Ruby discussion

Ruby

I just finished this novel horrified, hopeful, ashamed and enlightened. Fictional characters gave light to the horrors of the black life from a small black town in rural Texas to a segment of NYC life from the 40's to 60's. Domestic abuse, child abuse, child trafficking, how to go along to get along, a heavy dose of voodoo and southern Christianity and people who simply look away. Again, and again and again.

Once more, I am struck with how much I don't know about the black experience and how it is my obligation to learn.

Can you tell me how this book effected you?

This book didn't change me. It just validated my beliefs. While I don't know all the horrors that black life has entailed, I am a voracious reader and have read similar before. When I finished the book, I did remind myself of my white privilege.

While I thought the book very well written and a topic of interest to me, I do know I can't recommend it to everyone, while wishing more would read it.

This books was very difficult to read because of all of the abuse and silence. Reading it through a therapeutic lens it allowed me to see how trauma begats trauma. It affects everyone and continues until ?

As a society it's not just black life,
yet I understand that in this book it is projected like that. Lots of cultures have experienced abuse like this but it's silenced, prayed away, shamed and found a way to hide it. Ruby has recieved some pure love. Will this prove healing?