A big thanks goes out to NetGalley and University of Nebraska Press for allowing me early access to such an amazing book!
What's it about?
"In Ruby Dreams of Janis Joplin Mary Clearman Blew deftly braids together memories of the past with the present, when the Rivermen have imploded and a severely bruised and disillusioned Ruby returns to her hometown to find everything she ran away from waiting for her. "

Ruby Gervais ran away when she was sixteen to join three musicians on the road.
Ten years later is where the book begins.
The author does a fantastic job of revealing just enough of the past to peak your interest while still keeping you completely in the dark.
I was confused on whether Ruby was the hero or the villain in the story for most of it, but I did enjoy how relatable she felt while I was trying to figure it out.
I liked how she got lost in her own thoughts and random songs pierced her day with memories. This made her feel less two dimensional and I was able to place myself in her shoes and feel her emotions more deeply.
I suggest throwing it on the tbr read list...somewhere near the top.

Thank you Netgalley and University of Nebraska Press for the ARC.

"Just when you think nothing has changed, you look around and notice everything has changed."

After ten years on the road as Ruby, Ruth returns to Versailles, Montana, and tries hard to settle into ordinary life. While reconnecting with people and places, she has distorted flashbacks of the life she left behind. Through these memories we get to know Ruby and how she ended up where she did.

This book isn't the easiest to get into. The writing is beautiful, very detailed, but moving at quite a slow pace, demanding attention. There is a lot of melancholy and sadness. About halfway in does it pick up speed, accompanied by good music and laughter, and I'm turning page after page.
Eventually it all makes sense and an amazing story unfolds. Persevere, and something wonderful remains!

Ruth Gervais was placed in foster care at the age of eight after being sexually abused by someone she refused to name.
Her foster dad Brad Gilcannon happens to be a respected police officer who seems a little too close to his other foster daughter, sixteen year old Anne. Anne tells Gilcannon that there is a cult in town sacrificing babies and raping children on altars.
Gilcannon believes every word Anne tells him and is on a mission to convict the people she names. He soon threatens his other foster children into agreeing with Anne about what she's supposedly seen and Ruth goes along with it all, testifying against her own mother out of fear.
After the convictions of several locals (including Ruth's mom), the appeals begin and they are all eventually exonerated, making national headlines and bringing shame on Brad Gilcannon and anger down on Anne, Ruth, and the other children who testified.

When Ruth is sixteen, she runs away with a three man band called The Rivermen to be their singer, Ruby Red.
After ten years on the road and an unhealthy relationship with a band member, she returns home to Versailles, Montana where she stays with her former piano teacher Mrs. Pence and runs in to her foster brother Isaiah.

From here, we eventually learn what caused Ruth/Ruby to run away from life on the road with The Rivermen, her real relationship to Mrs. Pence and Isaiah, and how the two lives she's led coincidentally connect.
During this time she works at the Student Accounting office of the local college as a data entry clerk, where her foster sister Anne coincidentally works. Her coworkers Catina and Jamie are both young women; one is in an abusive relationship and the other is fighting for custody of her daughter after overcoming addiction. These women play important roles in Ruth/Ruby's life, reminding her of events from her own past.

This story was all over the place for me. We have the shocking accusations made in the past by Anne that ruins a lot of lives and obviously traumatizes Ruth/Ruby because her own mother was convicted. Ruth/Ruby decides to run away with this band she sees playing at a bar when she's only sixteen. All of this major information that has shaped our main character is barely discussed at all, like it's just ancient history someone tells us to keep us in the loop.

I also felt the way we learn the truth about Mrs. Pence and Isaiah was sort of... unbelievable. Almost random, like it was decided on the spur of the moment.
The characters didn't feel fully developed to me so I couldn't connect with the story.

There are *major trigger warnings* for sexual abuse/rape and violence against women. All of the women in this novel are deeply flawed and hurt - I didn't like the way they were represented or how the violence against them was handled.
A character who is raped is actually asked by a friend if she clearly told her rapist no. The victim says yes but then makes excuses for her rapist. I understand that this may be a believable response from someone who has been physically/emotionally abused but it was hard to stomach, especially when nothing is done about the crime. She sees her rapist afterward and nothing is said, the character's reaction wasn't even discussed and it all goes down as a footnote in the story.
This is an incredibly sad story and one without any real plot or closure.

Thanks to University of Nebraska Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I'm sure this book will appeal to a lot of readers but it wasn't for me. I couldn't connect with any of the characters, especially the protagonist. Ruby (Ruth) is a very bland character. I couldn't even conjure up an image in my mind for her. Although the prose flows well, the story jumps all over the place and it's hard to remain focused. Overall, I have to give it 🌟🌟.

The journey motif follows a young woman back to her home after ten years on the road. Slowly her history is revealed, including her sad childhood as a foster child. The writing was lyrical, but the plot did not speak to me.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read and review this ARC. Full review to be found on Goodreads and on my website.