What do you think?
Rate this book
Iris and Ruby
Rich and alive with descriptions of the bustling streets of old Cairo, and the vast, foreboding desert surrounding it – ‘Iris and Ruby’ is a stirring story of mothers, daughters and the distance between three generations of one family.Stiflingly quiet and claustrophobic, Iris Black's Cairo house is suddenly disturbed by the unexpected arrival of her troubled and wilful granddaughter, Ruby. Teenage Ruby has run away from England to seek solace with the grandmother she hasn't seen for many years. An unlikely bond is formed as the two open themselves up to one another.Ruby helps Iris document her deteriorating memories of the glittering, cosmopolitan Cairo of World War Two, a time when she lost her heart to her one true love – the enigmatic Captain Xan Molyneux – and then lost him to the ravages of the war.Iris’ early devastation shapes her own heart and that of her daughter and granddaughter in turn.- and leads the two women into terrible danger in the Egyptian desert.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2006
185 people are currently reading
1534 people want to read
About the author
Rosie Thomas
71 books316 followersJaney King, née Morris was born on 1947 in Denbigh, Wales, and also grew up in North Wales. She read English at Oxford, and after a spell in journalism and publishing began writing fiction after the birth of her first child. Published since 1982 as Rosie Thomas, she has written fourteen best-selling novels, deal with the common themes of love and loss. She is one of only a few authors to have won twice the Romantic Novel of the Year Award by the Romantic Novelists' Association, in 1985 with Sunrise, and in 2007 with Iris and Ruby.
Janey is an adventurer and once she was established as a writer and her children were grown, she discovered a love of travelling and mountaineering. She has climbed in the Alps and the Himalayas, competed in the Peking to Paris car rally, spent time on a tiny Bulgarian research station in Antarctica and travelled the silk road through Asia. She currently lives in London.
Janey is an adventurer and once she was established as a writer and her children were grown, she discovered a love of travelling and mountaineering. She has climbed in the Alps and the Himalayas, competed in the Peking to Paris car rally, spent time on a tiny Bulgarian research station in Antarctica and travelled the silk road through Asia. She currently lives in London.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 304 reviews
July 15, 2013
This book was on my shelf for a long time but since it looked like the perfect summer read I finally picked it up prior to going on vacation.
It is the story of a teenage girl, Ruby, who runs away from home to reside in Cairo with her grandmother, Iris. Ruby hasn't seen her grandmother in years and upon learning that her grandmother's recollection of her one true love and the years in Cairo during WW2 are slowing slipping away, Ruby resolves to help her recall and reach for those memories.
"Like so many plain cups on the shelves. You can reach for them, use them without thinking. Most of them don't matter. Sometimes you lose your grip on one of them and it falls and smashes to pieces, and you shrug and say to yourself, what a pity. Then you reach for the cup that you use every day, one that you love and use so often that as you stretch out your hand it is already making the shape that fits its curve. You are certain that yesterday it was in its proper place, but now there is nothing. Just air. You have lost something that was so familiar, so much a part of your life that you were not even looking for it. Just expecting it to be there, as always."
A beautifully woven novel that captures love and loss along with vivid descriptions of Cairo: the ancient streets, bustling bazaars, pyramids resting against a colourful palette of humid skies. These images successfully summoned all my senses creating a delicious summer read.
It is the story of a teenage girl, Ruby, who runs away from home to reside in Cairo with her grandmother, Iris. Ruby hasn't seen her grandmother in years and upon learning that her grandmother's recollection of her one true love and the years in Cairo during WW2 are slowing slipping away, Ruby resolves to help her recall and reach for those memories.
"Like so many plain cups on the shelves. You can reach for them, use them without thinking. Most of them don't matter. Sometimes you lose your grip on one of them and it falls and smashes to pieces, and you shrug and say to yourself, what a pity. Then you reach for the cup that you use every day, one that you love and use so often that as you stretch out your hand it is already making the shape that fits its curve. You are certain that yesterday it was in its proper place, but now there is nothing. Just air. You have lost something that was so familiar, so much a part of your life that you were not even looking for it. Just expecting it to be there, as always."
