August Sitwell is a servant for a no-longer-so-well-to-do white family in the early 1900s. He takes pride in his job and wants to do right by his employers while also trying his best to protect the others who work in the house, including the cook Mamie, housemaid Jenny and three orphan boys who are kitchen apprentices.

When Sitwell needs cash to help one of the kitchen boys, he sells a sauce he created to a businessman along with the use of his likeness to sell it, becoming "The Rib King." Sitwell's choice leads to tragedy and his path forward veers in a violent direction.

There are a lot of layers to get through before the sauce storyline comes into play (I wondered about the title for chapters) and midway through, the focus abruptly shifts from Sitwell's story to Jenny's. (I enjoyed the narration in Sitwell's section much more than in Jenny's.) While I found the overall concept compelling, it was hard to keep track of all of the characters and storylines. There was potential to explore issues like cultural appropriation, racism and sexism, but I think the novel got bogged down trying to do too much.

Thanks NetGalley and HarperAudio for a copy to review.

This book is creepy meets worst nightmare. It was similar to The Shadows. The only drawback is it could have been shorter for me. Thank you for this book.

This book was not at all what I expected. I’ve been reading a lot of historical fiction from African American perspectives but this was a truly unique story. It centers on Mr. Sitwell, a groundskeeper for a wealthy white family who over the course of the first half of the novel, rediscovers some unsettling memories from his past that lead to some unsettling repercussions.

I enjoyed the structure of the novel. It’s split between two sides of the story. Even so, I did feel like it left some key questions unanswered. I found myself unable to unplug from the story, wanting to find out where the characters would end up. I’ve seen some reviews compare it to the Academy Award winning film Parasite and I do see some interesting parallels that could make for a great book club discussion. Honestly, I could see a lot of ways this book would make a great book club choice. I’ll be thinking about this one for awhile…

Thank you to the publisher for providing me an early copy of this audiobook in return for my honest feedback.

Recommended for: Anyone wanting a new take on historical racial injustice and its intersection with capitalism. Anyone interested in considering the role our biological and chosen families play in our lives and what we owe each other.

I received an advanced copy of this audiobook from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. I adored August Sitwell's and Miss Mamie's characters. The pacing of this book is great. The narrators did a fantastic job reading this book. This book will keep your attention from the first minute of listening. This audiobook will be in stores on January 19, for A$32.72 (AUD). I highly recommend listening to this book to anyone and everyone.

An entertaining novel that switches between the male (August Sitwell) and female (Jenny) perspective.

I can see why this is compared to Parasite: This book builds a solid, slow foundation. It manages to finish with a flourish, reminding us of the tangled web of consequences that can emerge from a seed of (understandable) frustration. You don’t really get a tense feeling beyond one or two scenes in Mr. Sitwell’s section and the final scenes of Jenny’s section.

I listened to the audiobook version. While I preferred the male narrator’s voice, I preferred the female perspective more. Imagine having to live in a time and place where you need to be *married* to legitimize yourself. I can’t imagine how my female ancestors handled that.

The structure reminded me of Fates and Furies a bit, in that I wanted even more character development on both sides. The snippet we readers are privy to is compelling and fits with the story. (I just happen to like more background!)

I actually didn’t realize this book was two viewpoints until nearly midway through. There’s a dip/lull before the climax of Mr. Sitwell’s section; it makes sense, given the split narrative. All in all, a good read.

This story didn’t grab me as much as I hoped it would unfortunately. Hubbard’s writing is great but the story itself was a bit boring for my taste.

This turn of the century story of African American servants in the home of a well-to-do but down-on-their-luck white people is both hilarious and at the same time tragic.

Gosh, I really wanted to love “The Rib King.” Ladee Hubbard’s book has received a ton of great press and it’s on many lists for “anticipated reads of 2021.” So maybe my expectations were too high?

I was very much interested in the topics of the book (e.g., race, class, privilege, exploitation), but the storyline fell flat for me. For me, the plot was a bit bland and slow moving. And the narrators of audiobook didn’t pull me in. So much so that I had to stop the recording several times, go back, see if I missed anything and then start over.

