I must admit, I’m embarrassingly late to jump on the Rosie Thomas train. I consider myself an avid reader, yet I hadn’t even heard of this author until I was handed a free copy of her novel at Book Expo Canada this past June. Much to my surprise, Iris and Ruby is Thomas’ eighteenth book published in a career spanning 27 years. Although it was handed to me on the fly, I only had to read the first page to get completely enveloped and committed to this heartwarming story.

Iris is an 82-year-old woman, independent and strong-willed, desperately clinging to the memories of her long departed true love and Ruby is her equally headstrong estranged teenaged granddaughter who shows up unexpectantly on her doorstop in Cairo, Egypt, one hot summer morning. The obvious disruption quickly becomes endearing as Ruby offers to listen to Iris’ life story in an effort to preserve the memories that are fading away daily with age. We hear romantic and turbulent tales of Cairo during the Second World War contrasted with Ruby’s adventures coming of age in the present day. The reader is privy to the intimate narratives of three generations of women and the bonds that are formed as their stories of life, love, loss are revealed.

This was a great summer read and had me enthralled until the last word. I was pleasantly surprised by the unique and expertly interwoven narrative and depth of the characters. It is the perfect mix of romantic and realistic, bitter and sweet, travel and home, young and aged, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys such a blend in their reading. Although I am late to jump on the Rosie Thomas train, luckily with books you can never miss the train, and I am very excited for her newest novel being published this fall, entitled Constance, as well as delving into her extensive backlist of bestsellers.

Posted on July 25th, 2007 by Erin McIntosh
Filed under: literary fiction