Diamond Ruby

by Joseph Wallace

Seventeen-year-old Ruby Thomas, newly responsible for her two young nieces after a devastating tragedy, is determined to keep her family safe in the vast, swirling world of 1920s New York City. She’s got street smarts, boundless determination, and one unusual skill: the ability to throw a ball as hard as the greatest pitchers in a baseball-mad city.From Coney Island sideshows to the brand-new Yankee Stadium, Diamond Ruby chronicles the extraordinary life and times of a girl who rises from utter poverty to the kind of renown only the Roaring Twenties can bestow. But her fame comes with a price, and Ruby must escape a deadly web of conspiracy and threats from Prohibition rumrunners, the Ku Klux Klan, and the gangster underworld.Diamond Ruby “is the exciting tale of a forgotten piece of baseball’s heritage, a girl who could throw with the best of them. A real page-turner, based closely on a true story” (Kevin Baker, author of Strivers Row).

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Sports, Baseball, New York, Historical, Adult Fiction

464 pages, Paperback

First published May 4, 2010

About the author

I am thrilled to announce that SLAVEMAKERS, the follow-up to my novel INVASIVE SPECIES, will be published by Ace Books on December 1!

Set twenty years after the apocalyptic events of
INVASIVE SPECIES ("You might want to read this one under the bed"--Jack McDevitt), SLAVEMAKERS was a blast to write. I loved being able to use some of the fascinating--not to mention creepy--facts I've learned during my previous career as a writer specializing in science, natural history, and the environment. It's a strange, spooky world out there....

Along with another novel--the historical DIAMOND RUBY--I've contributed mystery/thriller short stories to collections ranging from BRONX NOIR to ICE COLD (edited by Jeffrey Deaver); I was honored when my story "Custom Sets" was selected by Lee Child for inclusion in a BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES anthology.

I hope you'll enjoy!

Reviews

[Stacy Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of my top reads for 2014. It's been a long time since I fell so completely in love with a character. I followed Ruby through tragedy, opportunity, suspense and victory and wished for more when it was finished. This takes place primarily in the twenties and thirties when baseball was THE American sport. Ruby's self-perceived handicap is what will save her family from the harsh life events they encounter. There were thrills and chills, villains aplenty and unlikely heroes. Diamond Ruby was a fast read because I just couldn't put it down. I would also like to give a thumbs up to Joseph Wallace for realizing you don't need profanity to tell a great story. Read this!

[Sonia Reppe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beautiful cover, just OK writing. I picked this up because the main character is a teenage girl, but surprisingly it turns out to be too much of a guys book.

First, I am annoyed by historical fiction that is populated by famous characters; it's just not real to me. In this case it is Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey that have big roles (but plenty other famous people make an appearance too).

Second, I got tired of all the baseball in the second half; it got repetitive and it didn't help me know Ruby or her story. It was like the author just used this character as an excuse to write about Babe Ruth and this time period. I hated the chapter that is about Jack Dempsey's fight with some other boxer.

The worst is that at around page 150 things got over the top and stayed that way. So many bad guys wanted to beat up Ruby--bootleggers, the KKK, gangsters, gamblers...How many bad guys does this story need?! It only needed the one gambler/fixer who was forcing Ruby to lose games in order to win bets--that would have been threat enough.

The author's passion for baseball history came through, but I felt like he was not good at writing a woman character. She was unrealistic, especially when Ruby talked with her (under-developed character) friend, Helen. Women don't talk like that, even back then. I know the author was trying to make Ruby look tough, and show that women can be smart and skilled, but some things were just impossible: like at the beginning when Ruby worked on Coney Island, pitching 300 balls a day on only 5 hours of sleep and not doing anything else? And Ruby, at 17 and 18 years old, never had any romance or love seeking thoughts at all. She was like a robot. She pushed back and defended herself when she needed to but I got no real emotion from her, except that she loooved baseball.

I could be more picky about the writing, but I'm not going to, because the setting was written well and I did enjoy the first 100 pages of this 460-page novel.
Well, if you really love baseball and historical fiction, you would probably like this book.

[Erika Robuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in the twenties in New York City, Diamond Ruby is the story of a young woman thrust into the role of caregiver for her family after the devastating Spanish influenza epidemic. With a combination of fierce love for her nieces, stubbornness, and a baseball pitch as good as any Major League player, Ruby manages to take care of her family, shatter stereotypes, and inspire suffragists by playing in an all male league.

It doesn’t take long, however, for predators from the KKK, to Prohibition rumrunners, to gangsters to figure out how to exploit Ruby’s vulnerability. With the help of her family, her friends, and Babe Ruth himself, however, Ruby becomes a formidable force for more than just the opposing teams.