A beautifully woven novel that captures love and loss along with vivid descriptions of Cairo: the ancient streets, bustling bazaars, pyramids resting against a colourful palette of humid skies. These images successfully summoned all my senses creating a delicious summer read.
April 4, 2016
I don't even know where to begin with this book! There's so so so much that I loved and connected too and just truly felt.
I didn't particularly like Iris or Ruby at the beginning. Ruby is trying so hard to be shocking that it's tiresome. She's angry and immature and is really like a child in the midst of a temper tantrum. Iris is angry too. She's angry that she can't do what she used to do, she's angry that she can't remember what she wants to remember and she's angry that scared. She's used to being on her own and isn't overly thrilled to have this child that she doesn't know come crashing into her very controlled home. But then something happens and slowly - so slowly that you don't notice at first - Iris and Ruby begin to connect and form a rapport. With that connection comes change Iris relaxes, she learns how to talk again and remembers how to laugh. The change in Ruby especially is wonderful. She finds interests outside of her self-pity and rebellion, she begins to listen. Really she begins to grow up. We also meet Lesley, Iris's daughter and Ruby's mother. Lesley's relationship with both her daughter and her mother is not what she wants them to be and she has no idea how to fix it. The harder she tries to hold on the harder they pull away. In many ways I was able to relate to all the characters in this book. There is the relationship between Iris and Ruby which is so special and so separate from Lesley, Lesley trying to navigate the waters of having a daughter who is technically an adult but still seems like such a child and also having to really look at herself and figure out what she wants for the first time.
Then there's the setting. Cairo isn't just a label slapped on as window dressing. The story really takes place in Cairo. After reading this I felt like I'd been there - I driven through mazes of narrow streets and alleys, wandered around the market with awe, and toured the museum with all the wonders of Ancient Egypt. I saw glamorous parties where people danced and drank and ignored the fact the war was looming over them.
The pacing was so wonderful. I was immediately pulled into the story and the characters and the city really just came alive for me. While there is a lot of heavy emotions going on and some drama I never felt like it was overwrought or that I just wanted to put the book down. These were characters that really just wanted to spend more time with and continue watching them evolve. The ending was an ending which made me happy. Books that just stop just drive me crazy. There was some open-endedness but there was also so much growth from all the characters that things felt resolved. I cannot believe this is the first book I've read by Rosie Thomas but it definitely won't be last.
Full Review: http://iwishilivedinalibrary.blogspot...
I didn't particularly like Iris or Ruby at the beginning. Ruby is trying so hard to be shocking that it's tiresome. She's angry and immature and is really like a child in the midst of a temper tantrum. Iris is angry too. She's angry that she can't do what she used to do, she's angry that she can't remember what she wants to remember and she's angry that scared. She's used to being on her own and isn't overly thrilled to have this child that she doesn't know come crashing into her very controlled home. But then something happens and slowly - so slowly that you don't notice at first - Iris and Ruby begin to connect and form a rapport. With that connection comes change Iris relaxes, she learns how to talk again and remembers how to laugh. The change in Ruby especially is wonderful. She finds interests outside of her self-pity and rebellion, she begins to listen. Really she begins to grow up. We also meet Lesley, Iris's daughter and Ruby's mother. Lesley's relationship with both her daughter and her mother is not what she wants them to be and she has no idea how to fix it. The harder she tries to hold on the harder they pull away. In many ways I was able to relate to all the characters in this book. There is the relationship between Iris and Ruby which is so special and so separate from Lesley, Lesley trying to navigate the waters of having a daughter who is technically an adult but still seems like such a child and also having to really look at herself and figure out what she wants for the first time.
