Blog Tour: Healing Ruby by Jennifer H. Westall
Title: Healing Ruby
Author: Jennifer H. Westall
Publisher: Jennifer H. Westall
Pages: 369
Genre: Christian Historical Fiction
Format: Hardback/Paperback/Kindle
Ruby
Graves, a young girl in Depression-era Alabama, faces the hardships
of poverty and loss with as much faith as she can muster. At only the
age of thirteen, she’s already lost a younger brother to illness,
and now faces losing both her father and the boy who’s stealing her
heart to illnesses as well. Armed with her beloved Scriptures, she
prays daily for their healing, only to have her tender faith
shattered by her father’s death.
Through
her pain, she’s able to connect with her long-lost Uncle Asa, who’s
mere presence at his brother’s funeral brings murmurs of a
scandalous past involving her parents and a prominent local pastor,
Irwin Cass. When Ruby discovers that one of Asa’a many secrets is
an ability to heal, and that she may be next in line for the “gift,”
she vows to find the faith that has eluded her so far, a faith that
could mean never losing loved ones again.
But
faith and doubt can’t reside in the same heart, not according to
her father, and doubt is Ruby’s constant companion. As she
struggles to find the true meaning of faith, she’s opposed at every
turn by the pastor who would see her family destroyed and a community
that can’t see deeper than the color of one’s skin. Through her
search for a faith that could move mountains and a true understanding
of her gift, can Ruby trust in a God that may require the ultimate
sacrifice?
“A
fast-paced story that will leave readers wondering what’s next for
Ruby Graves. This soulful, often poignant novel explores difficult
subjects such as death, racism and religious hypocrisy, while still
remaining hopeful. One of its greatest strengths is its cast of
well-drawn secondary characters, including the...vengeful preacher
who tries to thwart Ruby at every turn. Ruby’s unlikely friendship
with a cast-out African-American woman and her child is a
particularly bright spot in this often heavy novel."
--
Kirkus Reviews
For More Information
Book
Excerpt:
I
never meant to hurt anyone. It was the last thing I ever wanted to
do, but in moments that pass by quicker than lightning, things just
happened. That seemed to be the story of my life. Things happened
before I could stop them, before I even understood what was
happening. Sometimes it was my eagerness that got me into
trouble—like when I’d have to help Mother with canning all the
vegetables, but all I could think about was getting out of that hot
kitchen, sneaking down to the creek, and burying myself in the cold
water. But most times, what got me in trouble was just plain anger.
Like
the time when I was ten, and Henry was harassing me again, and I was
sick of him that day. I never understood what was so much fun about
picking on girls, but that seemed to be the favorite pastime of both
my brothers. Seemed to me that teenage boys could find plenty else to
occupy their time with, and it would make me madder than a hornet.
Maybe that was why they did it.
We
weren’t poor back then, back before stock crashes and poverty stole
the life out of folks. But we weren’t like the Doyles either—we
didn’t have a housekeeper to clean up after us—and since I was
the only girl, I got stuck with washing the dishes after dinner every
Sunday while the boys got to run off to do heaven knows what with
heaven knows who. Henry should’ve just left me alone. But he never
could pass up a chance to needle me, and he slapped my behind as he
dropped his plate into the washtub. I must’ve gotten madder than I
ever had before, cause I don’t exactly remember deciding to do it,
but the next thing I knew, the knife in my hand went sailing through
the air and landed in Henry’s neck.
What
happened after that’s still a blur. I was as horrified as Henry
was, and we both stood there staring at each other in shock. I
couldn’t even remember throwing that knife across the room. But
there he stood a few feet away from me, a trickle of blood running
down his neck and seeping into the collar of his Sunday shirt. I
remember thinking that Mother would have a time getting that stain
out on the washboard. She’d complain about her knuckles getting
raw.
Henry
pulled the knife out, and blood shot out of him. It hit Mother’s
tablecloth, the white one with the lace around the bottom that
Grandma Kellum had made for a wedding present. It hit the wall and
the doorframe where Henry stood. He stared at it kind of wide-eyed
for a moment. Then just as Daddy came back in the room, Henry sank to
the floor.
Jennifer Westall dives into Christian characters to explore her own questions of faith. Inspired by the life of her grandmother, Healing Ruby (2014) is the first in the Healing Ruby series, which delves into the mysteries of faith healing. She’s also the author of Love’s Providence (2012), a contemporary Christian romance that navigates the minefield of dating and temptation. She resides in southwest Texas with her husband and two boys, where she homeschools by day and writes by night, thus explaining those pesky bags under her eyes.
For More Information
Visit Jennifer H. Westall’s website.
Connect with Jennifer on Facebook and Twitter.
Find out more about Jennifer at Goodreads.
Visit Jennifer’s blog.
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Media Contact:Dorothy ThompsonPump Up Your BookP.O. Box 643Chincoteague Island, Virginia 23336Email: thewriterslife@gmail.com
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