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Ruby Among Us (La Rosaleda Series #1) [Paperback]

Tina Ann Forkner
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)

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Book Description

May 20, 2008
Lucy DiCamillo is safely surrounded by her books, music, and art–but none of these reclusive comforts or even the protective efforts of her grandmother, Kitty, can shield her thoughts from the mother she can barely recall. Lucy senses her grandmother holds the key, but Kitty seems as eager to hide the past as Lucy is eager to find it.

From the streets of San Francisco and Sacramento to the lush vineyards of the Sonoma Valley, Lucy follows the thread of memory in search of a heritage that seems long-buried with her mother, Ruby.

What she finds is as enigmatic and stirring as it is startling in this redemptive tale about the power of faith and mother-daughter love.

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Forkner's debut novel about family secrets never quite gets off the ground. When Ruby DiCamillo dies unexpectedly from asthma, her eight-year-old daughter Lucy blames herself for not reaching her mother's inhaler in time. As she grows into a young woman, her grandmother Kitty overprotects her, filling her life with art, music and schoolwork but leaving wide gaps in her knowledge of family history. When Lucy insists on learning about her heritage, the secrets are as complicated as her grandmother's intricate quilts. Fortner struggles with creating successful flashbacks, and the pacing drags. In several places the plot takes a contrived twist (a photo conveniently falling out of an album, a chance meeting in a coffee shop) in order to move forward. Most difficult to believe is that the key tragedy that has shaped the family's history has kept Lucy's grandmother estranged from her family for so long. However, Fortner creates some memorable descriptions, and readers of faith should appreciate the strong Christian themes of this novel and its redemptive ending.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

“In this memorable debut novel, the characters are well written and interesting…Readers will not want this story to end.” - Awarded 4 1/2 Stars - Romantic Times Book Reviews

“Ms. Forkner has given us a gift that like fine music rises at an ever-spiraling pace. Neither rushed nor delayed, Ruby Among Us offers a satisfying journey I will long remember.”
Jane Kirkpatrick, award-winning author of A Mending at the Edge

“Highly recommended. If you’re a mother or daughter, you’re going to love Ruby Among Us. Forkner does an extraordinary job…. I look forward to more from this author.”
–Ane Mulligan, Novel Journey

“A multi-generational saga of hope, regret, and the grace that brings us home, Ruby Among Us evokes an invitational sense of place, a cache of characters you enjoy knowing, and a story that rips and mends your heart all at once.”
Mary E. DeMuth, author of Watching the Tree Limbs and Wishing on Dandelions

“So engaging from the first sentence. I found myself holding my breath as I read. Tina has painted the pictures so real. I love the honesty and innocence. Mothers and daughters alike will feel very connected with this book.”
Cindy Morgan Brouwer, singer/songwriter

“Don’t miss this one! Tina Ann Forkner is a strong new voice in fiction and Ruby Among Us is an amazing story of trials, regrets, and, ultimately, redemption. Lucy and her family history in the historic wine country of Sonoma bring to life the Scriptures about the Vine and His branches.”
Kristin Billerbeck, author of The Trophy Wives Club

Ruby Among Us is a haunting, beautifully-told novel of past secrets and present pain. Lovely, lovely voice and story. A remarkable debut by Tina Ann Forkner, an author to watch.”
Colleen Coble, author of Anathema

“A subtle, intimate story of grace and redemption that touches the heart!”
Pamela Nowak, author of the historical romance Chances

“Forkner writes from a place of intimate transparency, allowing the reader to discover priceless treasures found in the pursuit of truth. Ruby’s story unfolds in fascinating layers, revealing at its core the universal power of a mother-daughter relationship.”
Bonnie Keen, speaker, vocalist, and author of A Ladder Out of Depression

“Reading is a passion of mine, and when I find myself identifying with the characters, anxious to get to the next page to find answers to my questions, I know I’m into a good book! The daughter-mother-grandmother theme in Ruby Among Us pulled me in. Wonderful story-telling.”
Jordin Sparks, 2007 winner of American Idol

“If you’re a fan of fiction that inflames your heart and your spirit, Tina Ann Forkner has a debut novel you should read. Ruby Among Us is filled with powerful emotions of secrets, joy, grief, the freedom that is found in the truth, and, ultimately, in redeeming love.”
Kim Hill, worship leader and recording artist

“What an incredible story. As both mothers and daughters, Ruby Among Us struck a special cord in each of the four of us. Tina writes in a way that makes us feel like we’re there; from the first line, we were captivated and drawn into an intricate weaving of the precious and fragile relationships that define us.”
Point of Grace

“A skillfully written, moving tale of women (and their men) who find that love covers a multitude of sins. Tina Ann Forkner weaves this story together with great detail and, like the quilts that are such an integral part of the novel, pieces it together with beautiful results.”
Debbie Smith, songwriter with and wife of Michael W. Smith, and mother of their five children

“From the first page of this emotionally-gripping novel, I was absorbed in Lucy’s story. The author weaves a beautiful tapestry of meaning and grace, with an underlying truth: every heart needs a place to call ‘home.’ Lucy’s journey toward her place of belonging is poignantly told.”
Kim Vogel Sawyer, author of Blessings and My Heart Remembers

