Ruby

by Meg Henderson

Ruby Maclean's family live respectably in a close-knit community in Glasgow. With their fair share of trouble and laughter, the Macleans, unknowingly are in crisis As the Second World War looms, Ruby, at seventeen, falls pregnant and marries Gerry Reilly, a drinker. When Gerry goes to war, Ruby must cope alone. And when Sarah, her mother dies, a series of events almost tears the family apart. Then, after Gerry's return from the war - their marriage ended by drink - Ruby builds a new life for herself and her daughter. Many years later, living by the sea, Ruby discovers, by chance, the many secrets in her family. But the final pieces in her family jigsaw, are a shocking realisation of its deceptions and lies...

405 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

*note - Born in 1948 however the date/month on my part is unknown and unable to find*

Journalist and author Meg Henderson was born in Townhead, Glasgow. The youngest of three children (2 brothers). Her parents an Irish Catholic father and her mother an Irish/Scottish Protestant.

Meg Henderson lived in several parts of the city including Blackhill, Drumchapel, and Maryhill. After the death of her beloved aunt Peggy; Meg Henderson left her convent secondary school at the age of sixteen to care for her family, an alcoholic father and a mother who was unable to cope with the loss of her sister. On which her first novel 'Finding Peggy' was born out of research into her family history.

First working within the NHS and then travelling to India with the Voluntary Service Overseas. On her return to Scotland she married and went to live on a Scottish island and became an adoptive and foster parent while writing the occasional newspaper article. When Meg Henderson gave up fostering she decided to write full-time.

Henderson now lives with her husband on the East Coast of Scotland works as both a journalist and an author, writting for newspapers, magazines, and television documentaries for the BBC and C4.

Henderson's novels are generally set in pre-war and wartime Glasgow.

Reviews

[Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic read and author,so very sad that she has now passed away,read all of her books,so very sad but also uplifting

[Bambola]

Sorry, just couldn't get interested enough to care about these characters or what happened to them.

[Petrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good mix of comedy/tradegy set in pre-war Townhead in Glasgow.

[Janetbain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favourite Meg Henderson book but I do like reading about places I know and I did learn a little social history so I did enjoy this book.

[Grizzly Lumberjacks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book for its evocation of Glasgow in the 30's and 40's. Again I would have rated it a 3 and a half rather than four stars otherwise.