Ruby King and her mother, Alice, are faithful members of the local church so the shock of Alice’s murder not only rocked the residents in southside Chicago but the members of Calvary Hope Church as well. Alice’s husband, Lebanon owns a bakery and is known to be mean and abusive towards Alice. Everyone sees the bruises and welts she tries to cover up. Although Ruby is twenty-four years old and works as a law clerk, she still lived at home with her parents, experiencing and attempting to hide the horrifying secrets that dwell within.
Lebanon King gets his anger and abusive ways from his upbringing. He was raised by a mother who didn’t love him and took every opportunity to let him know. His anger led him to kill a man where he served time in prison. It comes as a surprise that Pastor Jackson Potter is one of Lebanon’s closest friends. The bond of their friendship is based on the sins and secrets of their mother’s pasts. Jackson’s daughter, Layla is Ruby’s best friend, and she knows the potential fate of Ruby’s future if she remains in the home with Lebanon. Despite Layla’s father telling her not to get involved with Ruby after her mother’s death, she remains devoted to Ruby and saving her from a bad situation.
For this to be West’s debut novel, it was very mesmerizing. It is written from different points of view (everyone’s except for Ruby’s interestingly), but the most remarkable point of view was Calvary Hope’s. That is when the layers of the story fit into Lebanon’s, Jackson’s, Alice’s and eventually Ruby’s. I initially rated the book 3.5 out of 4 stars but later changed it to a solid 4 star read. SAVING RUBY KING is about generational trauma, closely held secrets and the impact it can have on a person, a community. A complex and gripping mystery!
Reviewed by Paula Allen
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