Ruth's Redemption by Marlene Banks

Bo Peace is a freed black living in 1830 Virginia.  He is an educated and Godly man who uses his standing and means to purchase slaves in order to free them.  God leads him to choose Ruth, a breeding slave with a strong will who would face more unbearable abuse by her master if not for Bo.  Bo walks her through the transition into freedom and in the process realizes he has moved past his wife’s death and is now falling in love with Ruth.  He not only teaches her how to speak properly, read, and let go of her dark past but also how to love and be loved.  Things would have progressed smoothly if not for nearby slave catchers who begin to terrorize the town.  At this time a slave preacher named Nat Turner was traveling around the area riling up anyone he could to a revolution that would require killing and dying for the cause of freeing slaves.  Bo has a hard time seeing this is as God’s way and is ostracized by some of his own friends for his stand.  What will become of Bo, Ruth, their community, and way of life if and when the dust settles?

 The book is beautifully written, giving deep insight into the characters and the world around them.  It’s not an action packed book, but has enough emotion and history to fully satisfy the reader.  It’s a hopeful book, without dismissing the truth and misery.  I highly recommend this book to those who love historical fiction, and stories about hope, growth, and love.

On a side note, I understand this is an ARC and not the final edition but the book needs some major editing!  The further I got into the book the worse the errors got.  Some almost got in the way of the story:  the way certain characters spoke changed from one sentence to the next; missing words/misspelled words; a character’s name had 3 different spellings within one page.  Those were just the main things that made me pause during my reading.  Otherwise a fantastic book.

4 stars