Then there's the setting. Cairo isn't just a label slapped on as window dressing. The story really takes place in Cairo. After reading this I felt like I'd been there - I driven through mazes of narrow streets and alleys, wandered around the market with awe, and toured the museum with all the wonders of Ancient Egypt. I saw glamorous parties where people danced and drank and ignored the fact the war was looming over them.
The pacing was so wonderful. I was immediately pulled into the story and the characters and the city really just came alive for me. While there is a lot of heavy emotions going on and some drama I never felt like it was overwrought or that I just wanted to put the book down. These were characters that really just wanted to spend more time with and continue watching them evolve. The ending was an ending which made me happy. Books that just stop just drive me crazy. There was some open-endedness but there was also so much growth from all the characters that things felt resolved. I cannot believe this is the first book I've read by Rosie Thomas but it definitely won't be last.
Full Review: http://iwishilivedinalibrary.blogspot...
August 22, 2017
I enjoyed this book. It was a wonderful story about a girl and her grandmother. The girl and her grandmother form a bond and each learns from the other. Their relationship brings out the best in both of them. It shows how special the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren can be. Cairo is the setting for this story and its historic appeal added to the story.
May 11, 2025
3.5⭐️ J’ai trouvé l’histoire très touchante et le cheminement des personnages d’autant plus. J’ai envie d’aller au Caire maintenant. En revanche, l’histoire était bien trop prévisible et lente. J’attendais plus de profondeur dans le personnage de Ruby au vu de qu’elle a traversé.
November 15, 2020
Por coincidência ultimamente, tenho lido livros que revisitam o passado através do presente e francamente aborreceu-me confrontar-me novamente com esse tipo de registo. Mas tão somente por isso, penso eu.
Foi o primeiro livro que li desta escritora e confesso que não fiquei completamente convencida. Gostei da visão desse país tão contrastante em paisagens e costumes. Por um lado, um Egipto em todo o seu esplendor por outro despido de sofisticação e modernidade. A sua capacidade de descrita e os seus detalhes transportam-nos, sentimo-nos lá.
O tratamento invulgar pelo próprio nome em vez das palavras amorosas de "mãe" e "avó", soou-me depreciativo. Talvez tenha sido intencional, mas causou-me estranheza. Achei igualmente incongruente uma mãe que sofreu na pele a ausência física e no seu sentido mais lato da própria mãe, tenha com um dos filhos uma situação que me pareceu próxima da negligência.
Ruby é a primeira filha de Lesley, fruto do seu primeiro casamento e é a sua verdadeira razão de existência. Ressalvo que o factor divórcio e o pai de Ruby ser um egocêntrico, terá, talvez, gerado um sentimento de compensação por parte desta mãe. Também a rebeldia de Ruby exigia um olhar mais atento e constante já que se embrulhava em sarilhos a todo o instante. O segundo filho, já do seu segundo casamento ao ser tão certinho e previsível tornou-se curiosamente o mal-amado. Não gostei nem compreendi.
Creio que alguns factores comportamentais desde a personagem mais nova à personagem mais velha me terão influenciado negativamente no parecer geral, daí dar apenas esta pontuação.
Foi o primeiro livro que li desta escritora e confesso que não fiquei completamente convencida. Gostei da visão desse país tão contrastante em paisagens e costumes. Por um lado, um Egipto em todo o seu esplendor por outro despido de sofisticação e modernidade. A sua capacidade de descrita e os seus detalhes transportam-nos, sentimo-nos lá.
O tratamento invulgar pelo próprio nome em vez das palavras amorosas de "mãe" e "avó", soou-me depreciativo. Talvez tenha sido intencional, mas causou-me estranheza. Achei igualmente incongruente uma mãe que sofreu na pele a ausência física e no seu sentido mais lato da própria mãe, tenha com um dos filhos uma situação que me pareceu próxima da negligência.
