Ruth Appleby

by Elvi Rhodes, Anne Dover (Read by)

An emotional and moving epic saga of determination and drive by multi-million copy seller Elvi Rhodes, perfect for fans of Rosie Goodwin, Dilly Court and Catherine Cookson.

READERS ARE LOVING RUTH APPLEBY !
"One of the books that a person can read countless times and still enjoy every page. It's magical..." - 5 STARS.
"Got totally lost in the pages." - 5 STARS.
"Another brilliant book by this author based in Yorkshire again. Family saga at its best. Will definitely read more by this author" - 5 STARS

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PASSIONATE, AMBITIOUS, BRAVE - A WOMAN LIKE NO OTHER.

Life for Ruth Appleby has never been easy - burying her mother at 12; a meagre existence as the daughter of a Victorian millhand; hard work as a glorified mother and housekeeper at home.

Longing to escape the bleak Yorkshire moors and desperate for adventure, she seizes the opportunity to venture on her own to America - a land on the brink of Civil War - to build the life she wants for herself.

Can she rise to the challenges America throws at her and find the life and love she has always desired?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

Audio Cassette

First published January 1, 1987

Reviews

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

When she was just twelve years old, Ruth Appleby stood by her mother's grave on a bleak Yorkshire Moors. Now she is mother and housekeeper to the little family left behind. But a longing to venture out into a new world of independence and adventure grew. So when the chance came, she seized it. America, on the brink of Civil War, was to offer a challenge thst Ruth was ready to accept.

This book is filled with wonderful characters. There's some good Historical facts and dates. This is a beautiful, descriptive and lengthy read. There's over 650 pages. It's told from multiple points of view. I was pulled into this story after reading a couple of pages and it held my attention throughout.

I would ike to thank #NetGalley, #RandonHouseUK #TransworldPublishers and the author #ElviRhodes for my ARC #RuthAppleby in exchange for an honest revieew.

[Geoffery Crescent · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly enjoyable slice of american Civil War melodrama. Ruth Appleby has likable characters, an engaging plot and descriptive setting, from the wild Yorkshire moors to the heart of a burgeoning New York. My only quibble was that the author occasionally stepped outside the fiction to tell the reader little historical factoids, like, 'white dresses weren't the fashion until several decades later,' in the middle of one character's wedding or, 'of course, this battle would be lost by the rebels in 1964.' It's an odd move in such an immersive story. Plus, protagonist Ruth should really have ended up marrying the lovely Professor Priestly instead of rich banker Joss Barnet because a) university professors are better than bankers and b) Joss spent half the novel being a terrible cock to Ruth and using her just for sex. Plus Priestly only ever got to confess his love for Ruth to his mother whilst on his death bed and it was TOO SAD and I can't actually take how melodramatic this novel is. It's wonderful.

[Sue Burton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I read this book many years ago and had forgotten how good it was. Great storyline and great characters, thoroughly enjoyed it. This author never fails to impress me.

[C Hadfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful story.

I have absolutely loved this book. The characters are strong and the social history is amazing. I also enjoyed reading about the civil war from the Northern perspective against another of my favourite books Gone with the Wind.

[Tracy McAvoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fab read

I first read this book many years ago and reading it a second time it hasn't disappointed. Got totally lost in the pages.

[Linda Searle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

From the first page you are hooked. Wonderful characters in particular Ruth. Who is totally dedicated to her family. Read this in two days

[Victoria Smart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting narrative arc and characters but let down by multiple and inconsistent Points Of View

[Marina · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://www.marinamaxwellauthor.com/b...

Most of my reading these days tends to be of new or other fairly recently published novels or other non-fiction. Browsing my TBR (to be read) pile over the Christmas holidays, I spotted a book that had been sitting there gathering dust - a random purchase from a second-hand source.

Its cover has all the hallmarks of what is sometimes disparagingly referred to as "clogs and shawl" romantic fiction and popular around the 1970s-1980s heyday of authors like Catherine Cookson, who wrote about the gritty industrial North of England in the Victorian or Edwardian age, hence the heroines invariably wore clogs and shawls.

With a whopping 686 small-print pages and a plot that edges towards "Gone with the Wind" territory (the American Civil War) this is an epic, but I was soon utterly immersed in the novel as it was so easy to read.

I didn't have to struggle with time period changes, dual or multiple narrative strands, and irritating switches in tenses that are the hallmarks of so much recent fiction. Refreshingly written, it manages to be historically accurate without swamping you with academic research. There is no artifice or authorly superiority on display here, and it made me wonder why reading has become so complicated and why the chronological saga written purely to entertain and engage the reader has fallen out of favour. Sure, this edition was cheaply produced and there are a few typos or editing errors, clunky phrases, and odd switches in point of view that the fussy perfectionist reader might have issues with, but they don't matter when the story itself is so robust and moves at an absorbing pace.

I won't detail the plot here as there is just so much going on but, in a nutshell, Ruth Appleby is a working class lass from Yorkshire with a complicated love life who ends up running a boarding house in New York and suffers loss and heartache along with the way. She is feisty and opinionated, impulsive, yet loyal. All these attributes make her likeable and occasionally annoying, yet she feels real enough to retain your interest throughout. The secondary characters likewise. The men in her life have their faults but also positive attributes. Her long-suffering husband Sean is a particularly well-drawn character, as is her flighty sister, Maria. Their behaviour and attitudes all fit the period in which they lived and that suits me just fine.

Four plus stars.

[Ruth Appleby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book. I was bought a copy when I was 5 at a boot sail. I couldn't read it till I was about 12 that 8 could understand much of it. I'm so glad I liked the book because it would have been awful if I hated it lol.

[Cari Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this book over 20 years ago as a teenager and remembered loving it. Having read it again I’m so glad I did because it is a wonderful story. I couldn’t remember too much of the plot, so it was a bit like reading it first time. Love it!

[Samantha Dempsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very rarely read a book twice, however, Ruth Appleby is as excellent the second time around as my first reading, even though the first time I read it was 20 years ago. I would recommend this book every time

[LeezaW · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an awe-inspiring story of the most courageous woman.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its well written but with SO many elements unresolved or just not addressed, Im surprised not to find a book two

[Kay Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read most of the author's yorkshire dale saga's really good reads.