Literary merit: Excellent
Characterization: Excellent
Recommended: Highly recommended
Level: 6-9

Almost Paradise is the story about a 12 year old girl struggling with her unstable home-life after her mother takes up with a self-indulgent, manipulative looser. As a 12 twelve year old girl, Ruby Clyde Henderson is small in stature, flat as a pancake with very short hair; she is often mistaken for a young boy. Ruby’s father was shot to death by a robber, stealing his wallet while on a picnic with her mother. The trauma was so devastating from the incident that her mother, who was expecting Ruby, went into early labor. Needless to say, it was a miracle that her mother survived; consequently, Ruby had to stay in the ICU unit for several weeks before coming home. Over the years, Ruby’s birthdays could not celebrated with great joy by her mother, so she selected another day for Ruby.

In spite of all the drama, Ruby Clyde will always find a way to justify her mother’s actions, even though she’s passive, easily swayed by her boyfriend and totally oblivious to her daughter’s needs. Mom is just going along for the ride, until losing everything she holds dear to her heart is being taken away from her. Catfish Carl, mom’s beau decides they are taking off for Hollywood, California so he can make his fortune, which is nothing more than illusion that infuriates Ruby. Now, she's living with all her belongings out of a car and traveling from one campsite to another. While on the road, Ruby and her mom have some time for themselves, so attend a Noah’s Ark circus, when they notice that the animals are being poked with a wand and then doused with a spray of water. Following that act was a baby pig forced to wear clothes and drive a miniature Cadillac. When Ruby’s mom, Barbara, otherwise known as “Babe” tells the Catfish what happened, he returns to the circus, and steals the pig at gunpoint from the owner. Upon returning to the car, he hands the little pig to Ruby and she names her Bunny.

As they are driving through Texas, Ruby’s mom talks about having an identical twin sister, named Eleanor Rose who became a nun, after having a child out of wedlock and gave it up for adoption. This was quite a shock for Ruby since that was the first time she heard her mom even had a sister. Her mother went on to say, that her sister and Ruby’s grandmother never got along and therefore Eleanor decided to move out of the house. She's been living in a very small town called Cypress Mill located not far from Austin, Texas.

After driving for several hours, the Catfish stops at the Okay Corral Gas and Food Mart telling Ruby and her mom to remain in the car while he pumps the gas and supposedly pays the clerk. While he goes inside, Ruby Clyde decides to get out of the car to walk Bunny through the surrounding bushes so she can do her business. Shortly thereafter, gunshots ring out and the Catfish is running away with an apparent gunshot wound in his leg that puts him straight on his face. Her mother seeing her daughter in the bushes tells her to hide and seek her sister Eleanor. In the process of all the confusion, her mother gets out of the car only to be greeted by the owner who has a huge shot gun pointed at her face. Apparently, the Catfish was trying to rob the Okay Coral Gas and Food Mart shot himself in the leg.

Catfish is taken away in an ambulance and her mother’s arrested; leaving Ruby Clyde homeless in the middle of the night, with nothing but the clothes on her back and her pet pig, Bunny. It's a spiritual story, one about great love and making the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of another. It's about finding one self in the midst of despair and rolling with the punches of life. It's about not giving up in spite of all the odds stacked against you. It's about making choices that gives life to others. Does Ruby find a permanent home? Read the story! It's extremely well written and impossible to put down! ( )