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A review by cakt1991
A Virtuous Ruby by Piper Huguley
5.0
A recent essay piqued my interest in A Virtuous Ruby by Piper Huguley, an author I had read been introduced to in an anthology and long desired to read more from. And if this book is an indicator of her body of work, I am eager to read more.
In an opening note to the book, Huguley notes that she was inspired by Tess of D’Urbervilles, inspiring a more optimistic end for its tragic heroine. And she certainly does so with Ruby, a survivor of sexual assault with an illegitimate child. I admired how firm she was in her convictions about her identity, when some black and mixed-race people who could do so elected to pass for white and escape persecution.
Meanwhile, Adam is one such person who has chosen to do this, although Ruby isn’t fooled. I love how she encourages him to acknowledge his history, and how it poignantly depicts his struggle between deciding between the privilege he would receive from passing and fully embracing his identity as a black man and the hardships he and his ancestors faced.
This is an utterly beautiful story, both historically rich and incredibly relevant, and one I recommend to every romance reader.
In an opening note to the book, Huguley notes that she was inspired by Tess of D’Urbervilles, inspiring a more optimistic end for its tragic heroine. And she certainly does so with Ruby, a survivor of sexual assault with an illegitimate child. I admired how firm she was in her convictions about her identity, when some black and mixed-race people who could do so elected to pass for white and escape persecution.
Meanwhile, Adam is one such person who has chosen to do this, although Ruby isn’t fooled. I love how she encourages him to acknowledge his history, and how it poignantly depicts his struggle between deciding between the privilege he would receive from passing and fully embracing his identity as a black man and the hardships he and his ancestors faced.
This is an utterly beautiful story, both historically rich and incredibly relevant, and one I recommend to every romance reader.