Ruby é a primeira filha de Lesley, fruto do seu primeiro casamento e é a sua verdadeira razão de existência. Ressalvo que o factor divórcio e o pai de Ruby ser um egocêntrico, terá, talvez, gerado um sentimento de compensação por parte desta mãe. Também a rebeldia de Ruby exigia um olhar mais atento e constante já que se embrulhava em sarilhos a todo o instante. O segundo filho, já do seu segundo casamento ao ser tão certinho e previsível tornou-se curiosamente o mal-amado. Não gostei nem compreendi.
Creio que alguns factores comportamentais desde a personagem mais nova à personagem mais velha me terão influenciado negativamente no parecer geral, daí dar apenas esta pontuação.
November 13, 2017
I wasn't sure what to expect with Rosie Thomas' work; I was hoping something akin to Kate Morton, but it appeared far more fluffy and drawn out than Morton's often careful, and well-built, plots. Whilst the storyline sounded okay, it was Egypt which really drew me in when deciding whether to buy this in a charity shop, and I did feel as though Thomas did a good job at building Cairo for the reader. The characters, however, are markedly flat, and their dialogue is both stilted and unnatural. I did not care at all about the characters or what Thomas held in store for them, and gave up around sixty pages in. Not for me.
May 4, 2020
As a fan of Rosie Thomas's writing for many years I do not understand why I let this title linger on my bookshelves for far too long.
This author has always written a story that I really feel I can immerse myself in, she once again did not disappoint.
A light and easy read, but for me perfect during these times of chaos when concentration can be difficult for many of us.
The protagonists Iris and her granddaughter Ruby were at first not particularly likeable or engaging characters but that soon changed as one gets further into the novel. Moving and reflective inter generational story about love and family relationships. With the detailed descriptive and atmospheric writing you find yourself transported to the chaos of Cairo.
An absorbing read for those looking for escapism.
This author has always written a story that I really feel I can immerse myself in, she once again did not disappoint.
A light and easy read, but for me perfect during these times of chaos when concentration can be difficult for many of us.
The protagonists Iris and her granddaughter Ruby were at first not particularly likeable or engaging characters but that soon changed as one gets further into the novel. Moving and reflective inter generational story about love and family relationships. With the detailed descriptive and atmospheric writing you find yourself transported to the chaos of Cairo.
An absorbing read for those looking for escapism.
July 17, 2011
I frequently find that my self chosen reading material is a good barometer of how much is going on in my life at any given moment. The light stuff represents chaos, the heavier means there is enough cognitive capacity left to think about what is trying to be said.
This then is a perfect example of the right book at the right time. It is reasonably light yet it gave me some excellent reflective pieces about life love and relationships.
An inter-generational story based around dislocation with ones own children/parents but ultimately the power of connection given the opportunity and a little communication.
This then is a perfect example of the right book at the right time. It is reasonably light yet it gave me some excellent reflective pieces about life love and relationships.
An inter-generational story based around dislocation with ones own children/parents but ultimately the power of connection given the opportunity and a little communication.
March 29, 2016
Acho que foi do meu estado de espírito que não apreciei como devia o livro mas acho que lhe faltou uma pimenta qualquer ..
April 7, 2019
Este livro é uma viagem pelo cairo de antigamente e do presente.
Com descrições perfeitas conseguimos quase nos imaginar no meio das ruas do Cairo, dos seus cheiros das suas cores...
Conseguimos perceber as mudanças que a cidade sofreu ao longo do tempo não perdendo a sua magia.
É um romance sobre relações entre mães e filhas e todos sabemos o quanto podem ser difíceis.
Um livro longo mas que precisa destas páginas para nos dar a conhecer as três principais personagens e as suas vivências e personalidades.
Esperava talvez um final diferente para Ruby e Ash
Com descrições perfeitas conseguimos quase nos imaginar no meio das ruas do Cairo, dos seus cheiros das suas cores...
Conseguimos perceber as mudanças que a cidade sofreu ao longo do tempo não perdendo a sua magia.
É um romance sobre relações entre mães e filhas e todos sabemos o quanto podem ser difíceis.
Um livro longo mas que precisa destas páginas para nos dar a conhecer as três principais personagens e as suas vivências e personalidades.
