Ruby's Slippers by Leanna Ellis
published by B&H Publishing Group
Before I begin, I want to say that I am reviewing this book of my own free will. I did not receive an advanced copy of this book, nor have I been solicited to review this book. Its all me....
I picked up Ruby's Slippers because I had read Elvis Takes a Back Seat, by the same author, earlier this year, and found it delightful. I loved the both the characters and the story, even if I was never an Elvis fan.
I absolutely loved Ruby's Slippers! Once again, I felt the characters were rich in character and easy to love. I identified with Dottie at first, being the oldest of two sisters, and feeling like she had the obligation to look after her mother and her younger sister, Abby, in light of her father's mysterious departure when she was four years old. As a teenager and then into adulthood, she feels as if she is standing in her aspiring actress sister's larger-than-life shadow. She remains where she is comfortable, at the family farm in Kansas, even if that is not where she is content, sheltered from the outside world.
She is seriously injured when a tornado rips through her farm, leaving the farm completely destroyed, and only a small box of personal possessions. She awakens after being in a coma for three months and one week with a brain injury that takes time to heal. She learns that her sister has moved her to a rehabilitation facility in California and has put the family farm up for auction. She also discovers a pair of ruby slippers that her father, who she has not seen for thirty years, has left for her while she was in a coma.
While recovering, she meets and befriends Sophia, an older lady with a big heart, as well as an adventurous streak. They embark on a journey to find Dottie's father in Seattle, with few clues to go on.
Dottie meets her long-lost Uncle Tim, and he accompanies them on their journey. Tim offers Dottie a perspective of her family that she never before had. He tells her things about her parents she would have never known...of their youthful dreams and heartaches. The group expands to four when Sophia meets up with her son Leo. Leo has been living in a cabin in the woods, tucked away from society, nursing emotional wounds inflicted by a trusted associate.
The group encounter adventures on the way to Seattle, but are determined not to give up.
Dottie finds herself drawn to the wild but big-hearted Leo, and it seems he is drawn to her as well.
The group finally arrives at their destination: the home of Dottie's father. She is deeply disappointed to be turned away at the gate, being given the request to return only when she has Abby with her.
I am not going to give any more details, but I found the conclusion immensely satisfying. While I found myself wishing Abby would get her comeuppance, I was delighted to see that Dottie had come to terms with the pain and loss of her past, and realized that she had always had the best Father ever, and feeling confident in His love, was able to make a sacrifice that surprised and at first dismayed me. I understood why she made the sacrifice, though, and was able to take away a lesson of my own.
To anyone who reads this review, if anyone at all, please forgive me for rambling. I wanted to capture the feelings and lesson I learned from reading this book. In many ways I am like Dottie, feeling like the plain invisible one in a family that demands to be seen and heard, and seeking comfort hiding from the world. The lesson I took away from this book is this: all of us as human beings are broken and fragile creatures. We will be hurt and disappointed, and we will hurt and disappoint others. Our Heavenly Father will never let us down. Sometimes the lessons we learn will hurt, and our loved ones will never live up to expectations. Our Father calls us to love, and in doing so, we are healed and restored. Also, sometimes family can be the ones who love you and accept you for who you are when your own family does not or can not.
I cannot say enough about this book. I enjoyed it immensely, and I am going on a quest to find Lookin' Back Texas, another of Leanna Ellis' books. I have a feeling I will again be delighted, entertained, and glean another of His nuggets. I love reading fiction that brings me closer to Him!
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