I never got invested in the characters or their journeys. (August Sitwell who worked for Mr. Barclay; Miss Mamie who was the family’s cook and forced to sell her rib sauce to help pay debts). By the end, I was skipping through and listening at the highest speed to just make it to the end. I'm always bummed when that happens.

Special thanks to Harper Audio, via NetGalley, for an advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley & Harper for providing a digital audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This book is odd, but very good. I'd heard of Ladee Hubbard, but I didn't expect this story to be as entertaining and richly layered as it turned out to be. It follows the crossing paths of the servants, Mr. Sitwell, Jennie, Mamie, and three orphaned boys who do odd jobs. The story is separated into two parts, Before and After. In the before, we concentrate on Mr. Sitwell, who has been a groundskeeper for decades at Barclay House, and who started off as an orphaned servant boy himself. Because of this, Sitwell feels a certain way about the 3 boys who work in Barclay House, and rescues them from several scrapes, each illustrating deftly how difficult, dangerous, and fraught it is to simple be a Black boy in America at this time (or now, for that matter - the parallel is clear). Sitwell is troubled by his own past in Florida, itself fraught and dangerous, as his small town was burned to the ground after an incident over the sale of a mule between a Black man and a white man that went sour. Sitwell is such a relatable human being, so full of empathy for the boys, that what he puts into action later is difficult to countenance, but it all happens after a very complicated and seemingly fateful set of events that culminates in Sitwell making a deal to sell a barbecue sauce recipe to the business associate of his boss, Mr. Barclay, who has been trying to make deals to stave off what seems to be inevitable bankruptcy.

The After portion of the book deals with Jennie, years later, and how she must scrape and make arrangements in order to get her haircare business off the ground - it's a frustrating study of what it is to be a Black woman in the early 20th century. Jennie is raising her daughter Cutie Pie, to womanhood and trying to give her the things she never had as a girl. Events are set into motion by Sitwell, now known as the Rib King, coming to town to do a cooking demonstration. With the sale of the sauce recipe, Sitwell has become a cultural touchstone, in the manner of Uncle Ben or Aunt Jemima, a Negro who facilitates market success on behalf of his white corporate bosses.

The story is really great, but it feels a bit like Hubbard didn't know how to wrap it up, so the ending is a bit jumbly. The writing is great quality, and left me wanting more of these characters. She has another book that preceded this one, called The Talented Ribkins (clearly it's related!), so I'm going to try that one out.

A uniquely and different, but very interesting audio book. As I listened intently to the opening of THE RIB KING, the male voice came in loud and clear. In certain scenes he was spot on with the character, and carried the story through smoothly as he read what each character had to say. I was spellbound as the plot thickened and the scenes opened up even more. That made me want to listen closer. Then the story took off with rapid speed as he read each chapter and he showed the action of each scene.
Then the second part of the novel began and the female reader's voice took over. Her voice rang out loud and clear as she read each chapter. I listened carefully! She read her part so well that each character seemed to come to life. Then the plot thickened even more and I listened more intently to find out what would happen toward the end. The characters and the events were so well detailed and described, I felt sad for Sitwell because he seemed to care about what was happening around him and wanted people to know how he felt about himself. Was he being misleading? Or was he being sincere? Then I got upset because of how things were happening, why they were happening, and to whom the things were happening. This story brought out a lot of emotions. To me that shows excellent work from the author! That also showed that the person took extra effort in creating a very well-written story! I liked it.

The Rib King is a riveting work of literary historical fiction centering around black employees in a white household struggling to maintain their affluent lifestyle. The characters in this book are so complex and fascinating- they are ones that will stay with you long after finishing the book.

The author has seamlessly woven the history of the time and commentary on a number of social issues such as race and class disparities into a fascinating narrative. Despite the story being set 100 years ago, the issues raised are still relevant today, making this an especially important read.

