How horribly sad. I should've paid attention to the summary! (I still would have read it.) It's so tragic and realistic -- some people are just never able to move past or work their way through some situations in life... and Ellen's is a situation purely based on social pressure (a sometimes violent and hateful social pressure, but still, how sad to let that determine your life).

I'm also sad for Ruth -- she didn't live her life in the shadows, but how sad to truly love someone whose self-hatred makes the relationship unbearable. And now I want Ruth and Neal to meet! Although that might end up too painful all around... or would it be healing? I think you need to write this ;-)