Saving Ruby King: A Novel

Alice King is murdered, leaving her daughter Ruby to live with Lebanon, her violent father. Ruby’s best friend, Layla Potter, is determined to protect Ruby from Lebanon. Layla would like the help of her father Jackson, pastor of their church, but he always defends Lebanon whom he has known since childhood. Undeterred, Layla persists in her mission to save Ruby from herself and from Lebanon, but ends up discovering dangerous secrets which may tear apart her own family.

The novel is set in Chicago’s South Side in both the present and the 1960s. Besides the dual timelines, there are multiple perspectives; Ruby, Layla, Lebanon, and Jackson are among the first-person narrators. The most interesting viewpoint is provided by Calvary Hope show more Christian Church which is given a consciousness and a voice.

What most impressed me is the characterization. All characters are multi-dimensional with complex histories. Lebanon, for example, is definitely one of the bad guys, but once we learn about his upbringing, we cannot but have some understanding and sympathy for him. There are also good characters whose actions show them to be flawed. These complicated, very human characters leave readers questioning how they would behave if given the same background and placed in similar circumstances.

The book examines inter-generational trauma. The trauma suffered by Lebanon’s mother affects her relationship with her son so his becoming a violent husband and father is not surprising. Lebanon even admits, “whatever haunts [my mother], haunts me.” He also believes that Ruby will be much like him: “[Ruby] has that same look in her eyes for me, the same one I have for [my mother]. And I know that girl can do something about it. And the hate Ruby has for me is the same flavor I have for [my mother].”

The novel also focuses on how people are often complicit in domestic violence by doing nothing. Most people in the church knew that Alice was beaten by Lebanon, but everyone looks the other way. Lebanon’s mother tells him, “’[Alice] went to church and pretended things was fine and you stood by and acted like you was a good person, a holy person and people in church pretended right along with y’all.’” Layla admits the same thing: “The people at church glossed their eyes over bruises and swallowed the poorly explained reasons of why these things always seemed to happen to Alice. ‘It ain’t any of my business,’ was a common refrain. But now, they shake their heads and cry their tears, wondering how this could’ve happened.”

Layla decides not to live in denial because unless someone acts, nothing changes: “The easiest thing to do is nothing and we were all guilty of it. My parents. People in church. Our community. We sang our songs and prayed our prayers and talked in pleasantries, but very few of us really knew the business of the other. Though gossip would flow, secrecy also flourished. All the evil we find and leave be, we can’t be surprised when it visits, shows up all sharp teeth and vileness.” The consequences of doing nothing are repeated: “We mind our own business. What goes on in your house. Stays in your house. But. It. Doesn’t. It doesn’t stay. It bleeds into the next home and the next block, the next family.”

The impact of secrets is also explored. Jackson has a terrible secret which he is desperately hopes is never discovered. In order to keep that secret, he must lie and thereby ends up distancing himself from his family. That secret also means he must remain loyal to someone other than those he should support. Jackson realizes that “more things than love bind people together, secrets and lies make just as hearty a bond as love.” Ruby admits that she has lied to keep the secret of Lebanon’s violence: “I did what I was taught. I lied about my pain. To cover Lebanon’s abuse. To maintain my family’s image.” As a result, she receives no help and remains “collateral damage of shame and shadow.”

This is not a light-hearted book. It touches on many serious topics: domestic violence, sexual abuse, racial discrimination, murder. There are some melodramatic scenes and some intrusive passages about the history and geography of Chicago but, overall, the book is a compelling, emotionally intense read. Saving Ruby King is an exceptional debut novel.

Note: I received a digital galley from the publisher via NetGalley.

Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) recently ranked as one of the top 25 Canadian book blogs. show less

Saving Ruby King is an ambitious debut novel that introduces us to Ruby and Layla, who have been friends since childhood. Author Catherine Adel West takes on multi-generational relationships, as she shares the nuanced story of a black family's life on the South Side of Chicago.

When Ruby's mother Alice is killed on the way home from church, Adel West skillfully pulls back the layers of these two intertwined families and the secrets and history they keep. The multiple points of view storytelling and shifting time periods add so much dimension as they each share what they know and feel. Even the Calvary Hope Christian Church has a voice and adds an integral part to the storyline. While it takes some time to balance all the narrators, once show more you take it all in, it's such a powerful and compelling use of layered storytelling and how the past can stay with us forever.

While this book takes on many important and timely present-day issues, Adel West shines at sharing a compelling story of a neighborhood and the families within it. The idea that no one is inherently "good or bad" is masterfully woven into this powerful and often heartbreaking storyline. This novel does an impressive job of delving into racism, domestic abuse, sexual assault, and trauma, while also balancing the power of friendship, hope, and redemption.