Esperava talvez um final diferente para Ruby e Ash
January 27, 2021
Acabou por se tornar uma bela surpresa. Só por ter tido um início bastante renitente é que não lhe dou 4 estrelas, fico-me pelas 3,5.
Uma mistura bem feita de presente/passado (2ª GM), velhice/juventude, amor/aventura, riqueza/pobreza.
A maior dificuldade foi, por vezes, conseguir acompanhar a alternância entre o que se passa na atualidade e os diálogos entre as duas personagens principais, com as recordações e memórias da mulher mais velha. Penso que parte do problema deriva da forma como o texto está organizado e de alguma (falta) da devida pontuação. Muitas vezes bastava colocar um parágrafo ou uma linha em branco para se sentir essa mudança como natural e fluída.
Uma mistura bem feita de presente/passado (2ª GM), velhice/juventude, amor/aventura, riqueza/pobreza.
A maior dificuldade foi, por vezes, conseguir acompanhar a alternância entre o que se passa na atualidade e os diálogos entre as duas personagens principais, com as recordações e memórias da mulher mais velha. Penso que parte do problema deriva da forma como o texto está organizado e de alguma (falta) da devida pontuação. Muitas vezes bastava colocar um parágrafo ou uma linha em branco para se sentir essa mudança como natural e fluída.
February 4, 2009
Great descriptions of Egypt and the relationship between Iris and Ruby is excellent.
I have to add more to this - was thinking about this book at 5am this morning!
The relationship between Ruby and the young Egyptian boy is excellent too and the description of how his family live and what they live amongst is really haunting.
Also, a small point, but the descriptions and details of the markets, the journeys through the streets and the beautiful inner courtyard of the house are fantastic.
I have to add more to this - was thinking about this book at 5am this morning!
The relationship between Ruby and the young Egyptian boy is excellent too and the description of how his family live and what they live amongst is really haunting.
Also, a small point, but the descriptions and details of the markets, the journeys through the streets and the beautiful inner courtyard of the house are fantastic.
June 13, 2015
Loved it. The story brought back many memories of Cairo, a great read.
August 9, 2018
It's easy to hold on to the good memories when life becomes challenging ...
Most of us have some distant relatives who we are not in contact with of different reasons. It may be bcause they live far away or you didn't get to know them during your youth. The reasons are many.
That's the way it is with Iris and Ruby. Iris is Ruby's grandmother. Most grandmothers are close with their grandchildren, but it's not with these two. The distance makes it difficult and Ruby's mother doesn't have a particularly good relationship with her mother, so Iris has not been involved in their lives so much.
Ruby lives in England and Iris lives in Egypt, but that doesn't stop Ruby from running away from home and traveling all the way to Egypt on her own, completely unplanned. Iris doesn't even know she's coming. It was all an impulse from Ruby's part. She just wants to get away, escape for many reasons and she ends up to her unknown grandmother who lives a quiet life in Cairo. Iris is starting to become frail and has stayed in her house for many years, and has therefore not noticed any particular changes in her own city. She also lives in her past.
We get brought back to World War II when Iris was young and happy. She had a lover she also became engaged to. It's a period of her life she would like to sit alone and think about in the last part of her life. Her life changes when her granddaughter Ruby unexpectedly appears. She would like to help Iris to remember since the memories of her life is starting to get fragile, but will Iris let her stay? She who's used to being alone with her faithful servants at her mansion?
I don't read novels often, but it happens once in a while. Sometimes I come across some good ones and others who doesn't leave any traces behind. This one didn't leave any trace. It had a good start and I liked this rebel and self-righteous Ruby a lot, but thought that Iri's memories of the past were too slow and the love story was not very inspiring to read about. I liked to read about the present, the bonding between Ruby and Iris. Whether they will create a bond at all or not, of course. I rather wanted to read about that than all this back and forth between the past and present going on. I like books that merge past and present, but this variant did not intrigue me. I don't like love stories much. This love story from Iris's past was also too standard. But it's easy to understand she liked that time better than her current life situation, but that part of the book was neither exciting nor inspirational to read about. I rather wanted to read more about the relationship between Iris and Ruby, and why the relationship between Iris and her own daughter, Lesley, is so strained. I wanted to read more about that part because it was more interesting to me. I also didn't like the way how the past and present was set up. There was no flow in the transitions. It became a little annoying.
