story follows the life of Ruth, a woman born into a Hutterite community, a Christian group who live in communal "colonies." Ruth is bolstered, loved, and nurtured by her community, and at the same time she is not quite understood and has a difficult time finding true communion of spirit. I am drawn to this insider's story of feeling both within and without.

As a young teen, I accompanied my family on my father's quest to find a way to practice true Christian communal life. He took us with him to visit various Christian groups who lived in shared communion with each other. We visited the Bruderhof in NY, a Hutterite community in Rifton, NY, which was very similar to the community in which Ruth lives.

I found the novel so interesting, especially the episodes where Ruth observes and passes judgment on outsiders, seekers, who come to visit like my father did, to consider the community's way of life.

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so incredibly funny that, for much of it…maybe even all of it…you can miss how incredibly sad it is that Ruth is stifled all her life because of her Christian (let’s call it what it is) cult. I appreciate that it isn’t focused on making religion seem good or bad…but steers the reader toward quiet questions about whether or not this particular person is happy in their situation. She is so curious and mischievous and fun. Smart, and passionate…to see how she uses her personality and her gifts and intellect to dissect and make/have fun within the cult is joyous. To wonder what a life she chose for herself would have looked like is, not sad exactly, but not happy either.

Too often, media makes the assumption that those who are in/choose to stay in cults or faiths or even bad relationships are in some way intellectually inferior. I appreciate so much that Ruth and many other anabaptiats are never depicted that way.

And the end…the revelation that her son is not a believer…somehow feels like her triumph too. That some part of her, at least, made it out.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the book very wordy, overwritten and difficult to read. While the subject of a woman growing up in a religious community could have been an interesting topic to read, the way the story was presented created a barrier to any enjoyment for me.

The book gives snapshots of Ruth’s unhappy, restricted life in her religious community over a span of fifty years or so but we never linger very long in any one period of her life. I never fully engaged with the character of Ruth and I found her hard to like. There was a lack of emotion to the story and although Ruth came from a large family there was little or nothing about her feelings towards, or relationship with her parents and siblings. Even when she becomes a mother herself there is a definite detachment between her and her baby. The effect is that the reader feels detached from the book itself. This just wasn't for me.

[Tess · Rating 5 out of 5]

This stunning novel kept me enthralled over one sitting. RUTH by Kate Riley is a slim but moving book that at first seems like another religious cult story, but instead is a look at a life of a woman confined by the luck of her draw. Born into an insular Christian community in the 1970s, we follow her throughout her life as she tries to learn about the world as a child, sees the world differently as she contemplates marriage, and takes on the outside world as she becomes a mother.

There is no heavy plot here, instead it is more of a series of vignettes within Ruth’s strange world that is often, and surprisingly, funny. The writing here is what sings – it’s Riley’s voice is beautiful and layered. She does layout exactly who Ruth is, or what this commune’s end goal is. Instead, she lets us experience her Ruth’s world to great affect. I especially loved the ending. Such a good book!

[Rebecca Larsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruth is less novel and more reflection on a life spent in service that feels more like solitude than servitude, more persecution than piety. In a community that purports to be focussed on God and his work, Ruth spends her days printing out Garfield cartoons from the internet and pretending to care about what might be on the lunch menu. From dorf to dorf she leads a shallow life disguised as dedication and dreams of what might have existed for her outside.

Ruth is a stream of consciousness narrative of an empty life that is filled with the putty of everyday existence; almost claustrophobic in its telling, it will make you question the choices people make and whether you shouldn't be living a more abundant life.

[Sparkle · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a delightfully weird book about a woman who lives in some type of fictionalized Hutterite or Anabaptist community. You follow Ruth throughout the majority of her life and listen to her internalized struggle with the confines of her role in her society. She's one who clearly has a witty sense of humor with no place to put it. Still wildly appreciate her suggestion for her second daughter's name.
At times the pacing is weird with this book, long stretches of time followed by quick jumps. I appreciated how she never leaves her faith, but does find ways to be unique.

Recommended, but know going in that this is a odd one.

[em · Rating 2 out of 5]

I initially found Ruth’s life interesting to read about however as the book carried on, it became very bleak. I felt disconnected to Ruth and her life, the writing felt very stand off-ish and there was no real connection between the snapshots of her life that we saw. I have so many questions about certain aspects and finished the book feeling underwhelmed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #Ruth #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Danni · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of a few decades over the life of a woman in a Hutterite community — think Amish meets communism, a religious cult that has communal living groups where they share everything.

My one complaint is that by the end it was feeling a bit disjointed. We'd regularly get introduced to characters who show up once (with little introduction) and then disappear.

But overall, interesting portrayal and I appreciate how our main character Ruth is a bit of a rebel but also generally seems to enjoy her life as a Hutterite.

[BookBrowse · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is an amazing feat of Riley's that Ruth depicts a strange kind of happiness at the same time that it depicts a sad and lonely life—that it shows something worth striving for, despite Ruth's suffering at having yet to reach it.
-Chloe Pfeiffer

Read the full review at: https://www.bookbrowse.com/mag/review...

[Thad Van Haitsma]

Not even sure what to say. I’m amazed I stuck with it because the book was difficult on so many levels
✅ Michigan native
✅ Very strict religious upbringing
✅ Went to Amish auctions
✅ On and on and on
But, I’ve made it to the end and I know I reread this book soon. I’d be shocked if it doesn’t end up being a cult classic

[Sara the Bookseller · Rating 1 out of 5]

In fairness, I prefer a plot driven title over character driven. But even in my character driven reads, I have to relate to some aspect of the character. I just didn’t relate to Ruth. I was impatient with her. She didn’t have a sense of agency. Although perhaps that was the point and the product of her environment, all the way to the last line.