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Ruby’s Spoon: A Novel Audiobook
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(2.95) - 126 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
In the heart of Black Country, England, Cradle Cross is a town out of time, an isolated pocket of the country whose customs and views have remained intact since medieval times. In 1933, the town is still reeling from the Great War and dominated by a button factory in terminal decline. Into this exotically grim environment arrives Isa Fly, a mysterious white-haired young woman from the coast. Isa is a magnetic presence who exerts a romantic pull on everyone she meets. Ruby Tailor, motherless and thirteen years old, is instantly drawn to her; as is Captin, the proprietor of the local chip shop, a fifty-year-old bachelor and father figure to Ruby; and Truda Blick, the Oxford-educated spinster who’s inherited the failing button factory. But Isa is viewed with increasing suspicion by the tight-knit women of Cradle Cross, who come to see her as the cause of the town’s accelerating misfortunes and, ultimately, fear her as a witch.
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"In many ways, Ruby's Spoon reminds me of Swamplandia. Both are coming-of-age stories that unfold in such atmospherically resonant settings that it is difficult to keep in your mind that they are not occuring in fantasy worlds. Neither novel is an easy read, but they are both worth the effort."
— Nanette (4 out of 5 stars)
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“Mystery, witchcraft, and a precocious young narrator enliven Pietroni’s debut…Ruby is one of those bright narrators whose insights into the treacheries of the adult world are heartrending…Fans of Hardy, Dickens, and, more recently, Michel Faber and Sarah Waters will find much to enjoy.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Absorbing and suspenseful; vibrant local color and threads of mysticism add a fresh twist as well…With her first novel reminiscent of the works of Elizabeth Gaskell and Charles Dickens, Pietroni is a talent to watch. Fans of literary and modern historical fiction will enjoy this offering.”
— Library Journal -
“This enthralling, suspenseful debut novel…has the feel of a grim fairy tale…Of the many riches it offers, it is the winning lead character, a lonely teen brave enough to have a dream despite her impoverished circumstances, who will capture readers’ hearts.”
— Booklist (starred review)
Awards
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A Booklist Top 10 Choice for First Novel
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A 2010 San Francisco Chronicle Best Book
Ruby’s Spoon Listener Reviews
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" There were elements of this book that I liked, and it's the sort of book that I normally enjoy very much. However, I found the dialect extremely difficult to read. I also found the pacing to be off. The story takes place over the course of just a few days, yet it felt like weeks were going by. "
— Christy, 1/12/2014 -
" This book was so wonderful that I tried to ration it. "
— Linda, 1/12/2014 -
" Slow, found myself skipping bits. It was a good storyline that would have made a good short story. "
— Judy, 1/11/2014 -
" Another one that just couldn't hold my interest. :( "
— Eve, 1/11/2014 -
" Had trouble following because of the language. An almost mythical, folkloric story that is driven by a mystery, "
— Anne, 1/7/2014 -
" Eh. It was alright. Really hard to read at first, since she writes the dialog phonetically & the accent is very heavy. I don't feel that I wated my time, but I wouldn't recommend it either. "
— Paula, 12/29/2013 -
" Anna is a friend and I just went to her US release party at Harvard Bookstore in Cambridge! Can't wait to get into this book. The pieces she read out loud were entrancing...Watch for my update soon. Good luck Anna! "
— Amy, 10/17/2013 -
" It took me a while to get into the flow of the dialogue, but I think it was a vital part of the book. Intriguing characters and story. "
— Joan, 6/23/2013 -
" the dialect is somewhat difficult to get accustomed to. the story was ok, and kind of sad in a way. it gave a different spin on mermaids. i would not really recommended it. "
— Laura, 8/17/2012 -
" This Book, was alright, not my favorite though "
— Teddy, 5/29/2012 -
" This is pretty good so far. A witch, a girl, a mermaid, and a missing sister. I like the characters alot. "
— Crysta, 5/23/2012 -
" Can't get past the dialect. "
— Sarah, 5/22/2012 -
" This was interesting and quite enjoyable to read. The characters were interesting and the settings seemed fantastical even though they were based in Britain. I liked the fine detail in this novel. "
— Rachel, 12/16/2011 -
" I liked the story line and would have rated it a 3 except I found the dialect a little hard to understand. "
— Kimberly, 4/3/2011 -
" Eh. It was alright. Really hard to read at first, since she writes the dialog phonetically & the accent is very heavy. I don't feel that I wated my time, but I wouldn't recommend it either. "
— Paula, 3/20/2011 -
" A bit slow to start but gripping from about half way. <br/>I loved the accent and the setting and the story was really <br/>different. <br/>I would recommend it. "
— Tracey, 8/19/2010 -
" Another one that just couldn't hold my interest. :( "
— Eve, 8/11/2010 -
" This book was so wonderful that I tried to ration it. "
— Linda, 7/11/2010 -
" This is pretty good so far. A witch, a girl, a mermaid, and a missing sister. I like the characters alot. "
— Crysta, 5/18/2010 -
" the dialect is somewhat difficult to get accustomed to. the story was ok, and kind of sad in a way. it gave a different spin on mermaids. i would not really recommended it. "
— Laura, 4/15/2010 -
" This was a tough book for me. The dialect was very difficult to understand and it took me a while to warm up to the story. I figured out part of the secret before the end but didn't see all of the twists. <br/> <br/>If you have the time to deal with the dialect, the story is worth the read. "
— Tbb113, 3/24/2010 -
" Anna is a friend and I just went to her US release party at Harvard Bookstore in Cambridge! Can't wait to get into this book. The pieces she read out loud were entrancing...Watch for my update soon. Good luck Anna! "
— Amy, 2/25/2010 -
" Slow, found myself skipping bits. It was a good storyline that would have made a good short story. "
— Judy, 2/8/2010 -
" Didn't take me long at all to realize I wasn't interested in this book. "
— Linda, 1/16/2010 -
" It took me a while to get into the flow of the dialogue, but I think it was a vital part of the book. Intriguing characters and story. "
— Joan, 1/11/2010
About Anna Lawrence Pietroni
Anna Lawrence Pietroni grew up outside of Birmingham, England. She graduated with a first class degree from Oxford and worked for several years in the British prison system before turning to writing. Ruby’s Spoon was her first novel.
About John Lee
John Lee is the winner of numerous Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration. He has twice won acclaim as AudioFile’s Best Voice in Fiction & Classics. He also narrates video games, does voice-over work, and writes plays. He is an accomplished stage actor and has written and coproduced the feature films Breathing Hard and Forfeit. He played Alydon in the 1963–64 Doctor Who serial The Daleks.