Diamond Ruby is an excellent period piece. Wallace brilliantly balances history and prose, and connects his readers to the time by involving his characters in the events of historical importance. While I had a surface knowledge of the Spanish influenze epidemic, I had no idea how quickly it destroyed those who caught it. I was fascinated to learn about the beginnings of the Coney Island Boardwalk, disturbed to read about the prevalence of the KKK in New York at the time, and amazed that I’d never realized how vulnerable sports players could be to gambling and illegal activity.

Diamond Ruby is one of the few books where the light at the end of the tunnel is impossible to see and the ending, equally impossible to guess. The suspense and narrative tensions reach full throttle by the last third of the book, and readers will be unable to put it down. I don’t want to reveal anything to you about the ending of Diamond Ruby, but you should know that I laughed, I cried, and I cheered.

Inspired by the true story of Jackie Mitchell–the girl who struck out Babe Ruth–Diamond Ruby is a fine piece of historical fiction by a fine writer. I give this book my highest recommendation.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

To say I'm surprised that I really liked this book, let alone loved it, is an understatement. I'm not a sports fan and I don't know diddly about baseball. But I do love a well-told story, and let me just say that Diamond Ruby is a wonderful story that's very well told indeed!

Ruby Thompson stole my heart--a bright and talented and sympathetic character, she beat the odds on a multitude of levels. Set against the backdrop of 1920s New York, this novel is rich in history, and it is also human and heartfelt and uplifting. I'm particularly fond of stories where triumph rises from the ruins of adversity, and Diamond Ruby is just that. And more. Oh, so much more.

Bravo, Mr. Wallace!

Highly recommended for YA and adult readers alike.

[Ashlee Seelos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diamond Ruby is about an 18 year old girl who can pitch a ball faster than any male Major League pitcher. I thought it would be a silly book, but I got caught up in it very quickly. I was significantly more interested in the story when I found out that the author wrote this book based on a real female pitcher, Jackie Mitchell, who actually struck out Babe Ruth! But this story is about so much more than baseball. Ruby is fighting for her life and the safety of her nieces throughout the entire book. I would highly recommend this book!

[Stephanie | Books_and_Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually enjoyed reading this book more than I thought I would. Joseph Wallace's writing is refreshing and superb. The character building was great and I was completely sucked into the story. I don't read a lot of baseball related books, because to me.....baseball is quite boring. But this book is far from boring and it really shed's a light on not just baseball set in the 1920's, but also about prohibition, and the Ku Klux Klan. Great read!

[lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful book of historic fiction. Would especially be great reading for young girls ((and this 71 year old girl). Moderately uncomplicated plot but with some nice twists and turns and characters that you can almost see on the pages. It takes some real historical figures and twists them into the fictional story of this young girl's life in NYC In the 1920's. The venue is baseball, and although important, it's not the star of this book - Diamond Ruby is and her conquering spirit.

[Krisette Spangler · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great read! You'll fall in love with Ruby Thomas, as you follow her struggles to feed her nieces after the Spanish Influenza takes most of her family. The characters were very well drawn, and the story was fantastic. I couldn't believe this was Mr. Wallace's first fiction novel. Go ahead and pick up your copy today. You won't regret it.

[Melanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

On the cover it says it's comparable to "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" -- that's an insult to Betty Smith. This one has a rail-thin plot and implausible situations. I wouldn't recommend this one. I wanted to like it and just couldn't. Silly stuff.

[Wisteria Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

DIAMOND RUBY[return]Joseph Wallace,Touchstone, 2010, $25.00,pb, 464pp, 978-1-4391-6005-3.[return][return][return]Ruby Thomas, a child of seven catches a fly ball hit by Casey Stengel on April 5, 1913. As she looks at the ball she imagines herself a pitcher. Whether her unusually long arms often a source of ridicule, contribute to her success one will never know. Catching baseball fever that day, Ruby is destined to make a mark on the world. [return][return]Later, using a tree in her backyard as a target, she discovers her athletic gift. A mighty fastball with pin point accuracy. Some years later, when her family dies during the Spanish influenza outbreak, she becomes the sole support for her two nieces. Driven by the need to care for them, she lands a job at a Coney Island sideshow throwing fastballs. The attraction, called the Birdcage, is a challenge to anyone to beat her speed. The abusive owner schedules her long arduous hours with little rest. The pay is low and the work takes a painful physical tole on her throwing arm. One day Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey, curious visitors, show up at the Birdcage to watch Ruby, and the resulting newspaper article rockets her fame. When given the opportunity to pitch for a minor league team, Ruby agrees. [return][return]As her adoring public craves more of Ruby, others of bad intent emerge. The Ku Klux Klan threatens her, the underworld wants to own her, and the baseball commissioner wants to ban her. All Ruby wants is to play ball and shelter her family. [return][return]Wallace has written a dramatically powerful story of determination. Ruby faces difficult choices, she is inspiringly special with an innate ability to endure immense hardships. The character genuine, not sainted, but human facing persistent challenges. Inspired by the life of Jackie Mitchell, Diamond Ruby is a historically uplifting unforgettable journey back to the excitement of the roaring twenties. [return][return] [return]