The narrators did an excellent job bringing the story to life and made it hard to put down the book. I highly recommend the audiobook of The Rib King.
Many thanks to Harper Audio and NetGalley for the advance copy.

The Rib King Starts off from the viewpoint of Mr. Sitwell telling the story of a group of servants for a rich family. It discusses difficult topics such as racism and sexism. During his time with this family, Mr. Sitwell helps take care of 3 orphan boys and works several jobs throughout the house. However, there is more to him than meets the eye, and he definitely is not what he seems. The second half is told from the viewpoint of Jenny and takes place after a huge devestating event at the house, and it shows what becomes of each character. I really enjoyed this one. I think Hubbard broached difficult topics gracefully. It is very well written, and it made me want to keep reading. Each of these characters definitely have their faults in abundance, but that’s the beauty of it. It’s important to see how they evolve, and what each one does with their lives. Seeing some of the characters meet violence with such Grace rather than being violent themselves shows the growth and maturity that is gained in each character. The book is also largely about race and how people of color were treated in these days. It’s very eye opening and heartbreaking to see and think about this mistreatment based on skin color. This is a really good book, and I highly recommend it.

This book was well written, but I think it was just not for me. I found the story intriguing at the beginning with the introduction of the three children, but it soon felt like a dull slog to get through. The storytelling style is bland and dry and I guess I'm in the minority, because I felt like the narrator was reading a textbook rather than a fictional narrative. I think many patrons will enjoy this book and it does explore a lot of important and timely topics, but it was just difficult to stay invested for me personally.

I listened to the audio version of this book. The narration was excellent. I was really engaged with this story for about the first 2/3 of this book. As the various story lines began to merge I found it tedious.

Information about this work said it very well researched. I would have liked links or more information about the author's research to inform my own reading experience. In other words, I would have liked some non-fiction about this fictional work.

I would recommend this book to others.

Addendum: It's been a few days since I finished this novel. It continues to linger in my mind. I'd like to give some additional feedback to the publisher.

Dear Publisher, This novel had me asking questions. I wanted to know more about events that helped inform Hubbard's writing. I looked for additional information on the publisher's page for more info- an additional resources list, book club guide, background info. I found none. I also went to the author's personal webpage and found no additional information there. Please consider adding some background information or a "For further reading" list. Thanks.

First off the narrator was perfect. I would love to hear her read a book I liked better.

There are aspects of this story I really liked. The first half was a good lesson on how America used its black community long after it ended slavery. How we stole from them. How we didn’t give them credit for their contributions. It starts with rich white stealing a recipe with the help of a black employee, in turn they make him the rib king. Everyone involved moves on with their lives.

Until about midway through when it turned into the story of a serial killer. While the characters involved are the same as in the first half of the book, It ended up feeling like two books crammed together into one. I really didn’t like the second half, but the first half of the book is 5 stars. The writing is really good throughout. I wish I could have given it more stars but it was a bit confusing for me as to why it became the story it became.

Thanks for netgalley for providing the audiobook for a fair review.

Really dissapointed I did not enjoy this. I cannot decide if it was the narrator or the dialogue but either way this was so difficult to listen to it entirely took me out of the story. Very slow going as well.

Where do I start with The Rib King by Ladee Hubbard? I guess I will start by saying that I enjoyed some aspects of the story and not so much others. I enjoyed Part One which follows August Sitwell and takes place in and around the Barklay's place, I would have enjoyed the book much more if that were the main setting throughout; unfortunately, Part Two leaves the Barclay's and throws Sitwell into a background role and although the reasons of this "exile" enhance the overall story, I can't help but wonder what his story looked like in Part Two. The overall feel of the story didn't resonate all that much with me, it presents very real, important, and current civil issues as well as the age old battle of violent vs non-violent approaches to solving those issues but it was presented in a very slow burn fashion that I found myself (only at times throughout the story) less than enthused to keep listening. I much appreciated the writing style and its similitude of early 1900 era literature (the era, in which, this story takes place) and the way the narrators where able to capture that as I did listen to the audiobook. Korey Jackson's performance was great! He narrates Part One and captures all of the characters in a way that I found very entertaining and nothing against Adenrele Ojo, because she narrated well but I didn't connect with the characters in Part Two and I sadly have to attribute this to the narration seeing as the writing style was consistent throughout. Overall, this was one of those stories that I liked and didn't like at the same time but I am happy to have read/listened to it

[Thank you NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for early access to the free audiobook]

Even though I don't usually read historical fiction, this one felt urgent, timely, emotional and raw, One of my favorites on the year.

