Ruby River (A Novel)

ISBN: 9780802140395
List Price $13.00 Up to % OFF

FREE Ground Shipping in US

Expect Delivery in 4-10 weekdays

Brand New Books

Lock in your price today! Prices tomorrow are NOT GUARANTEED.
Total for copies: Save
$13.00
List Price
Your Price Per Book
Discount

Found a lower price on another site? Request a Price Match

Minimum Order: 25 copies per title

true
Select QTYQuantity:
Quantity
Price
Discount

Minimum Order $100 / 25 copies per title, no exceptions

Not ready to place your order?

Prices change daily. Order now!

Need A Quote?  Request a quote

$13.00
SKU:
9780802140395
Availability:
227.5
Minimum Purchase:
25 units
Bulk Pricing:
Buy in bulk and save

Minimum Order: 25 copies per title

true

Product Details

Author:
Lynn Pruett
Format:
Paperback
Pages:
288
Publisher:
Grove Atlantic (January 20, 2004)
Language:
English
ISBN-13:
9780802140395
ISBN-10:
0802140394
Weight:
12.48oz
Dimensions:
5.5" x 8.25"
Case Pack:
48
File:
PGW-LEGATO-Metadata_Only_Publishers_Group_West_Customer_Group_Metadata_20250917130144-20250917.xml
Folder:
PGW
As low as:
$7.41
List Price:
$13.00
Publisher Identifier:
P-PER
Discount Code:
C
Audience:
General/trade
Pub Discount:
60
Imprint:
Grove Press

Ordering Details

  • Product Availability: Typically, all books are in stock and ready to ship. If a title becomes unavailable unexpectedly, you will be contacted with 24 business hours.
  • Standard Shipping: FREE Shipping via ground transportation within the continental United States.
  • Estimated Delivery: Most orders deliver within 4-10 business days from order date (excluding weekends and holidays). Orders shipping to Alaska or Hawaii should allow a minimum of 3 weeks for delivery.
  • Rush Shipping: Deliver in 5 business days from order date (excluding weekends, holidays, HI & AK).
  • Important Note: Books ship from various warehouses and may receive multiple cartons to fill the complete order. Do not assume your order is shipping from Portland, OR.
  • Payment Terms: Visa, MC, Amex, PayPal, Purchase Orders and P-Cards can be used to purchase online. Check and wire-transfer payments are available offline through Customer Service



Overview

A sassy and exuberant debut novel, Ruby River chronicles the courage and compromises of a newly widowed mother in a small Southern town in a masterful examination of family, marriage, and community.

Warm, sensuous, and hailed as “a triumph” by The Lexington Herald-Leader, Ruby River drops us into a small town during a blistering Alabama summer where Hattie Bohannon has just opened a truck stop. A magnet for transients of questionable background and inclination, and run by Hattie’s nubile daughters, the truck stop is an uneasy presence in Maridoches, where the population prides itself on their fixed family values and staunch, principled lifestyle. Crackling with the energy and spark of strong, colorful characters whose lives are continually colliding, Ruby River gathers heat and tension until it culminates in a conflagration of ideologies that is as poignant as it is comical, and as heartbreaking as it is hopeful.
A widow whose husband’s ashes have been lost by the Veteran’s Association, Hattie exists in a limbo of unexpressed grief, trying to determine the contours of her self alone. At the same time, she must contend with the burgeoning sexuality of her strong-willed daughters, who are trying to forge their own place within their now fatherless family, and in the community at large. In a season of unrelenting heat, when caterpillar pods have infested all the trees, desire gestates and hovers over Maridoches, threatening the moral equilibrium of the small church town. When Hattie’s oldest daughter, Jessamine, is falsely accused of prostitution, the Reverend conveniently declares war against the immorality of the Bohannons and their establishment, and what ensues is a clash of wills and values that will leave no one unaffected.

Among the quirky residents of Maridoches are Sheriff Dodd, who pursues the ambivalent Hattie’s affections, and then causes strife when his affections find another object in Jessamine; Reverend Peterson, whose magnetic wife—once his brilliant muse—is now the source of his chief frustration; Gert Guerin, a cook at the truck stop who believes it is her calling to save the souls of all those around her.

Lynn Pruett deftly interweaves the struggles of Hattie, her daughters, and the surrounding community to create a tapestry of individuals desperately trying to deny the conflicting urges of flesh and spirit, progress and tradition. And flowing through the narrative, as well as the town of Maridoches itself, is the Ruby River, offering liberation for those seeking relief from the oppressive summer heat and their hawk-eyed neighbors, and inspiring irrational, overwhelming terror in those who despise what cannot be contained by neat boundaries. In the tradition of beloved contemporary writers such as Fannie Flagg and Rebecca Wells, Lynn Pruett’s glorious tale—rich with the earthy wit and flavor of the south—captures the struggle for the very soul of a community suddenly forced to look at itself in a new light.

While major retailers like Amazon may carry Ruby River (A Novel), we specialize in bulk book sales and offer personalized service from our friendly, book-smart team based in Portland, Oregon. We’re proud to offer a Price Match Guarantee and a streamlined ordering experience from people who truly care.

We’re trusted by over 75,000 customers, many of whom return time and again. Want proof? Just check out our 25,000+ customer reviews—real feedback from people who love how we do business.

Prefer to talk to a real person? Our Book Specialists are here Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST and ready to help with your bulk order of Ruby River (A Novel).


Customer Reviews