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Ruby's Spoon
Ruby's Spoon is a bold and bewitching debut set in the industrial Black Country of the 1930s. Anna Lawrence Pietroni's fiercely charismatic heroine blazes the arrival of a mesmerising new literary talent.
This is the tale of three women -- one witch, one mermaid and one missing -- and how Ruby was caught up in between.
When Isa Fly appears in the doorway of Captin Len's Frie...more
This is the tale of three women -- one witch, one mermaid and one missing -- and how Ruby was caught up in between.
When Isa Fly appears in the doorway of Captin Len's Frie...more
Hardcover, 336 pages
Published
March 8th 2010
by Chatto & Windus
(first published January 1st 2010)
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You really should meet Ruby.
You’ll need to go back in time, to the 1930s, and then to Cradle Cross, a small landlocked town in England’s Black Country. At least I think you do. Ruby’s story is set in a world that is a little like that, but also like something from a different world entirely.
Her story begins at her workplace – Captin’s Fried Fish bar. Ruby is peeling potatoes for chips when a stranger arrives. A very strange stranger. Miss Isa Fly, immediately recognisable...more
You’ll need to go back in time, to the 1930s, and then to Cradle Cross, a small landlocked town in England’s Black Country. At least I think you do. Ruby’s story is set in a world that is a little like that, but also like something from a different world entirely.
Her story begins at her workplace – Captin’s Fried Fish bar. Ruby is peeling potatoes for chips when a stranger arrives. A very strange stranger. Miss Isa Fly, immediately recognisable...more
In this, the author's debut novel, mermaids, myths and mystery are the order of the day. It is set in 1930s England, in the small town of Cradle Cross in the heart of the Black Country in the Midlands. Surrounded by canals, brimming over with superstition, Cradle Cross is like a prison for our narrator, 12 year old Ruby Abel Taylor. Ruby dreams of new horizons but her crabbed grandmother Annie has forbidden her to go near water after losing her husband and child to the sea so she'...more
Anna Pietroni is a good writer---in fact, she is so good that she writes the local lingo of her characters phonetically. Now, this can be a bit rough when you start a book----especially for a speed reader like me----I don't want to have to "sound" out all my conversations. But eventually you get used to it and just start to enjoy the story. And its a whopper of a story----a bit of in-breeding, I believe, as these folks are down-home and quite in-articulate on most levels, but sti...more
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I read this book after reading The Washington Post review of it and being intrigued by it's dark references. But, in reality, I didn't find the book nearly so dark.
It's essentially a mystery, with a young girl struggling to find her own identity as well as that of a stranger in town. Of course, those identities end up entangled to Dickensian proportions.
Most interesting to me was the dialect the author creates. I'm not sure if she had something in mind when she was writing i...more
It's essentially a mystery, with a young girl struggling to find her own identity as well as that of a stranger in town. Of course, those identities end up entangled to Dickensian proportions.
Most interesting to me was the dialect the author creates. I'm not sure if she had something in mind when she was writing i...more
This was one of those books that I couldn't put down. It took me a little while to adjust to the dialect that she used for the dialogue, but I did eventually and it wasn't an issue. I really liked this book. I think I enjoyed the magical aspect of it a lot. Witches, mermaids, lost sisters, and small town mysteries apparently make for a pretty engrossing story -- who knew? I found myself thinking about this book for a while after I finished it. It's one of those books that I didn't want to end, y...more
Amblingbooks.com
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Shelves:
available-on-audio,
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"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)
Listen to Ruby’s Spoon on your smartphone.
Listen to Ruby’s Spoon on your smartphone.
Why is it that books that are slow going most of the way through, hurry through a good ending? Does the author just get tired of writing and have this overwhelming feeling to get it over with?
Interesting book...I liked the vividness of the sense of time and place, the language. The characters went back and forth a bit too much for me at times...is she good? is she bad? is she just spiteful? What I liked most was the story of the button factory... a company town on the outs and what that ...more
Interesting book...I liked the vividness of the sense of time and place, the language. The characters went back and forth a bit too much for me at times...is she good? is she bad? is she just spiteful? What I liked most was the story of the button factory... a company town on the outs and what that ...more
This was really interesting. A great look at a rural factory town in England post WWII. Strange at times, but all told from the perspective of a girl who is young for her age. I tried to see past her perceptions to what was really going on, but at the same time was held by the way she told the story. Not one of my favorite books, but well done.
Well-written, an unusual story, and I like how the mystery unfolds. I found the dialect annoying to read, and it was hard to follow because it involved a lot of terms either specific to boating or to the time period. It was hard to get upset over the missing losslinen when I didn't understand what it was.
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.
If you have the time to deal with the dialect, the story is worth the read.
If you have the time to deal with the dialect, the story is worth the read.
Had trouble following because of the language. An almost mythical, folkloric story that is driven by a mystery,
Slow, found myself skipping bits. It was a good storyline that would have made a good short story.
Loved this book - loved the old 30's black country setting - loved the writing - loved the characters. Had my head spinning with tales of the sea, witches, and mermaids. I want to find a sea almanac now that I can fill with artwork and lists like Ruby did, because I want to spill out the art it has created in my head!
I had a bit of trouble with the written accents, and I was confused between the characters quite often (who was to who etc) but that would be better I think if I read it a...more
I had a bit of trouble with the written accents, and I was confused between the characters quite often (who was to who etc) but that would be better I think if I read it a...more
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.
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.
I liked the story line and would have rated it a 3 except I found the dialect a little hard to understand.
I met Pietroni at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2010, she was lovely and so was this book. It was filled with mystery and charm I could not resist, and I loved every minute of reading Ruby's Spoon. The characters were rich, believable too that I really cared for them and because I love fantasies, I was desperate to know who the mermaid was. The twist was brilliant really. Fantastic book!
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.
This book was so wonderful that I tried to ration it.
This Book, was alright, not my favorite though
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!
A bit slow to start but gripping from about half way.
I loved the accent and the setting and the story was really
different.
I would recommend it.
I loved the accent and the setting and the story was really
different.
I would recommend it.
This is pretty good so far. A witch, a girl, a mermaid, and a missing sister. I like the characters alot.
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.
Didn't take me long at all to realize I wasn't interested in this book.
Another one that just couldn't hold my interest. :(
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