Product Description

Ruby McQueen, despite her showgirl name, is the quiet one at high school. So why does she find the dangerous Travis Becker so attractive? He's arrogant, he lies and he steals, and when he asks Ruby to help him steal from her mom's best friend she realizes things have got way out of control. The fallout's pretty nasty, and Ruby's mom thinks it'll help her to hang out with her book group for a while. Ruby's more than surprised to find it a hot-bed of humour, fun and passionate age-old love affairs - culminating in a daring rescue and high-speed road trip to California... An absorbing, engaging and surprising novel from one of the best writers in the US.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #677758 in Books
• Published on: 2005-07-15
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

Review
Tender and poetic, Caletti's tale of the multifaceted effects of the many kinds of love tells the story of Ruby, who, in an effort to break out of her quiet-girl persona, begins dating an exciting but amoral rich boy. To bring Ruby back into the fold, her divorced librarian mother gets her involved in a reading group for the aged. One of the members of the book club, an elderly woman recently debilitated by a stroke, turns out to be the real-life love of an author whose book they are studying. In the least inspired part of the tale, the crowd decides to kidnap the incapacitated lady from her controlling daughters and bring the lovers together. Caletti has the gift of voice and tells her story with humor, insight, and compassion. Listen to Ruby musing on the delicate balance of kindness and truth between mother and daughter. "We cared too much for each other to have between us the recklessness of complete honesty." Lovely. (Fiction. 12+) (Kirkus Reviews)

Synopsis
Ruby McQueen, despite her showgirl name, is the quiet one at high school. So why does she find the dangerous Travis Becker so attractive? He's arrogant, he lies and he steals, and when he asks Ruby to help him steal from her mom's best friend she realizes things have got way out of control. The fallout's pretty nasty, and Ruby's mom thinks it'll help her to hang out with her book group for a while. Ruby's more than surprised to find it a hot-bed of humour, fun and passionate age-old love affairs - culminating in a daring rescue and high-speed road trip to California. An absorbing, engaging and surprising novel from one of the best writers in the US.