Ruby Among Us

This lovely, sweet story is like a gentle stroll in a rose garden. There are velvety blooms of love; thorns of past hurts and fears; new buds of hope and innocence; tangled thick stems of hidden truths and lies; the faded blooms of past memories and of what might have been; and at the center the beautiful, heart-warming discovery of the most beautiful flowers of all: faith and unconditional love. Readers of inspirational stories will especially enjoy this one.

I don't usually shed tears when reading a book. This one brought on the tears. Ms. Forkner makes her characters come alive. It is an engrossing story that captivates until the very end. Rachel for Siloam Springs Writers

I didn't know what to expect when I received Ruby Among Us in the mail, but it didn't take long for the story to pull me in. Michelle Sutton expresses it well when she says that the story starts heavy, but the weight is necessary to understand why Lucy, the protagonist thinks, acts and feels the way she does. She yearns to remember her mother Ruby who died when Lucy was eight years old, yet grandmother Kitty is hesitant to fill in the many missing pieces of the puzzle that makes up their heritage. As time passes the pieces of her family's past fall into place for Lucy and she finds she has come full circle, rediscovering herself and a faith in God she thought she never had. I loved this book. Forkner's writing style brings alive the setting in a way that the Sonoma Valley becomes a character on its own. She opens up her characters hearts and draws the reader inside until you almost feel as though you are one with them. I look forward to many more books from Ms. Forkner.

Ruby Among Us was a fantastic book. Tina did a great job of bringing the characters to life. I felt like I really knew them. I found myself becoming angry at Kitty for what she had kept from Lucy and Ruby. I loved how the ending pulled together, it was absolutely beautiful. I cried tears of joy. I am looking forward to future books by Tina Ann Forkner.

Ruby Among Us starts with a heavy theme, but it's important in order to understand Lucy's perspective throughout the story. If you love and miss your mother who has passed on, this story will move you to tears of healing and unleash memories of love. My mother had gone to be with the Lord for over ten years now, and reading Ruby Among Us sparked memories of loving times as I reached the conclusion of the book. I don't want to give away any key plot points because half the pull of this story is not knowing imporant things about Lucy, Kitty and Ruby's pasts, and wanting so desperately to find out that you have trouble putting the book down. Forkner's writing style and voice is fresh, unique, and insightful. It's beautiful how she pulls you into the heart and mind of someone sheltered from life so much that she truly is an innocent in many of the things that take place around her. But the fresh, healing experiences she embraces, and her journey toward trusting others outside her immediate family is exciting and deep. And the romantic portions of this book are WONDERFUL and exciting. I felt my heart being tugged and moved with the tiny steps of faith that Lucy made toward healing...and toward love. For someone who has always had a father in her life, it was eye-opening for me to see how truly painful it is for a young woman to never have a father figure in her life. In fact, so much pain is evoked that the hurt can taint choices and destroy a young woman's security for years to come. Our culture has tried very hard to shut down the importance of a man's role in a family and in a daughter's heart. Ruby Among Us beautifully illustrates how erroneous this belief is. For that reason alone I would love to see many men embrace this book. The bummer is that this story was so good I'm sad it had to end. I am praying that Waterbrook has enough sense to realize that readers will want more of Forkner's work in their hands, so hopefully there will be a sequel coming. Pretty please?