Sunday, April 27, 2014

Review: Ruby by Cynthia Bond




Wow!!!

Ruby by Cynthia Bond is a profound debut novel featuring two beautiful, yet battered souls. On one hand we have Ruby. Evident from page one she comes off as a woman who has seen better days. People of Liberty watch her as she begs Miss P for food. She's no longer the beauty she once was, but still Ephram Jennings only sees her through loving eyes.

Ephram Jennings has loved Ruby since they were children and has never stopped. After seeing her fall so far from glory, Ephram decides to save her. He doesn't so much as want to remake her, but to make her whole again. And in the process, he will be made whole as well.

Cynthia Bond offers readers two unforgettable, unbreakable characters whose story I won't soon forget. Ephram stole my heart from page one with his wish to only be noticed. Besides his overbearing sister, Celia, no one else notices this simple man. Except maybe to make fun of him for taking an interest in Liberty's Ruby.

What is most true to form is the setting Bond has created. Liberty, a small, unassuming town that is riddled with secrets, and folklore... maybe even some haints, and is full of gossip. This southern town has seen it's share of crazies and is sure that Ruby is on the way to making her way into that prestigious hall of fame that Ephram's mother did decades earlier. 

Each character presented in this novel served a purpose. I love that there were no words, actions, or scenes that didn't matter. Ruby is often full of suspense, mystery, intrigue, and hope. There were no good opportunities to stop reading. In the moments when I had to come back to my own world, Ruby and Ephram weren't far from my mind. Their spirits lingered, similarly to Ruby's own ghosts. 

I can go on and on about this book. I can mention how vivid, provocative, haunting, and gripping Ruby is, but my words could not do this novel justice. Ruby stands on its own and invites readers to believe there is love, and redemption in us all. Thank you Cynthia Bond for inviting me on the journey through the lives of Ruby, Ephram, and the citizens in Liberty. Ruby is a wonderful debut novel that will remain in the minds of readers long after the last page is turned. ****

Copy provided by Crown Publishing via Netgalley

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