Ruth D Thorne

Early life and ancestry

Ruth Thorne was born in the Western town of Mayagüez, on the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico. She was an only child. Her father was an engineer and her mother a social worker with a degree in psychology. She has a multi-ethnic background including Scottish, Irish, Spanish, French, Maori, Ethiopian, Dutch, Arawak, Jewish, and Indian (Bihari). Ruth Thorne's diverse family background provides her rich experiences from which she creates remarkable characters. During a radio interview in 2006 [1], she credited her multi-ethnic background for feeling at home around different cultures. When asked about the uniqueness of having a multi-ethnic background, she explained that it is not a rare attribute in areas such as Guyana, where her father was born.

Family history

Ruth Thorne's paternal grandfather was Alfred P. Thorne a Guyanese–Bajan international economist who devoted his life's work to researching the mechanics of perpetuated poverty. Her paternal Great-Grandfather was the highly recognized historical figure Alfred A. Thorne was a highly educated Latin and Greek scholar who received advanced degrees with honours from a British University in the 1890s after earning the top national score on the British college exams in Barbados. Celebrated as a "Champion of the People" in the Caribbean region, A. A. Thorne created a lasting impact as an elected public official, educator, and community leader. Having a privileged birth, his family owned one of the largest sugar and rum refineries in Barbados. He started his first venture with the support of his Scottish grandfather. A. A. Thorne negotiated the first economic alliance across the various nations of the Caribbean region. He formed one of the first human rights & worker's rights organizations in the Caribbean region at a time before human rights laws and labor unions existed. He established a middle school in Guyana focused on providing underprivileged youth access to quality education. He was also a dedicated father whose ten children became accomplished doctors, professors, engineers and business leaders.

Ruth Thorne's maternal great-grandfather was a sugar-cane manor owner in the town of Maricao whose family had come from France.

Education

A political science major and psychology minor, Ruth Thorne earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Puerto Rico Mayagüez Campus. She attended David G. Farragut Elementary School in Mayagüez's central area and Manuel A. Barreto Junior High School (both public schools), where she met Juan Carlos Gaston, a friendship that would prove instrumental in her creative process. She finished her Junior High at YMCA Private School and graduated from high school at Pablo Casasus Presbyterian School.

Written work

Ruth Thorne won school prizes in curricular writing competitions but said she considered her writing more as an academic duty than a real passion [2]. During a walk in a Mayagüez's equivalent to a central park, Parque de los Proceres, she ran into Juan C. Gaston Juan Carlos Gastón, former classmate and educational advocate. She said during an interview with radio personality Toti Figueroa Toti Figueroa[3] that Gaston inspired a character appearing in her first novel, Carlitos Forrestier.

Prior to beginning her career as a writer, she was a wellness columnist for a regional newspaper in the Puerto Rico Western Area.

After completing Crónicas del Barrio, she finished two books that are now part or the Department of Education Book Division, titled "Cuqui Naveira y las Letras en Cursivo" and "Coqui Melchor". She would write her second novel, titled "Aceite Camelot", during the next Christmas Season. Her third novel was begun exactly two days later, known as "Yearn and Harrow" or simply titled "Dalila" in its Spanish version. The author described Yearn and Harrow's creative process as "exhausting".

Novels and books

Characters

Ruth Thorne's characters revolve around conflict management, real life and realism. She expressed her desire to be able to create fictional women who are very real, with disturbing virtues and adorable flaws. The men in her books range from priests, engineers, gay stylists married to heterosexual women, engineers and regular people.

Female Archetypes and Personality Description

Female characters show a tendency to suffer great setbacks and hardship. Her writing style usually showcases Female Type A's and women who need to make life changing choices during severe hardship. Her literary vehicle tends to rely on the character's resiliency and their ability to fulfill ambition or overcome traumatic experiences.