Exciting to read about the bonding between Ruby and Iris, and especially to know more about Ruby, the rebel. She's both fun and cool, but apart from that, this novel was just a typical novel where past meets the present, lost love and the fear of forgetting the good times. A book with a good starting point, but the story becomes too thin and repetive for a book that is over five hundred pages long. I like and prefer thick books, but this was too bad. Iris and Ruby would have been better as a short story.
Most of us have some distant relatives who we are not in contact with of different reasons. It may be bcause they live far away or you didn't get to know them during your youth. The reasons are many.
That's the way it is with Iris and Ruby. Iris is Ruby's grandmother. Most grandmothers are close with their grandchildren, but it's not with these two. The distance makes it difficult and Ruby's mother doesn't have a particularly good relationship with her mother, so Iris has not been involved in their lives so much.
Ruby lives in England and Iris lives in Egypt, but that doesn't stop Ruby from running away from home and traveling all the way to Egypt on her own, completely unplanned. Iris doesn't even know she's coming. It was all an impulse from Ruby's part. She just wants to get away, escape for many reasons and she ends up to her unknown grandmother who lives a quiet life in Cairo. Iris is starting to become frail and has stayed in her house for many years, and has therefore not noticed any particular changes in her own city. She also lives in her past.
We get brought back to World War II when Iris was young and happy. She had a lover she also became engaged to. It's a period of her life she would like to sit alone and think about in the last part of her life. Her life changes when her granddaughter Ruby unexpectedly appears. She would like to help Iris to remember since the memories of her life is starting to get fragile, but will Iris let her stay? She who's used to being alone with her faithful servants at her mansion?
I don't read novels often, but it happens once in a while. Sometimes I come across some good ones and others who doesn't leave any traces behind. This one didn't leave any trace. It had a good start and I liked this rebel and self-righteous Ruby a lot, but thought that Iri's memories of the past were too slow and the love story was not very inspiring to read about. I liked to read about the present, the bonding between Ruby and Iris. Whether they will create a bond at all or not, of course. I rather wanted to read about that than all this back and forth between the past and present going on. I like books that merge past and present, but this variant did not intrigue me. I don't like love stories much. This love story from Iris's past was also too standard. But it's easy to understand she liked that time better than her current life situation, but that part of the book was neither exciting nor inspirational to read about. I rather wanted to read more about the relationship between Iris and Ruby, and why the relationship between Iris and her own daughter, Lesley, is so strained. I wanted to read more about that part because it was more interesting to me. I also didn't like the way how the past and present was set up. There was no flow in the transitions. It became a little annoying.
Exciting to read about the bonding between Ruby and Iris, and especially to know more about Ruby, the rebel. She's both fun and cool, but apart from that, this novel was just a typical novel where past meets the present, lost love and the fear of forgetting the good times. A book with a good starting point, but the story becomes too thin and repetive for a book that is over five hundred pages long. I like and prefer thick books, but this was too bad. Iris and Ruby would have been better as a short story.
December 24, 2022
This is not a widely read book but one of the best I have read this year. Maybe it’s the cover? It would not have drawn my eye given the setting is Cairo in two time periods. I’ll have to learn more about how covers are selected.
The descriptions of wartime colonized Cairo are juicy and the character unvarnished making the combinations of romance and setting engaging. The current time period brings young adult angst and multi generational gaps into play. In the end this is a book about how we never stop seeking parental approval - a great insight. Enjoy!
