With a sense of expectation and a tinge of dread, Marina Keeve opens up her email inbox and sips at the palliative flat white by her side...
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The Blurb
Everyone knows Ruby Devereaux's books. But no one knows her story... until now.
From a teenager in wartime England to a veteran of modern-day London - via 1950's New York, the Swinging Sixties, Cold War Berlin, Venice and Vietnam - Ruby Devereaux has lived one hell of a life: parties, scandals and conflict zones, meeting men and adventure along the way. In a writing career spanning seven decades and more than twenty books, she's distilled everything into her work. Or has she?
Now beyond her 90th year, Ruby's energy is ebbing and her beloved typewriter put away. Until a call from her publisher presents Ruby with an ultimatum, and the impetus to embark on one last book - "warts and all", as she says. Even in her dotage, Ruby M Devereaux has the power to surprise, because whatever this author does, she does on her own terms. Always.
Is Ruby finally about to reveal the secrets of her infamous life?
Taking the reader on a rollercoaster ride through the latter half of the 20th Century, The Scandalous Life of Ruby Devereaux is a mesmerising story of one unforgettable woman's place in an ever-changing world.
My Review
Ruby Devereaux is an outstanding character and one that I will not easily forget. She has made her name as an author of bestselling books, which she has based around her own life experiences. When at age ninety, she is reluctantly persuaded by her publisher to write her biography she is reluctant to do so but is provided with an assistant, Jude who will type up her words and cook for her.
The writing of this book takes her on a reminiscent journey of the twelve men that she has had relationships with. It is as well that Jude is not easily shocked.
Ms Robotham has done a fantastic job in her creation of Ruby and her world. Ruby has lived a tumultuous, hectic and adventurous life and is an extremely colourful character. She comes vividly to life on the page, and the author wrote in such a way that I felt as though I was in the room listening to Ruby tell her story.
We are taken from London in 1947 by way of Paris, Berlin, Venice, Saigon and Budapest before finishing back in London in 2020. She is a strong and determined woman who largely lives life on her own terms. However, her autobiography is based around the twelve men who she has met, and who have shaped her life without ever changing her character. By her own admission she is a selfish person who will live her life the way she wants to.
It was an interesting journey to accompany Ruby on as the world was a very different place in 1947. We are able to read and observe the way the world changed as we read.
I thought this was a fantastic book, and I enjoyed every word. I can well imagine going back to it to read again at some point, and there are few books that I consider reading for a second time. This will appeal to readers who enjoy literary fiction or books with a strong female lead.
Book Details
ISBN: 978 1035901128
Publisher: Head of Zeus
Formats: e-book, audio, hardback and paperback (currently available on Kindle Unlimited)
No. of Pages: 400 (paperback)
Purchase Links
About the Author
M J Robotham saw herself as an aspiring author from childhood, but was waylaid by journalism, birth, children and life. After twenty years as a midwife and a Creative Writing MA, she is a full-time author, writing historical fiction as Mandy Robotham. She lives in Gloucestershire with her partner.
You can also find her at
(book and media courtesy of Random Things Tours)
(author bio courtesy of the publisher)
(all opinions are my own)
(bookshop.org affiliated)
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