A Town Called Ruby Prairie

Ruby Prairie #1

by Annette Smith

Book by Annette Smith

Genres: Fiction, Christian Fiction, Adult Fiction

302 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Roxy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed A Town Called Ruby Prairie. It was a lovely book.

I love what Charlotte has planned for Tanglewood and the opening chapter with the cat – visa is a great name. It paints a vivid picture of small town America filled with colourful characters and busybodies. Truly captures the essence of life in a small town with the omnipresent rumour mill that is permanently set on overdrive - gossip galore.

I must say that Jock is an awful name for a Pastor though. I also feel that Charlotte has it all a little too easy. Although I understand how a small town can band together and support one another in times of need, i would have expected it to be a bit less forthcoming in this situation. Newcomers to a town like Ruby Prairie are usually looked upon with suspicion and curiosity well before being welcomed into the arms of the entire community. There was really only one person who was distrustful of Tanglewood and he wasn’t very vocal about it and quickly changed his outlook.

I also think it was all so uncomplicated with the girls too. Twins taken from their sick mother just happy as pie – no tears or tantrums or “I want my mamma”. The teenagers were so compliant and eager to please. The only drama was with Beth and that was short-lived. With teenagers I would expect some acting-out, angst ridden sulky temperaments, a sense of rebellion even, but all seemed so peachy and simple. I really enjoyed where the story was going but felt like it ended before it should’ve. Did anything happen between Charlotte & Jock? Did any of the girls get to go home again? - they were supposed to be short term placements. I would have liked a bit more of the story.

As per the T+C I must state that I received a copy of A Town Called Ruby Prairie as part of a Goodreads First Reads Giveaway.

[Connie G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charlotte Carter, recently widowed, decided to open a home for foster children. She searched for the perfect town and decided on Ruby Prairie, a small old-fashioned Texas town whose residents all know everybody's bussiness. She becomes a member of the Lighted Way Church led by Pastor Jock Masters. The town and church members all come together to help Charlotte when one of the six troubled girls runs away.

This is a sweet story that kept my interest because I especially enjoyed reading about the six children. But I felt that the foster children would have had a harder time adjusting emotionally than they did. Only one of the six girls caused a problem.

The helpful neighbors were wonderful, but almost too good to be true. The likable Pastor Jock rallies them with the message that God works through other people to help the ones who cannot do it all alone. The book is published by a Christian publishing company so perhaps the point of the book is to show the reader how people should treat each other.

I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway. I would recommend it to someone who liked Christian fiction, or a cozy read about an idealized small town.

[Marlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Newly widowed and without children, after a 20 year marriage Charlotte decided to use her resources to move to a quiet little town and open a home for trouble girls. she was fiercely independent and thought she could handle everything by herself but soon discovered with a handful of needy girls her perfect plans were going awry. She was soon to learn that no man is an island and the community came through to help her with her day to day crisis and she had no choice but to graciously accept.

An easy read

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. I am a fan of the Mitford and Blessing series and found the Ruby Prairie series to be very similar. After finishing this book, I immediately began reading Book 2.

Enjoy the small town characters and atmosphere. Sorry that this is only a trilogy. Will search for other series that are similar. Very impressed with the caring attitudes of the citizens.

[Dorry Lou · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book. It was different from most I read but the story was good and shows how a small town can come together to help one another out. When Charlotte moved to Ruby Prairie buying a large house to put up needy girls she thought she could handle everything herself. She had a lot to learn and was happy for them to become involved when things didn't go so good.

[Cathy Bickerstaff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlotte Carter, newly widowed, childless, and with a small inheritance, decides to move to Ruby Prairie and buy a home so she can foster troubled girls. She has apparently never lived in a small town, and when she is in need of help, is overwhelmed.
She's learning her way in mothering a collection of girls, adjusting to small town life, and accepting assistance.
A very good book.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick and quintessential, it would be nice if the real world was really like Ruby Prairie. I found this series on the "inspirational" shelf at my library. I look there when I get tired of the
super-sensational that tends to dominate current trends

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warm. Friendly. Hopeful. Not fluff or a mindless read, but not unnecessarily complicated.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am happy this is a trilogy because I want to read more about Charlotte and the others.

[Eva · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of a sappy little story. I don't think I will be reading the rest of the Ruby Prairie books.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a wonderful book! Many times I found myself feeling emotional while reading. Love it!

[Virginia Myers · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a sweet story. It reminds me of a Touched by an Angel script.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can’t get enough of Annette Smith’s warm, southern writing. Funny and touching and hard to put down. Looking forward to book two!

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ik heb net het eerste deel van Ruby Prairie uit.
De verhaallijn is leuk en daarmee was het opzich een leuk boek om te lezen.
Alleen had er wat mij betreft eerder wat spanning in mogen komen.
Daarnaast zijn er een paar fouten gemaakt tijdens het vertalen van dit boek in het Engels naar het Nederlands. Kleine fouten zoals het vergeten van een punt aan het einde van de zin, of het vergeten van een aanhalingsteken als iemand iets zegt. Geen grove fouten, maar voor de lezer wel vervelend.

Opzich dus een leuk boek om te lezen, maar voor mij helaas niet het beste.

[Glenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a pleasure to read "A Town Called Ruby Prairie", A little Texas community that is the perfect place to live and raise a family, not saying that this is a place without problems but a place you’re thankful to be a part of. Neighbors watch out for each other, help each other and join each other at church or community gatherings. Pastor Jock Masters of Lighted Way Church, aka: Pastor Jock is a single pastor and his congregation is always looking for a match for him and Ruby Prairie has a new resident Charlotte Carter, recent widow purchased and moved it into Tanglewood one of the largest homes in Ruby Prairie.

