Awhile back, when I was tired of reading really depressing books and looking for something a bit more uplifting TW suggested Diamond Ruby. When I asked if anyone died or was raped or was emotionally abused, she said, “Well there was this one part … and then another thing…” and so I skipped it. I just wasn’t in the mood.
Well now it’s almost time for Diamond Ruby to go back to the library so I figured I’d give it a shot. And the first 75 pages or so are the most depressing pages ever. OK I’m exaggerating but people die of Spanish Influenza (a pretty horrible death at any time but in the early 1900s… oy) and then there’s a munition factory explosion and then there’s the train wreck and then there’s a 13 year old girl trying to feed her very young nieces and doing whatever it takes (almost) to do that.
DEPRESSING.
Even when Ruby’s luck changed a wee bit, there was a non-stop struggle. Sprinkled with visits by Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey. There’s also a whole lot of non-famous supporting characters and the evil Czar of baseball. And the mob. And… yea, bad things just keep on happening but Ruby survives it all and keeps her family (and her friends) alive.
This was a pretty damn good baseball story. Girls can too throw a baseball.