Ephram Jennings works bagging groceries in the town he has lived in all his life. He lives with his sister Celia who also raised him as a son, and is surrounded by a deeply religious, close-knit community of other who know little of the world outside of Liberty Township, Texas. When Ruby, he girl who Ephram loved in his youth, returns from New York City to Liberty because of the death of her cousin, she quickly descends into madness. The locals ostracize Ruby and the men are especially cruel, but Ephram sets about to gain Ruby's trust and build a quiet life for the two of them.
Celia and the people of Liberty use emotional manipulation and violence to keep Ephram away from Ruby. Though Celia's motives are obvious, those of the rest of the characters are not, and the dark secrets of the town and the Jennings family are slowly revealed.
This book is one of the most depressing books I have ever read. Cynthia Bond bluntly depicts the devastation that racism, poverty, and abuse can have on individuals, and the poison those things bring to a community. There is a supernatural element to the story that didn't work for me, but Ruby is a strongly written and affecting novel.
Celia and the people of Liberty use emotional manipulation and violence to keep Ephram away from Ruby. Though Celia's motives are obvious, those of the rest of the characters are not, and the dark secrets of the town and the Jennings family are slowly revealed.
This book is one of the most depressing books I have ever read. Cynthia Bond bluntly depicts the devastation that racism, poverty, and abuse can have on individuals, and the poison those things bring to a community. There is a supernatural element to the story that didn't work for me, but Ruby is a strongly written and affecting novel.
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