Ruby Among Us is an intriguing story of lost love, brokenness, and ultimately, restored relationships. It is one girl's search to unlock the secrets of her family's past that ultimately leads to redemption, hope, and new life.  This great read will truly touch your heart!”
Denise Jackson, best-selling author, It's All About Him

Ruby Among Us is a powerful story that will linger long after reading it. Forkner’s writing transported me to California’s vineyards and wove a fascinating saga of how secrets and decisions impact the lives of following generations-and how love can redeem.”
-Cindy Woodsmall, New York Times best-selling author of When the Morning Comes

Product Details

  • Paperback: 336 pages
  • Publisher: WaterBrook Press (May 20, 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1400073588
  • ISBN-13: 978-1400073580
  • Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.8 x 8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,279,303 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Truth and Healing May 28, 2008
Format:Paperback
Ruby Among Us is a coming of age novel that wends its way through the lives of three women and the men who have loved them. Exploring the complexity of a young woman's fight to know the truth and an older woman's desire to protect her granddaughter from it results in a slow waltz of control, passion, fear and longing. Moments that shine of allegorical truth swirl within the story of Lucy and Kitty who live steeped in sorrow and guilt in parallel companionship that is only an inch deep.

Decades of story unfold when Lucy struggles to find out the truth about her mother's short life. Her quest takes her from a college campus to a vineyard, from death to death of innocence and from longing to sorrow to acceptance.

In the advanced reader's unproofed copy I struggled with some POV/tense issues that no doubt have been taken care of in the final version.

Inspirational fiction fans should find quite a bit to like in Ruby. Literary or romance fans may not find enough of either to really satisfy though there are flashes of each. The faith elements are realistically handled and some heavy duty topics are covered with grace and sensitivity.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars superb character study May 24, 2008
Format:Paperback
Her mother Ruby died when Lucy DiCamillo was eight years old. Her maternal grandmother Kitty raised Lucy with love. Now an adult, Lucy wants to know more about her late mom than mostly the memories shared by her beloved grandmother, but fears any inquiries she makes might hurt Kitty.

Lucy slowly learns why Ruby was a single mom raising her. She also begins to gain other pieces of her mom's life before Lucy was born and over the eight years they lived together. As she begins uncover secrets that enable her to start to know her mom beyond just her grandmother's memories of her daughter, Lucy also understands much more what makes Kitty tick and she realizes her granny will always love and cherish her.

This is a superb character study of a young adult needing her own personal connection to her late mom who died when she was a child. As Lucy investigates her maternal family tree, she tries to do so without hurting her grandma; yet begins to have a nagging feeling that everyone else knows secrets they keep from her. Fans will accompany Lucy on her personal quest as she needs to feel Ruby amongst her.

Harriet Klausner
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars An Inspirational Garden August 18, 2008
Format:Paperback
This lovely, sweet story is like a gentle stroll in a rose garden. There are velvety blooms of love; thorns of past hurts and fears; new buds of hope and innocence; tangled thick stems of hidden truths and lies; the faded blooms of past memories and of what might have been; and at the center the beautiful, heart-warming discovery of the most beautiful flowers of all: faith and unconditional love. Readers of inspirational stories will especially enjoy this one.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars The scenic view
Sometimes getting to the most scenic view at the top of a mountain takes a little extra time, and the same is true of this lovely book. Read more
Published on January 9, 2011 by Sherry Shaffer Smith
4.0 out of 5 stars Ruby Among Us
I happened to read "Rose House" the second in the series first and loved it. It wasn't until I finished the 2nd that I saw there was "Ruby Among Us" #1. Read more
Published on February 10, 2010 by Susie-Q
2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed
I started to read this book sharing the focus of the story on Lucy and the loss of her mother, Ruby. Read more
Published on October 2, 2009 by Library Lady
5.0 out of 5 stars A Novel You Will Never Forget
All I can say is "Good luck putting this book down." I have longed for a novel that would capture my soul and move the spirit within me; "Ruby Among Us" did so much more. Read more
Published on May 12, 2009 by Cherie Hill
5.0 out of 5 stars Love and Forgiveness
Lucy is only eight years old when her mother Ruby dies from an asthma attack. Kitty, Lucy's grandmother raises her and loves her as her own. Read more
Published on February 20, 2009 by Cool Librarian
5.0 out of 5 stars Rich Debut Novel
Tina Forkner's debut novel Ruby Among Us is beautifully written and transports you to the lush, rich Sonoma Valley. Read more
Published on February 15, 2009 by Megan Dimaria
5.0 out of 5 stars inspiring
Ruby Among Us is an inspiring novel about faith and forgiveness and the relationships between mothers and daughters. Read more
Published on February 13, 2009 by Tara of Tara's View of the World
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful story in a beautiful setting
Without giving anything away, I must say that I loved the ending of this book. I love how it shows that it is never too late to go home again. Read more
Published on February 11, 2009 by C. Kendall
4.0 out of 5 stars Prodigal story...
I read this book and realized how a wife would feel as the story unraveled. The filth of being violated, yet it was somehow better to have your husband think you were unfaithful,... Read more
Published on February 10, 2009 by Martha A.
4.0 out of 5 stars "Ruby Among Us"
"Ruby Among Us" is an outstanding novel from debut author Tina Ann Forkner. The story of 3 generations of women and the men they love is woven among the lush scenery of the places... Read more
Published on October 29, 2008 by Megan Newson
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