In the heart of the
bayou, Ruby Landry lives a simple, happy life. But innocence can't last
forever...
The only family Ruby
Landry has ever known are her loving guardian, Grandmère Catherine, a Cajun
spiritual healer, and her drunken, outcast Grandpère Jack. Although thinking
about her dead mother and mysterious father sometimes makes her feel as
mournful as the wind sighing through the Spanish moss, Ruby is grateful for all
she has. Her life is filled with hope and promise...especially when her
attraction for handsome Paul Tate blossoms into a mysterious, wonderful love.
But Paul's wealthy parents forbid him to associate with a poor Landry, and
Grandmère urges her to follow her dream of becoming a great painter, foreseeing
a time when Ruby will be surrounded with riches in the dazzling city of New
Orleans! Yet she cannot know how close that uncertain future looms....
In a faded photograph,
Ruby glimpses for the first time the image of her father -- and learns of a
shameful deception and a shocking scheme of blackmail that now must come to
light. Stunned by these revelations, she is devastated when Grandmère dies,
leaving her to seek out her father in his vast New Orleans mansion. There, in a
house of lies, madness, and cruel torment, Ruby clings to her memories of Paul
to keep her heart alive. For only their love can save her now....
Positive:
Setting- I loved the
bayou setting with the swamp and then when it switched to New Orleans. The
detail was very well written, just like it usually is with VC Andrews. I’m
pretty sure this is my favorite scene in an Andrews novel.
Main character- Ruby is a
strong, smart character. I’d say she’s a main character girls can look up to.
Yes, she makes mistakes, but those mistakes are understandable. I love that
she’s able to stay strong after all she goes through.
*Gasp* factor- There are so
many surprises in Ruby. Like, at first you don’t really know much about her
family aside from her grandparents. Then by the end, we find out she has so
many unexpected relatives that it’s shocking to find out.
Negative:
Beau’s change throughout
the novel- Beau is Ruby’s love interest in the novel. When we first meet him,
he’s an arrogant, sophisticated “blue blood”. And then by the end he seems to
change. It just seems to me that he’s putting on a façade to get Ruby to like
him.
If you haven’t read this,
or any VC Andrews novel, then I strongly suggest you do. This is actually the
book that got me started reading. Without this, I probably wouldn’t like
reading, and then I wouldn’t have this blog. So go read this, for my sake :D
