“Ruth Whitney has found a prose style both poetic and concrete, which renders the inner world of her characters with clarity and depth.”
— Mary Hood, author of Familiar Heat
Ruth Linnea Whitney is the author of Slim (SMU Press, 2003) and Mimosa Road (January 2023), novels set in sub-Saharan Africa that give voice to those seldom heard.
Latest novel
Mimosa Road (2023)
Award
Angell Award (PCUSA Writer’s Guild) — Slim
Featured
Mimosa Road
A novel of two women, two cultures, and a shadow world.
In Kinshasa, Zaire (1974–1975), a privileged expat and a Zairian woman find themselves in close range of Mobutu’s brutality—and discover what courage demands.
- Historical + political fiction
- Propulsive narrative, lyrical prose
- Resonant for our contemporary world
“Whitney’s characters are eminently believable… the narrative propulsive… beautifully crafted.”
— Kathryn Lang, retired Senior Editor of SMU Press
What reviewers are saying
Selected praise for Mimosa Road.
“An original and inherently riveting read from beginning to end… exceptionally well written and presented.”
— Midwest Book Review (May 2023)
“It’s an engrossing tale… suspenseful and lyrical, compelling the reader to turn the pages to reach a satisfying denouement.”
— Kathryn Lang, retired Senior Editor of SMU Press
Other writing
Essays, poems, interviews, and short fiction published over the years.
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