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is ordinarily *not* the kind of book I'd pick up, but I'm glad I did. I have next to no interest in baseball, which is a big part of the story -- but it's so entertainingly written and so compelling that I really enjoyed it. Not to mention the fact that I ordinarily loathe fiction that incorporates actual historical characters. I take my hat off (or should that be my baseball glove?) to Joseph Wallace. Very nicely done.

[Alexandra Maag · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were lovable and fleshed out beautifully. I found my heart aching at all of Ruby’s misfortunes that just seem to keep going. I adored her wit and intelligence, which were showcased as she protected her family and friends while fighting for what she wanted out of life.

[Faye · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was great! I could have read it in one sitting, had my schedule permitted. I love baseball, I love strong female leads. This book was the perfect combination of history, the powerful feminism of the 1920s, and strong and well developed characters. It is one of my new favorites, what a great library shelf find.

[Caitie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tried with this book, I really wanted to like it but I just can't give it a higher rating. I think I liked the idea of this book better than the book itself. The writing is too flowery, and there's not much in the way of background. We just jump right in, which is fine, but I feel like everything started off too fast. The tragedy that Ruby suffers happens to quickly, I would have liked some more background on her family. Not just "well this family member is dead....and now this one, etc." (her family died from the influenza epidemic of 1918, which is sad, but it happened in the first 50 pages or so, so not much time to even care about these deaths). I realize that this was part of the plot, something to move it forward but it all happens to fast that I don't really care about Ruby's losses because I didn't know enough background.

I could also tell that this was a man writing about a teenage girl and not necessarily doing the best job at it. I did like the historical nature of it though. I like baseball and the 1920s period, but I just couldn't get over the writing style. I liked the inclusion of actual events in New York and of historical figures like Babe Ruth. However, I just find it a little hard to believe that all of things just fell into Ruby's lap just because she could throw a ball. And things did wrap up a little too nicely if you ask me.

[Kellyann Zuzulo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diamond Ruby resonated for me in a way that few books do. Joe Wallace weaves a tale so lush with imagery and emotion that I not only felt I visited New York in the youth of the 20th century, but that I personally met his characters.
Ruby Thomas really is a gem. She's the star of this novel and you'll want to hold her hand as she embarks on a startling and determined path from a childhood that crystallizes her focus on the value in life. I won't give away the details, but from the very beginning, I was rapt to Wallace's telling of the influenza epidemic that swept America and altered Ruby's life. My grandmother had told me stories of this grim time in America, a time that she lived through. Wallace recreates this period with so much dimension, detail, and heart that you would think he lived through it as well.
From there, the book gripped me with the adventure, drama, inspiration, and suspense of Ruby's story. Not just for baseball fans (though Wallace reminds us why even fairweather fans lurch to their feet when a good pitch flies), Diamond Ruby is an unforgettable story of personal tragedy and triumph, of American resilience, grit, and passion. It's a story that celebrates the human spirit.

[Neil Shurley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twitter's a funny thing. I first read about this book on Twitter, in the conversations between other authors and readers. Soon I was following this author (@joe_wallace) and the praise for the book continued. I finally bought it, expecting to read a tale of a gal who played baseball against Babe Ruth. What I got was a book that sucked me into its world. At once thoughtful, informative and entertaining, Diamond Ruby lives in a very real cross section of 1920s America. Filled with great period details, Wallace spins a yarn that ranges from the tragic to the triumphant. Some chapters had me grimacing while others left me with a big stupid grin on my face. One chapter in particular was absolutely exhilarating in pace, detail and service to the character - I was so enmeshed in Ruby's story that I shared her experience on the pitcher's mound. It was, quite simply, the most fun I've had reading a book in a long, long time. Thanks, Twitter, for pointing me to this gem of a novel.

[Elise · Rating 3 out of 5]

I could imagine teaching Diamond Ruby as a great example of historical fiction - pretty much every event I associate with the Roaring Twenties is woven into the story in one way or another. And Ruby, a teenage girl who supports her family by pitching for a minor league Brooklyn team, is a great role model for young female readers. The story is fun and engaging - Ruby becomes friends with Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey; she encounters prohibition rum-runners and the beginnings of the Ku Klux Klan in the north.

