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“Ultimately the reason to read The Rib King is not its timeliness or its insight into politics or Black culture, but because it accomplishes what the best fiction sets out to do: It drops you into a world you could not otherwise visit and makes you care deeply about what happens there.”–BookPage (starred review)
The acclaimed author of The Talented Ribkins deconstructs painful African American stereotypes and offers a fresh and searing critique on race, class, privilege, ambition, exploitation, and the seeds of rage in America in this intricately woven and masterfully executed historical novel, set in early the twentieth century that centers around the black servants of a down-on-its heels upper-class white family.
For fifteen years August Sitwell has worked for the Barclays, a well-to-do white family who plucked him from an orphan asylum and gave him a job. The groundskeeper is part of the household’s all-black staff, along with “Miss Mamie,” the talented cook, pretty new maid Jennie Williams, and three young kitchen apprentices—the latest orphan boys Mr. Barclay has taken in to “civilize” boys like August.
But the Barclays fortunes have fallen, and their money is almost gone. When a prospective business associate proposes selling Miss Mamie’s delicious rib sauce to local markets under the brand name “The Rib King”—using a caricature of a wildly grinning August on the label—Mr. Barclay, desperate for cash, agrees. Yet neither Miss Mamie nor August will see a dime. Humiliated, August grows increasingly distraught, his anger building to a rage that explodes in shocking tragedy.
Elegantly written and exhaustively researched, The Rib King is an unsparing examination of America’s fascination with black iconography and exploitation that redefines African American stereotypes in literature. In this powerful, disturbing, and timely novel, Ladee Hubbard reveals who people actually are, and most importantly, who and what they are not.
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Rescued from a home for orphans, August Sitwell has worked for the wealthy Barclay family for many years. Also working for the Barclays are Miss Mamie, the cook; Jenny, the maid; and three young boys also rescued from an orphanage. The Barclays start to lose their fortune because of poor business dealings, so when someone wants to buy the recipe for the rib sauce served at the home- the Barclays agree. The problem is the sauce was created by August and Miss Mamie, but neither of them will see a dime from its sale. When a caricature of August is chosen for the bottle, August originally agrees to its use. His eventual humiliation leads to a simmering anger that results in violence. The book is an interesting look at race and advertising.
“The Rib King” has that quality which good literature has. The kind that sucks you into the story and keeps you inside of it until it’s ended, and, if truly great, stays with you for long after. The speed and ease with which Hubbard made me care for her two leading characters and the emerging story was impressive. It usually takes more than one chapter for an author to sell me on a character, but that’s all it took for me to start to really care for Sitwell.
~vague spoilers~
The story takes a dramatic turn about halfway in. I felt it was subtly built up to, and then better explained in the second half. Honestly I was on board with whatever the story threw me, I just wanted to know how things would unfold. Which is why… the ending was such a let down. The climax happens on literally the third-to-last page. I was reading along enraptured because I trusted this book to have an ending that lived up to the rest of it, but what I got was something that was unquestionably rushed. Wrapped up in less than three pages. It was like reading a few paragraphs summarizing an ending, not a true ending.
I’m not so disappointed that it undoes the achievement of the previous 360-some pages, but… I feel like this could have been not just a good book, but an amazing one.
*ARC from BookishFirst
3.5
I fell in love with The Rib King by Ladee Hubbard right from the opening scene. In the Barclay Household, Mr. Sitwell is the groundskeeper among other jobs in the Barclay house. He came as an orphan when he was 14. The Barclay’s took in three male orphans at a time (cheap labor) and they learned to cook. Now, he looks after the three present orphans and vouches for them when they get in trouble. Hubbard allows the reader insight into how the rich white culture uses its privilege over poor blacks. I particularly liked the relationship between me Sitwell and Miss Mamie, the cook. This book reminds me of the culture in Upstairs Downstairs where everyone had to know their place if you were in the servant class in England.
The book lost me during the second half when we find out a wrong that Mr, Stilwell was involved in and the story focuses on Jennie, the chambermaid who is now out on her own and has a beauty parlor. For me, the story becomes very confusing and I had a hard time staying focused. It could be the long chapters. I also wish more time had been taken for the ending.
August Sitwell is a relatively simple man working as a groundskeeper for the Barclay family, who also employ Miss Mamie, Jennie, and three young orphan boys as part of their all-Black staff. When an associate of Mr. Barclay’s, Mr. Pound, comes to discuss some business, he tastes a delicious sauce created by the Barclay staff and decides to market it, using Sitwell as the inspiration for the Rib King. Unfortunately the staff won’t share in the monetary success, leading to a series of events by Sitwell that ultimately leads to an unfortunate and tragic outcome. u2063
The Rib King is an honest, timely, and enjoyable page-turner. This novel could not be coming out at a better time. It reminded me of how far we have come, but also how far we have to go as a country, specifically the treatment of Black people and women. From women needing a man’s signature to secure a loan, to caricatures on products, to segregation, The Rib King speaks on numerous topics that have become a relevant part of the current conversations being had today in the United States. u2063
The characters in The Rib King are just phenomenal. Not only does Hubbard create characters that are likable and realistic, but she includes so many strong females that are rock stars in their individual ways as they work to better their lives. Her antagonists are well-written, so much so that more than a couple of them were quite irritating. The events in the novel flow so smoothly and I found myself flying through this novel and enjoying every minute of it. There is a raw honesty to it that is needed today.u2063
Thank you to Amistad and BookishFirst for providing me with an uncorrected proof of The Rib King, given in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own.
The Rib King is set in Chicago in the early part of the 20th century. The first half of the book tells the story of the upper class white Barclay house, and its African American servants including Mr. Sitwell, the groundskeeper, Mamie the cook, and Jennie Williams the maid. Out of desperation Mamie the cook and Mr. Sitwell create a delicious barbeque sauce which is later named Rib King. The businessman who markets the sauce takes Mr. Sitwell’s image and puts it on the label.
Halfway through the book, a tragic event occurs, which influences the course of the rest of the book. The story changes perspective, and tells the story of Jennie, 10 years later, who now owns a beauty salon and is trying to market a healing salve that she has invented.
Jennie is a brave, hard working and tenacious character who survives and overcomes the many obstacles that have been thrown in her way. I really admired Jennie. Jennie’s story converges with that of The Rib King’s, Mr. Sitwell.
The Rib King examines the treatment of African Americans, the indignities, exploitation and abuses to which they are subjected and the stereotypes which persist to the current day. This novel is disturbing, thought provoking and addresses the trauma of racism. The themes addressed in the Rib King are relevant today.
This book seems amazing! Let’s start with the cover! I love the yellow, but I think it could be just a little better of an image overall, so that readers will be inclined to read the book! Though the cover is not super appealing to me as a person, I still really do think that the text in the first few chapters partially makes up for it! There is an interesting dynamic going on in the book and it’s truly very abnormal and interesting to see at the time! I like the direction the book is going in and I love the characters and setting already! Overall, I really do wish the cover was a little better, but the book’s first few chapters still do seem really good and interesting! I think I’d like the full thing!