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A review by sparklingreader
Diamond Ruby by Joseph Wallace
4.0
All right, I will be the first person to admit I am not a huge fan of baseball. And maybe that’s the reason I had trouble getting “into” this book. But, I will also admit, that by the end of it, I was cheering for Ruby and really enjoying what I read.
The book is about a young woman growing up in 1920s Brooklyn. She is orphaned at age 13 by the death of her parents during the 1918 Spanish influenza. Her sister-in-law also dies leaving her to take care of her two young nieces. To say life was difficult would be an understatement. But due to a “deformity” of long arms, Ruby discovers that she is an excellent pitcher (via her need to feed the family by hurling stones at squirrels and pigeons). Though her adventures, she meets Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey and gets a glimpse at the good side of life. But through her addicted brother, she also meets rum runners and the seedier side of life. Unfortunately, it is mostly the latter and not the former. But with her friend’s help, Ruby and her nieces climb from the depths of despair to the top of the heap.
The book is excellently written and evokes the era in such a way that you feel as though you are really there with Ruby. If you like baseball even a little or historical literary novels, pick up Diamond Ruby and give it a try. It’s a definite home run.
The book is about a young woman growing up in 1920s Brooklyn. She is orphaned at age 13 by the death of her parents during the 1918 Spanish influenza. Her sister-in-law also dies leaving her to take care of her two young nieces. To say life was difficult would be an understatement. But due to a “deformity” of long arms, Ruby discovers that she is an excellent pitcher (via her need to feed the family by hurling stones at squirrels and pigeons). Though her adventures, she meets Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey and gets a glimpse at the good side of life. But through her addicted brother, she also meets rum runners and the seedier side of life. Unfortunately, it is mostly the latter and not the former. But with her friend’s help, Ruby and her nieces climb from the depths of despair to the top of the heap.
The book is excellently written and evokes the era in such a way that you feel as though you are really there with Ruby. If you like baseball even a little or historical literary novels, pick up Diamond Ruby and give it a try. It’s a definite home run.