Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2020 by Ms. Magazine, USA Today Book Riot, The Rumpus, Library Journal, PureWow, The Every Girl, Parade and more.“Forever and to the end. That’s what they say instead of I love you.”When Ruby King’s mother is found murdered in their home in Chicago’s South Side, the police dismiss it as another act of violence in a black neighborhood. But for Ruby, it’s a … murdered in their home in Chicago’s South Side, the police dismiss it as another act of violence in a black neighborhood. But for Ruby, it’s a devastating loss that leaves her on her own with her violent father. While she receives many condolences, her best friend, Layla, is the only one who understands how this puts Ruby in jeopardy.
Their closeness is tested when Layla’s father, the pastor of their church, demands that Layla stay away. But what is the price for turning a blind eye? In a relentless quest to save Ruby, Layla uncovers the murky loyalties and dangerous secrets that have bound their families together for generations. Only by facing this legacy of trauma head-on will Ruby be able to break free.
An unforgettable debut novel, Saving Ruby King is a powerful testament that history doesn’t determine the present and the bonds of friendship can forever shape the future.
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Saving Ruby King is a powerful story of family, friendship and community. Told in distinct, multiple perspectives, this emotional, beautifully written novel will stay with me for a long time. I can’t wait to see what Catherine Adel West creates next.
West is a bold, exciting new voice in fiction. With honesty and compassion, she brings readers beyond the headlines into the real south side of Chicago where love, church, and family abide. She makes us think not only about saving Ruby King, but about finding our own redemption as we save ourselves individually and collectively. In this assured debut, West deftly breathes life into this community with characters you’ll cry with and root for long after the last page.
So many secrets in this book and so much sorrow. It was hard to read, not in a way that made me not want to read it, but because it showed truth about people and hurt and how secrets can ruin so much for so many. Generations can be affected and it takes strength and truth to break the cycle. It was a hard book to read and one that will stay with me. I would definitely recommend it.
***I received an ebook copy from the publisher at no cost***
I’m having trouble putting how I feel about this story into words. West did a fantastic job with her debut novel. She gifts readers with a fascinating and deep cast of characters, some of which carry the weight of decades-old secrets on their shoulders. I felt a dozen different emotions as I moved through the pages and found myself wondering “what if” about a few of the different situations and people.
This story is told from different POVs but my favorite, and the one I learned the most from, was Calvary Baptist Church. I love that West gave the church a voice. It’s through the POV of the church that I got to see the history of many characters, and how I learned about many of the secrets that haunt the two families at the forefront of the book.
West breathes life into Chicago in this story. I think the city could stand alone as a character in the book, to be honest. We got the good, the bad, and the ugly pieces, without any sugarcoating or rose colored glasses. It was clear to me that West is a Chicago native, with the details and ambiance she used.
This is a great book and it’s also timely, given all the different things happening across the world right now.
Four stars to this novel!
Wow!! This is a very timely and thought provoking piece of work. The writing is brilliant and I loved how Calvary, the church building, shared a view point at times. It speaks of very real dangers in society back then and even in our present. What a very tangled web we weave when our secrets have secrets and how those effects trickle down into our families and the lives of those closest to us. How important it is to learn a person’s history and why they are the way that they are, even if there are no excuses for it. I loved the theme as well of standing up instead of looking the other way.
Catherine Adel West’s debut novel, Saving Ruby King is a sweeping, revelatory tale about love, friendship, and familial bonds.
When Ruby King’s mother, Alice, is found murdered in their home, all signs point to it being yet another random act of violence in the predominantly Black neighborhood in Chicago’s South Side. Alice’s death leaves Ruby alone with her abusive father, and her friend, Layla, is desperate to help her get out of his house for good. But, as the story progresses, deep-seeded secrets and lies come to the surface, and Ruby and Layla will be faced with the consequences that come from knowing the truth.
One of the most compelling aspects of this novel is its narrative style. It shifts between characters in the story and tells each piece from a first person perspective. I felt completely immersed in each characters’ story, and was able to glean humanity from each person, regardless of how “bad” they were. This story shows the complicatedness that comes from generational suffering and abuse, and also shows how choices matter. Each character is both a product of their environment and an agent unto themselves.