The descriptions of wartime colonized Cairo are juicy and the character unvarnished making the combinations of romance and setting engaging. The current time period brings young adult angst and multi generational gaps into play. In the end this is a book about how we never stop seeking parental approval - a great insight. Enjoy!
March 28, 2021
Ruby arrives unexpectedly at her grandmother's house in Cairo where Iris has been living with her memories for a long time. Ruby is thrown into a foreign world as she settles into life with her Iris, while Iris remembers Cairo in 1941-42 when she met the love of her live, Xan, and worked in the local wat office. I enjoyed the historical section of the story more than the present, but overall an enjoyable read.
May 10, 2022
Wonderful read - the story of Iris who lives in Cairo her granddaughter Ruby needs to escape her family & life in London & heads off to find the grandmother that she’s never known…Iris doesn’t really want Ruby there but after a few days of Rubys company the two form a fabulous bond…Iris can reminisce the past & let’s Ruby explore Cairo to find herself after a traumatic time in London. I’ve had this book for years & so glad to have finally read it!!!
April 3, 2017
I enjoyed this book. I read Reader's Digest special edition, which I assume was abridged. I liked the way the relationship between grandmother and granddaughter played out. In the version I read, I did not have any trouble with the changes in voice between the narrator Iris and the otherwise 3rd person telling of the story. I recommend this book.
August 8, 2017
There are lots of good parts in this book. It was fun learning about Cairo in the 1940's and then learning about it today. There is lots of romance and intrigue in exotic Egypt. Iris has a mysterious past and the troubled granddaughter travels from England to Egypt to find out her story. This story changes both their lives, but draws them closer.
June 6, 2020
I've rad this three times over the years and find something new every time. It's a beautiful, painful, multi generational saga
December 5, 2020
Beautifully weaved story about love, loss and family!
June 27, 2023
I loved this book. Not only did it paint a vivid picture of Cairo in the early 40s, wartime, but the character of Iris shone. Young and old.
September 7, 2017
Absolutt ikke en dårlig bok. Anmeldelse på bloggen kommer.
July 31, 2020
An absorbing read set across two time frames with three generations of the same family. Cairo becomes an intriguing and exotic back drop and the dynamics between the key characters a reminder of the harm that those things left unsaid can cause.
February 3, 2017
Lovely story set in Cairo. Didn't want it to end!
January 2, 2023
Very slow in parts. Had to skim read some of it. I didn’t particularly like any of the characters except Ash. I certainly couldn’t connect to Ruby and her family. I suppose the best bits are the memories of Iris in Cairo with Xan and some of Ruby’s excursions around town but overall, The Kashmir Shawl was a much better read.
April 6, 2016
"I remember.
And even as I say the words aloud in the silent room and hear the whisper dying away in the shadows of the house, I realize that it's not true.
Because I don't, I can't remember.
I am old, and I am beginning to forget things."
Iris and Ruby is a novel about memories - both creating them and recalling them. Iris is an 82 year old doctor living in Cairo with two aged servants, in poor health and realizing that she is losing important memories of her younger years. She is estranged from her daughter who lives in England with her family and has few friends. Then Ruby, her 19 year old grand-daughter shows up at her door to escape her family. Ruby is adrift in her life, unsure of which direction to go and decided that maybe she would find answers in Cairo. Ruby quickly understands that her grandmother is trying to recall her past memories and decides to help her by listening to stories from her past.
The novel moves seamlessly between present day Cairo and the Cairo of WWII when Iris first arrived. The author's descriptions of the city are fantastic - you can almost see the glittering parties and party dresses of the 40s along with the present day market place teaming with people and items for sale. Through Iris's stories of her past, it becomes apparent what formed her into the person she is in the present. There are romances - both in the 40s with Iris and in the present day with Ruby. There is a lot of family drama between mother and daughter - Iris with her daughter Lesley and Ruby with her mother. Through it all, Iris and Ruby create a bond that transcends time.
This is a fantastic multi-generational novel and it takes place in an exciting part of the world. I loved this book and will remember these two characters long after the last page.