However, the strength of Wallace's writing doesn't match the strength of his story. I found his prose to be rather flat. Maybe that's an unfair statement - the book I read right before Diamond Ruby was Nicole Krauss's Great House, which is brimming with effortlessly poetic language. I could see this novel being made into a movie, and I think it would be pretty good. Ruby would be a great post-Hermione role for Emma Watson.

[Susie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for a YA, not good for an A. But if I was still 12, I might have found it engaging. Still, I wasn't a fan of the opening "conflict" of the story, which seemingly served only to give Ruby little and "cute" hangers-on for the rest of the book. Still, Ruby is portrayed to be wise beyond her years with a strong sense of self and morals. She is supposed to set the example, I suppose, for the younger generation.

Revised stars to three - I feel like I was a little harsh on the book because I wasn't its target demographic.

[Melissa Macleod · Rating 3 out of 5]

For some reason, this book felt like something I would read in high school English. All of the elements are there: coming-of-age story, historical US setting, poverty, sexism, racism, prohibition, corruption, mental illness, and more! And lest the boys in the class be turned off by a female protagonist, there's baseball, Babe Ruth, and Jack Dempsey! For me, it was a solid three-star book, arousing neither strongly positive nor negative feelings. It's a nice story, with nice characters, and a nice plot. There's a lot to like, but not a lot to get excited about.

[Mindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of the book I enjoyed more than the second half of the book. The second half was just too long for me. I wouldn't say you have to love baseball to read this book, but you might want to have a some interest in baseball during 1910-1920 era.
Ruby was a tough girl, who did what she had to to take care of what family she had left after the Spanish influeza took out most of them. She used what talent and ingenuity she had to survive in very hard circumstances. She does end up with some friends in high places who help her out in the end.
I would give this 3.5 stars

[Susan Coster · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ruby Thomas is only eight when she catches a fly ball at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn from Casey Stengel which triggers her love of the sport....However, Spanish influenza wipes out her beloved parents and siblings, leaving her to fend for her nieces and herself in hard times. Known as "Monkey Arms", Ruby gets a gig at a Cooney Island side show pitching at unheard of speeds. There, she attracts the attention of Babe Ruth and other players. Howver, Ruby gets caught up in the world of bootleggers and gamblers hoping to make money off her skill set.

[Christine Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruby Thomas is a "diamond". Ruby, at a very young age, was called upon to endure so much in a very difficult era of life. Time and time again Ruby steps up to the "plate" and does what needs to be done to protect herself and the two small girls left in her care to survive. Thank-you Joseph Wallace for such a delightful and exciting book. The story never drags and is full of excitement and history. Diamond Ruby is a must read and one of my all time favorites.

[Kate Durant · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book enough to recommend. It had solid writing and it made it easy to imagine you were right there. It made me want to learn more about Jackie Mitchell; and if the ban that Judge Landis put on women in baseball still exists today. I absolutely hated the ending, It should have there linked back to Jackie with a true strike out w the babe.

[SusanwithaGoodBook · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the unusual story of a girl with unusually long arms who becomes a professional baseball pitcher. How Ruby goes from innocent childhood to the world of men's professional baseball pitching against the likes of Babe Ruth, is a fascinating journey. Unfortunately it gets a little bogged down in angst at times. Still, it's a good read that keeps you interested until the end.

[Colleen Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though farfetched, this is a highly entertaining book and I recommend it as a pleasure read. The review on Goodreads said that it was closely based on a true story. Though loosely based on an actual event the main character is entirely fictional. There are some true historical events that occur in the story. This is covered in the afterward by the author.

[Ellen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really sure why I finished this. Very melodramatic story of a female baseball player, although I don't really consider this a true baseball book. Too many unbelievable twists and details. Don't bother with this one.

[Teresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hated this book

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

very good historical fiction!!!

[Brent · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are two different books mashed together here. Works occasionally.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will always rate a book high that has a character who looks after those younger and misfortuned and who values family. And Ruby is such a shining star example of a woman with not only heart but mind - and discipline, valor, empathy, all wrapped around this basic groundedness and goodness. And a woman who gets past her own handicap to turn it into an asset. She is an inspiration. Grit and determination combined with willingness and smarts. Loyalty to the nth. So much to appreciate and look up to. And yet she can be casual friends with Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey as if she is just drinking water. There are so many pieces of this book to like. Not the least of which is the fascinating historical detail - of which I knew zilch. Whole new side of history for me.

This is one of those rare times when I so thoroughly enjoy a book that I, a die-hard romcom reader, can actually also recommend it to my 92-year-old father. It covers the spectrum and I know he will love it, too. Thank you Joseph Wallace for introducing me to this plucky woman and interesting piece of history. I hope you read this review and it makes you smile.

Oh. A final PS. Read this during the summer of 2020. That Spanish flu pandemic was an interesting comparison! For one thing, world, we don't know how lucky we are!