I alternated listening and reading this book and it was such an incredible experience. This character-driven novel packs a powerful punch and it would be a wonderful book club selection.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin, and Park Row for the gifted copy. As always, all opinions are my own. show less

I love reading a debut novel from a new author, the excitement of finding a new voice, knowing that the author has poured everything into this endeavor. Catherine Adel West's Saving Ruby King is a debut novel, and it's brilliant.

The novel opens with Ruby King's mother murdered in her own home on the South Side of Chicago. Many people suspect Ruby's father, a man with a bad temper who had spent time in prison for killing a man years ago. People suspected that Ruby's father Lebanon beat his wife, but that was a not so hidden secret.

Ruby's best friend since childhood, Layla, is concerned for Ruby's safety. Ruby is distraught, but won't allow Layla to help. Layla's father, Jackson, the pastor of Calvary Church, has known Lebanon since show more childhood, and has been secretly giving money to Lebanon for some unknown reason.

Layla wants to help Ruby, but Jackson orders her to stay away from Lebanon. Layla and her father have been butting heads recently, and things that have been simmering under the surface are coming to a head.

The story is alternately narrated by Layla, Jackson, Ruby, Lebanon, and even Calvary Church narrates secrets that have happened within its walls. The two families have grown up in that church, from Lebanon and Jackson's mothers as children, to Layla and Ruby.

Saving Ruby King has elements of a mystery to it- who killed Ruby's mother, why is Jackson giving money to Lebanon- as well as a multigenerational story about secrets and the damage that keeping those secrets can cause down through the generations.

I found myself totally absorbed in this emotional story from the opening pages, and every revelation was another gut punch. The idea of Calvary Church narrating parts of the story worked so well, the church is central to the lives of these people.

I highly recommend Saving Ruby King for anyone who likes a compelling story, with characters that you can empathize with, and a strong sense of setting. I hope to be reading more books from Catherine Adel West in the very near future, she is a wonderful writer. And if you want to read more books by black authors, Saving Ruby King is a good place to start. show less

Saving Ruby King by Catherine Adel West is a 2020 Park Row publication.

Friendship, family, the church, and murder all converge with a reckoning with the past…

This debut novel is set in the south side of Chicago, and is mainly centered around Ruby King and her best friend, Layla. When Ruby’s mother is murdered, in the minds of all those concerned, the prime suspect is her father, Lebanon, a man known to horribly abuse his wife.

Layla’s father is the pastor of the Calvary Hope Christian Church, and for some reason, seems to defend Lebanon, and sternly warns his daughter to steer clear of the situation- despite Layla's deep fear that Ruby may do something drastic.

The church is a focal point for the characters, as it raises its show more unheard voice to reveal long buried secrets that overlap with current events. The true heart of some of its congregation is illuminating, as well. The book describes the importance of the church and how it is a cornerstone of the community. But, it also draws attention to true Christian faith- which is more than warming a pew on Sunday morning by calling out the way some folks conduct themselves outside of the church.

This is a resonant story, with strong elements involving family loyalty, strong friendship bonds, religious faith, trauma and abuse, but also forgiveness, understanding, and healing.

The author employs several unique tactics giving the story a wide -ranging reach, somehow managing to make the location and the church, significant characters, with important roles in the story.

As praiseworthy as the book is, I did have a some issues with the book:


While I love the author’s boldness, the freshness her style offers readers, there are too many first -person points of view, in my opinion.

This is a writing technique I have always struggled with. It seldom ever fully works for me because I have a hard time keeping up with the numerous characters, plus it prevents me from making a deep emotional connection to the characters. This book also has the added challenge of navigating multiple timelines, which made me work much harder than should have been necessary. It was slow going for a while, but I did eventually find a rhythm and flow.

That said, the book, overall, is very good. There is a restless, uneasy quality about it, a strong sense of foreboding that haunted me all throughout the story. It is dark, and it could be intense at times. It is a crime novel, and a mystery, as advertised, but it also touches on deeper, important, subject matter. I would think this book would be a great book club selection!

Although I struggled with this one a little, I still felt this was a strong debut for this author and is one to keep an eye on! show less

I didn't like this book as much as I expected/hoped to based on content and reviews.

My favorite aspect was the theme of oral storytelling in the Black community (not uncommon; quite important in several societies).

The story was overwhelmingly bleak and depressing (in each generation). It's also a bit of a slog, with, for instance, Lebanon/Jackson’s secret revealed to readers at ~46%. Other potential twists were easier to predict (sadly).

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 show more 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. show less

Saving Ruby King, the debut novel by Catherine Adel West has the makings of a strong powerful and emotional statement. However, with the multiple narrators and the nonlinear timeline, I find myself lost. The issues taken up in this book are important, relevant, and considerable. Unfortunately, for most of the book, the emotions and the grasp of those issues seems just out of reach. (Trigger warning: This book includes the topics of abuse, murder, violence, domestic violence, and incest.)

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2020/12/saving-ruby-king.html

Reviewed for NetGalley.