The Rib King pulled me immediately with its descriptive prose and a setting that comes alive throughout its pages. It takes place in the early 20th century and follows the staff at the Barclays household. Amongst them we meet August, a Black man who was "saved" from the orphanage by the Barclays, a wealthy white family, to work for them. Fifteen years later, August is working among a a group of servants in the house, except now the Barclays are no longer as well-to-do. So when Mr Barclay receives an offer on the rights to commercialize a delicious rib sauce made by their in-house cook, Miss Mamie, with August's face on the product, it's a deal. Except no one but Mr. Barclay receives any money from it.

This book tackles a number of important and uncomfortable issues: race, class, sexism, privilege, xenophobia, and violence. Thanks to the author's skillful writing, I could feel the injustice, the rage, the numbness of the mere existence. There are so many things in this novel that I would love to analyze in a classroom, or perhaps in a book club. It's just so powerful in many ways.

Since I simultaneously read the ebook and listened to the audiobook version (my favorite way of reading lately), I have to confirm that the narration is as excellent as the book itself. There are two distinct narrators, both of whom did an excellent job with portraying the atmosphere of the book - highly recommended way of reading this one.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5✨
Dang, I was hoping a lot more for this story. It sadly, never fully met my expectations.

The first half of the book was jumbled together and didn’t quite make a lot of sense to me. We are introduced to our main characters - Mr. Sitwell and Miss Jennie - who are servants to a white family in New Orleans. Mr. Sitwell has an unique talent of being able to identify ingredients that make up a variety of products - sauces, perfume, etc - and sadly that talent gets him thrown into being the racist face of a barbecue sauce.

The second half of the story follows Miss Jennie, a decade later, as she’s navigating the difficult world of being a female business owner. Miss Jennie knows the true story about The Rib King and her business is sadly plagued by her connection with The Rib King.

The second section outlines what exactly led to The Rib King’s rise to fame and the details behind it. I wish Hubbard would’ve spent a little more time wrapping up the story but overall this was a decent read. I especially loved the vivid details about the current time period. It’s clear Hubbard really researched this time period and was able to convey it to the reader.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amistad Books for this ARC, I really appreciate it. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for the advanced copy of the audiobook.
I appreciated that this book veered close to the edge of farce, close to the edge of satire, and close to the edge of dark humor ... without ever taking the plunge. This little slice of history was disturbing, but not unexpected. The exploitation of Black Americans by their southern White. employers is certainly not an uncommon tale but it’s woven so seamlessly into the story here that many times it almost slips by, unnoticed.
The whole premise of the “Rib King” was the theft of intellectual property and identity. But, was it? The publication of the story about Seminole County, FL is periodically mentioned, yet drives most of the plot in the second half. And, speaking of the second half, it felt like a lot of it was after thought ... the first half is well-developed and polished, but when it switches to Jennie’s turn, I found gaps and holes and a rushed ending.

As for the narrator... I found the voice felt like someone was in the room , just telling me a story…which I mean as a complement. It was comfortable, not intrusive, and never overshadowed the story itself. I thought the change in narrator, for the second half, was unnecessary. I would’ve preferred the same voice telling the story, even when it switched to Jennie’s perspective. I understand the reasoning, but thought it was unnecessary for an audiobook.
I really enjoyed this audiobook- many of the plot points didn’t go where I expected them to, so the story kept me guessing and involved. This is always a challenge, and a pleasant surprise when it happens.