Review long overdue!

4 Stars

*Deals with violence, rape and sexual abuse

Ruby by Cynthia Bond is a work of harsh literary beauty and heartache. I found the text haunting me long after I had finished reading the final page. This is a powerful, powerful piece of writing but be warned – the prose doesn’t hold back and the depictions of Ruby’s upbringing is at time disturbing and grotesque. The way Bond leads the reader through her history is gripping and drives the reader page after page.

This book wasn’t at all what I thought it was going to be and at times it was hard to continue, but Bond’s way with words made the setting and characters come alive, so very much so that I can still recall certain scenes and how they made me feel months after I have read the book.

This historical work is rife with mystery, darkness and a pure, innocent love. As I was reading, I was longing for my college English class, wishing I had more to dissect and understand what I might have missed from this incredibly compelling book. Not for the lighthearted, but also equally not to be missed.