Tina Ann Forkner's Ruby Among Us ~ Reviewed

Ruby Among Us
By Tina Ann Forkner
Published by WaterBrook Press
ISBN 978-1-4000-7358-0

Description:

Lucy DiCamillo is safely surrounded by her books, music, and art—but none of these reclusive comforts or even the protective efforts of her grandmother, Kitty, can shield her from the memory of the mother she can no longer remember. Lucy senses her grandmother holds the key, but Kitty seems as eager to hide from the past as Lucy is to find it.

From the streets of San Francisco and Sacramento, to the lush vineyards of the Sonoma Valley, Lucy follows the thread of memory in search for a heritage that seems long-buried with her mother, Ruby.

What she finds is enigmatic and stirring in this redemptive tale about the power of faith and mother-daughter love.

Review:

In her debut novel, Forkner explores the relationship between three generations of mothers and daughters with the sensitivity of a seasoned novelist. When her young, single-mother dies, eight-year-old Lucy loses her memories of Ruby. Grandmother Kitty moves in to raise Lucy. But as Lucy grows up, she's no longer satisfied with Kitty's memories of Ruby. Lucy wants her own and begins to search for them.
Forkner does an extraordinary job of drawing the reader into the mystery surrounding Lucy's heritage and her grandmother's past. As she struggles to regain some memory of Ruby and delve into the secrets everyone else seems to know, you'll feel as if you're walking beside Lucy, discovering each piece of the puzzle with her.

I loved how Forkner resisted telling too much before Lucy discovered it, which created a very credible tale. If you're a mother or a daughter, you're going to love Ruby Among Us. I give it a high recommendation and look forward to more from this author.

Reviewed by: Ane Mulligan

Bonus Review:

This is a very thought provoking and moving book. Tina tells a tale that is intense. The plot is intricately woven with many twists and turns. The curiosity, pain and deep yearning of Lucy to get to the truth of her life, her mother’s life and her grandmothers kept me reading this book every chance I could get to see if the truth would ever come out. This book showed me a word picture for John 8:32 which says “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” Lucy longed to be free of the family secrets but how?

Kitty was the keeper of the family secrets. Her heart was broken and her spirit crushed by the storms of life. Kitty felt that she had to hold onto these secrets to survive. This book showed another word picture for Psalm 34:18 which says “The Lord is close to the broken hearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed.”

This story also is about forgiveness, redemption, and new beginnings. I was compelled to keep reading this rich story to find out if Lucy could put the pieces of her life together. The life she never knew she had. Her Heritage. It’s definitely a page turner!

Reviewed by: Nora St.Laurent