Luckily, he got an offer to run a synagogue in Suffolk, Virginia. He told Mameh, "We're moving south." Mameh didn't want to go.

Luckily, he got an offer to run a synagogue in Suffolk, Virginia. He told Mameh, "We're moving south." Mameh didn't want to go. She said, "Maybe we can get something up here," because her sisters and her mother were in New York City, but talking to him was like talking to that wall over there. - Page 39

What does the quote indicate about the relationship between Ruth's parents?