Southern Ruby
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4.5 • 159 Ratings
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
Forbidden love. Family secrets. A twist of fate. The stunning generational saga from Belinda Alexandra, bestselling author of Tuscan Rose and White Gardenia.
In New Orleans - the city of genteel old houses and ancient oak trees covered in Spanish moss, of seductive night life, of Creole culture, voodoo and jazz - two women separated by time and tragedy will find each other at last.
Amanda, orphaned as a child and suffering the loss of her beloved grandmother, has left Sydney in search of a family she never knew.
Ruby, constrained by the expectations of society and class, is carrying a lifetime of secrets. Amanda's arrival sparks revelations long buried: a double life, a forbidden love, and a loss that cannot be forgotten.
Southern Ruby is a sweeping story of love, passion, family and honour. Alternating in time between the 1950s and the eve of Hurricane Katrina, it is also a tribute to a city heady with mystery, music, and superstition, which has borne the tumults of race and class and the fury of nature, but has never given up hope.
PRAISE FOR SOUTHERN RUBY:
'This is a big, bold novel with an evocative sense of place that will captivate Alexandra's many fans' Canberra Weekly
'For a book with such deep themes, Southern Ruby is an easy read, told in an entertaining narrative that draws us along like a conversation with a close friend. It is a thought-provoking novel that should leave the reader feeling satisfied as well as entertained.' Newtown Review of Books
'Unforgettable ... intrigue, passion, betrayal - all the ingredients for a must-read novel. And that is this author's specialty' Woman's Day
'A passionate and powerful family saga' Australian Women's Weekly
'Filled with glamour, heartbreak, drama and suspense' The Age
'Totally enthralling' Herald Sun
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Evocative locations, three-dimensional characters, spiritually rewarding quests—Belinda Alexandra’s novels are a blend of the exotic and the comfortable. Southern Ruby offers her signature touch. The title refers to Amanda Darby’s recently deceased grandmother, whose life was packed with secrets. As Darby heads to New Orleans to settle her beloved relative’s affairs, Alexandra splices in episodes from the younger Ruby’s life, stirring up the seductively heady smells, music and food of the Crescent City.
Customer Reviews
Epic
Belinda Alexandra has just won me, Southern Ruby was brilliant & I couldn’t put it down.
The storyline is based in New Orleans where Ruby opens her pandora box to retell her story to her long lost granddaughter Amandine from Australia. Her story echos the horrific racial injustice, the cruelty subjected by family & secrets as well as her justification for becoming a burlesque dancer in a culture where it was taboo. This lead her to a double life that she had to uphold & a love that was forbidden & unimaginable by society leading to many twists & turns.
During the present they are faced with the gruesome reality of Hurricane Katrina, finding the strength to survive & bringing the worst out of humanity.....have we changed?
Looking forward to reading her other books.
Brilliant - This needs to be a Hollywood film !
I loved this book from the first page until the last. The author had me completely captured in the story. I just couldn't put it down. Absolute must read !
Breath taking start to end
I have read all of Belinda Alexandra's works and each and every one is devastatingly, soul crushingly beautiful. Southern Ruby is no exception. As someone who loves historical fiction for it's capacity to reflect on the past and educate for the future, Southern Ruby is an important read especially for those of us who have never had to endure the hardships and trials brought to life in Belinda's characters. Truly, do yourself a favour and put on a pot of coffee and open up a fresh box of tissues. You will need both