Book Spotlight: Ruby Moon

I found the story of one eventful year in the life of the young half-French, half Ojibwe woman Jenay, to be a vivid and memorable one. At seventeen, Jenay faces troubles many older women would be floored by, and overcomes them with courage and grace.

Her elderly aunt, an Ojibwe woman named Maang-ikwe, besides being an important supportive figure in Jenay’s life, is an interesting character in her own right, with her knowledge of herbs and medicinal plants, and her love for God’s creation.

At first, I didn’t like the way the author jumped from date to date in the distant and more recent past, and switched back and forth between first and third person narration while telling Jenay’s story, but in the end I decided that for this story, it works, because so much of the story is about Jenay’s struggle to deal with the consequences of an event she doesn’t fully remember, and the guilt of being caught in a strange and confusing situation.

While the story has its slower parts, and the writing, in particular the dialogue, at times seems a little stilted, overall, Ruby Moon is a fine tale, and would be enjoyed by anyone who loves Christian historical fiction.

Reviewer’s Note: I received a free copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.