Saving Ruby King is beautifully poignant and, at times, tragic in its scope. It’s specificity to the plight of Black people in America is searing; I think it’s yet another profound work that should spark meaningful (and especially timely) conversations about race in America. It strikes the delicate balance of being a self-contained and intimate story about its characters while also speaking to more macro-level issues regarding race and prejudice. It’s a novel that will stay with you, make you think, and hopefully inspire you to become a better version of yourself.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
What an astonishing book. Catherine Adel West breathes life into violence and mayhem like a poet on a new day. These are the stories we need to hear: voices of hope in a wilderness of pain.
Told with teeth and tenderness, Saving Ruby King is a surprising, pedal-down debut that explores what happens when the fabrics of family, faith, and friendship snag on violent machinations of the heart. Redemption and survival share a pew with reckoning and hope here, all tangled up with the ties that bind. Catherine Adel West gifts us Chicago, the black church, and a choir of flawed, wonderfully complicated characters who flash fresh with every turn of the page, who stand against the wind, who won’t go down without a fight.
Saving Ruby King is a stunning force of a novel that has everything anyone could want in a family saga—honey-dipped prose, strikingly human characters, and a satisfying, soul-stirring conclusion that will stay with me for a long, long time.
First of all, I am blown away by the fact that Saving Ruby King by Catherine Adel West is a debut. It was so well thought out and complex that it felt like it was coming from someone with YEARS of writing novels under her belt. This book was moving, informative, heartbreaking, mysterious, and so much more.
I listened to the audiobook and it was spectacular. There is a large cast of narrators and they all did an amazing job with the different characters. I loved the multiple viewpoints and the fact that there are also two storylines, past and present. The audio did get a little confusing because of the two different time periods so I would definitely recommend having the physical copy to follow along with if you go with the audio.
It was so addictive that I listened to it in a couple of days because I just couldn’t stop. The pacing was steady enough and there is so much going on that I was never bored. I thought the story was engaging and I think it would make for an excellent book club or group discussion book.
Saving Ruby King had some shocking moments, but I was also completely drawn in by the characters and all of their pain and suffering. There are many moments that the book just broke my heart, and I could see it being a tear-jerker for certain people. I loved how all the different characters tied together along with the timelines, and the story is just so stunningly woven. I highly recommend giving this book a read (or a listen) and immersing yourself in its world.
Saving Ruby King took some for me to get into, mostly due to the sheer number of points of view. Even so, the writing style is quite good and the story is certainly prevalent, so I kept pushing forward. And I’m glad I did. Had I not known going in that this is a debut novel, I wouldn’t have guessed. Everything about it screams talent. From the intense emotions to the compelling story, this is one of those books that grabs hold and doesn’t let go long after the last page is turned. As I mentioned, it does take some time to get invested because there are a lot of points of view to sort out, but I would advise not giving up. Honestly, by the time I got the various characters and points of view all sorted in my head, I was already hooked, so it wasn’t as much of a chore as I feared. All in all, a great debut from a promising author that I hope to see more of.
Ruby’s mom has been murdered. Ruby is completely at a loss. Her mother’s death leaves her with an abusive father and with little recourse to get away. Layla, Ruby’s best friend, is always there. She is determined to help her friend but to what end. There are way too many secrets and dangers.
Wow! This is a wonderful story. This is a debut novel and the author nailed it. I fell in love with Ruby right from the start. And her and her mother’s situation terrified me. The deeper I went into this tale, the more tangled it became.
Well, if you read one book this year..this is it! It is unforgettable, amazing and intense! The way this story is twisted around itself and just keeps unfolding literally keeps the reader on the edge of the seat! And the ending! Oh my!
Plus, the author is profound in many of her statements. Her prose is unique and I cannot say enough about her talent!
This book will stay with you for a while! Do not miss this one!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
Saving Ruby King is not a light read. It is an emotional story dealing with numerous issues affecting life of black families in Chicago over the decades. The issues include family relations; domestic violence; murder; deep secrets; discrimination; church, and friendship among others. This story is told by the various characters point of view. The church building even has its view shared, which I think is one of the most affecting/emotional ones in the novel. There were numerous complex characters which the author gave voice to. It took me a little bit to get into the story; there were many characters and time periods, all a bit confusing in the beginning, but I soon sorted it out and the writing became clearer.