Charlotte never having children moved to Ruby Prairie with a vision, one to help children. She purchased Tanglewood to house six young girls for whatever reason did not have a home and were in foster care system. She wanted to make a difference in their lives to give them hope, and more importantly love.

This is a delightful story well written with delightful characters. If you read Jan Karon's Mitford series and enjoyed it you will love this southern community. I enjoyed this book enough to order Annette Smith's "A New Day in Tanglewood" and "Charlotte Leaves a Light On". One can only hope the author will decide to continue this book series.

I will be looking forward to receiving my new Annette Smith books, and if the first book is any indication I will enjoy this series as much if not more than I did the Mitford series.

Thanks Goodreads!

[Geri · Rating 1 out of 5]

Newly widowed and never having had children what does Charlotte decided to do with her inheritance money?
Why open a home for troubled girls of course.
Charlotte annoyed me through this whole book.
I kept reading thinking the stupid had to end soon.
It never did.
And the description sounded so good too.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a town called Ruby Prairie, even the best of intentions can go terribly wrong. Recently widowed, Charlotte Carter wants to open a home in Tanglewood for needy girls. She is determined to do it all on her own, without the help of the church or the townspeople. She quickly discovers how wrong she is, and how challenging it is to care for six girls on her own.

The townspeople in Ruby Prairie, Texas, are excited about Charlotte's home for girls. One or two hold back, but the majority vote that she's doing a good thing. For the most part, Charlotte seems to doing just fine on her own with six adolescent girls in her pink Tanglewood home. But then chaos ensues, and everything starts to fall apart. Will Charlotte accept the help she so desperately needs - or will she loose the girls she's waited a lifetime to help?

This book introduced me to a very charming little town called Ruby Prairie, and I loved every second of the journey. I have had the Coming Home to Ruby Prairie for 4 years, and have never been brave enough to crack them open. What a surprise I was in for. And how regrettable that I have not discovered them till now. This book was a path into another world, with characters as big as life. This authors' look into Ruby Prairie will enchant, surprise, and put you on the edge of your seat for the rest of the story.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Amidst the unrealistic sugary proselytizing parts of the book there were some parts that I enjoyed. Beth's character was intruguing. However, I just couldn't get past the fact that whenever the story began to feel real, these bizarre selfless people, who make up an entire town of selfless people, would come and save the day. From my experience of Christians, they're just normal people, not mini-saints. It also grated that whenever anything positive happened it was God's doing but when things went wrong they looked to God to help them rather than acknowledging that a God who would personally save a particular child must also be personally making your car battery die.

[Sabrina Laitinen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a delightful story about a young widow, Charlotte, who moves to a town called Ruby Prairie and purchases a large older estate and turns it into a group home for troubled young girls. She quickly takes in 6 girls in need, which is as many as she is able to accomodate in the home. The reader is drawn into the daily life and gets to know the key people in this close knit community. One of the girls runs away, and it is from this we can learn a strong message of what love, kindness and forgiveness means. It really is a "feel good" story that can be easily devoured in a relatively short time.

[Summer Reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book about community and love, our need to care for one another, the joy we can find in doing so, and the relief that comes from accepting the help we need.

Charlotte is a strong, independent woman. She doesn't need anyone and intends to raise six foster girls on her own. But the small town she chose for this venture refuses to NOT be the helpful and supportive community they've always been. They step up behind the scenes and in person to make sure Charlotte and her girls are taken care of, especially when Charlotte finally admitted she can't do it all herself.

Full of fun, quirky characters and heartwarming moments, Ruby Prairie is a town I'd love to be a part of.

[Janelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review appears on my blog: https://confessionsofabookwormweb.wor...

A Town Called Ruby Prarie was an okay read. The plot was good, but the writing style was choppy and jumped from character to character quite abruptly. I did enjoyed getting to know everyone, however I don't know if it is enough for me to keep reading the rest of the series. While it does a good job covering topics such as prejudice and belonging, there were also certain moment that seemed to be a little bit too melodramatic. 3/5 Stars

[Marcie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in Smith's Ruby Prairie series about a woman who opens a group foster home for girls. As the description suggests, it reminded me a lot of the Mitford books, but wasn't quite as well-written. Everything seemed a little too good to be true - the foster girls were too well-adjusted, the townspeople were too friendly, things seemed to fall in place too easily for the main character. All in all, though, it was a nice book.

[Rev. Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful read...sort of reminded me of the Mitford Series with its sweetness. A recently widowed woman uses her inheritance to open a home for girls who need a place to stay while their family's work out "issues". The characters in this novel made me smile so many times with their examples of humanness (not always good!), but also, their Christian spirits of charity. Set in a fictional Texas own, there are two more in this series, "Coming Home to Ruby Prairie", that I intend to track down.

[Lynnda Ell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Town Called Ruby Prarie is a delightful book. The back cover copy calls it a place where Mitford meets Mayberry. I can't describe it any better than that. It has the warmth and foibles of any small town in the south - with Texas accent. I lived for several years in a town much like it, so it feels a little like going home.

[Carrie Baird · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book. It took me inside of the life of a widowed woman who dedicated her life to helping at-risk girls after the death of her husband. She moved to a 'new to her' small town, and found that sometimes now matter how independent we are sometimes we all need some help, and that helping not only helps the recipient, but also the giver of help.

[Diane Sugars · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot. It had a nice storyline, likeable characters, and it was just a good happy ending story where everything was tied up nicely at the end. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

i just couldn't get into this book. it was just ok for me

[Sherrill · Rating 2 out of 5]

not very moving, rather boring, don't know if any town would be that way. Doubt if I would read any more of hers

[Dee · Rating 2 out of 5]

An Independent widow opens a girls' home in a small quaint town. This was recommended to me. I give it a B+.

[Karen Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice, sweet easy to read novel. Mayberry meets Mitford.