(The novel was given to me by the author for a fair and honest review)
And even as I say the words aloud in the silent room and hear the whisper dying away in the shadows of the house, I realize that it's not true.
Because I don't, I can't remember.
I am old, and I am beginning to forget things."
Iris and Ruby is a novel about memories - both creating them and recalling them. Iris is an 82 year old doctor living in Cairo with two aged servants, in poor health and realizing that she is losing important memories of her younger years. She is estranged from her daughter who lives in England with her family and has few friends. Then Ruby, her 19 year old grand-daughter shows up at her door to escape her family. Ruby is adrift in her life, unsure of which direction to go and decided that maybe she would find answers in Cairo. Ruby quickly understands that her grandmother is trying to recall her past memories and decides to help her by listening to stories from her past.
The novel moves seamlessly between present day Cairo and the Cairo of WWII when Iris first arrived. The author's descriptions of the city are fantastic - you can almost see the glittering parties and party dresses of the 40s along with the present day market place teaming with people and items for sale. Through Iris's stories of her past, it becomes apparent what formed her into the person she is in the present. There are romances - both in the 40s with Iris and in the present day with Ruby. There is a lot of family drama between mother and daughter - Iris with her daughter Lesley and Ruby with her mother. Through it all, Iris and Ruby create a bond that transcends time.
This is a fantastic multi-generational novel and it takes place in an exciting part of the world. I loved this book and will remember these two characters long after the last page.
(The novel was given to me by the author for a fair and honest review)
April 19, 2009
"Iris & Ruby" is the story of two women trying to find themselves. Iris is an elderly, retired doctor who is growing more forgetful and is trying to reconnect to her past. Her nineteen year old grand daughter Ruby is a bit of a rebel and looking for her place in the world.
Ruby who has not seen her grandmother in years, shows up at Iris’’ doorstep in Cairo. The two connect bringing past and present together looking at old and new love. The narration is a little confusing at times as the stories are told by both Iris and Ruby with occasional thoughts from other characters. Overall, very interesting, especially Iris who lived though the second world war in Egypt.
Ruby who has not seen her grandmother in years, shows up at Iris’’ doorstep in Cairo. The two connect bringing past and present together looking at old and new love. The narration is a little confusing at times as the stories are told by both Iris and Ruby with occasional thoughts from other characters. Overall, very interesting, especially Iris who lived though the second world war in Egypt.
June 11, 2012
Iris and Ruby is a very exciting novel with all the comparisons between the old and the new and glimpses of the future too. The story is set partly is WW2 Cairo and partly in the modern day one. The historical part is the memories of Iris and the new one is the story of Iris and Ruby. The novel is full of details from scents and smells to senses, feelings, fabrics and colours which brought the story to life especially the part set during WW2.
I really enjoyed it and recommend it to historical fiction lovers, I was just slightly let down by the last 40% of the book as the first half was more impressive, and had more about it.
I really enjoyed it and recommend it to historical fiction lovers, I was just slightly let down by the last 40% of the book as the first half was more impressive, and had more about it.
May 15, 2013
A detailed and moving story of three women - Iris, her daughter Lesley and granddaughter Ruby. Moving from Cairo in the 1940s, England and back to modern Cairo, it tracks the delicate and layered relationship between the three.
Beautiful writing - the clever, brief detail ensures you are there in the decayed glamour of modern Cairo and the same city of the frenetic 1940s when Rommel was threatening to over-run it.
Passion, friendship, true morality and release of repression run through the book. My only niggle is that the desert scenes are over-long, but that's minor.
An absorbing read, thoroughly recommended.
Beautiful writing - the clever, brief detail ensures you are there in the decayed glamour of modern Cairo and the same city of the frenetic 1940s when Rommel was threatening to over-run it.
Passion, friendship, true morality and release of repression run through the book. My only niggle is that the desert scenes are over-long, but that's minor.
An absorbing read, thoroughly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 304 reviews