Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday - The Language of Trees; Ilie Ruby


Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. Here's my pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection:


(July 2010 - Avon)

The Language of Trees, like Whitman's Leaves of Grass though in a magic realist vernacular, refreshingly asserts that deeply American conviction: the gravest natural instinct is to heal and be healed. A shimmeringly heart-felt story.”
–Gregory Maguire, author of the Wicked series

"Rarely do debut novels cover the complicated emotional terrain of The Language of Trees.  This is no simple right-of-passage story but rather an eloquently written journey that explores our strengths and vulnerabilities, our love of those who most need us, and whom we need most.  Ilie Ruby is a shining new voice, powerful and true, worthy of our closest attention."
–James Brown, author of The Los Angeles Diaries

"The Language of Trees is a haunting novel about the enduring power of love.  Crafted with suspenseful pacing and delicate imagery, Ilie Ruby's book combines the qualities of an irresistible ghost story with a healing tale of redemption.  It's a vivid and compelling read."
–Elizabeth Rosner, author of Blue Nude and The Speed of Light
“Ilie Ruby's haunting story seems to spring fully formed from the mystical setting she so beautifully describes. The Language of Trees will make you believe that spirits live on, that hands can heal, and that if you open your heart wide enough, the world is full of second chances.”
–Diane Chamberlain

"Eloquent and compelling, The Language of Trees is a luminous gem in the hypnotic waters of seduction. Ilie Ruby's prose has at once a deeply lush and evocative serenity, poetically imagistic and rhythmically mastered, even as it lures us up into the lilac scents of restless spirits or down into the nuanced depths of a child's catatonic paralysis. Ruby is master of her subject. Her characters are empathetic portraits of everyone or everything "wounded," a mythic world of Seneca tribal legend, blind faith, and the sobering mania of guilt, all intimately woven by the haunt of memory and mourning-- and finally love. Ruby inspires us to leap every hurdle of "risk" and "Reach, Reach" into the open core of our souls for ancestral and personal redemption. A remarkable debut author, hers is the language of the human spirit working in conjunction with the healing spirit of the earth." 
–James Ragan, author of Too Long A Solitude  and The Hunger Wall

24 comments:

  1. Lots of rave reviews. I like the cover and the title. Sounds like it will be a great read.

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  2. It sounds like it might be an emotional, tear-jerking novel. I love those!

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  3. I haven't heard of this one before. It sounds like quite a powerful novel!

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  4. Great choise! Found the summary on Goodreads, so I'll definitely add it on my wishlist! Also, I love the cover, too!

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  5. This one sounds great...I am adding it to my list!

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  6. This has definitely peaked my interest!! Haven't heard of it yet, but it's going on the list!!

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  7. The blurbs are glowing! I'll watch for this one, Diane. Nice pick.

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  8. This one sounds fabulous! And I just love that cover...mystical.

    Here's mine:

    http://chezraine.wordpress.com/2010/05/12/waiting-on-wednesday-9/

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  9. What a great year for debut novels...on the list it goes!!

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  10. Sounds like one to watch...all those reviews...WOW!
    Here's my WoW!

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  11. i bet it is spanish. most trees seem to prefer the spanish language, regardless of where they are rooted.

    do we know if these are old growth trees? this may have an impact on the language, due to the predominant of the era and locale.

    (sounds like a good book)

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  12. I really like the sound of this! It sounds like the writing is very poetic and lyrical, and that's something that I usually enjoy very much! Thanks for sharing this!!

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  13. This sounds amazing! Going on my TBR. Great pick! Mine is at The Crowded Leaf.

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  14. I'm not sure this one will be up my alley but I love the cover a lot so I'm sure I'll be pondering it further.

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  15. I'm totally drawn in by that cover....makes me want to read it!

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  16. Based on the excerpted reviews, this one won't disappoint.

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  17. This book sounds really good. Thank you for highlighting this.

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  18. Well, if the book is as well-written as the reviews then this one's a sure thing for me.

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  19. With reviews like that, it sounds like it can't be missed.

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  20. I love the cover and the reviews. If I read more novels this would go on my list. Cannot wait to hear what you think of it.

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  21. I love this cover. I'll have to keep an eye out for the book. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!

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  22. Another book for my TBR list! I need to get reading - I just finished my course work and finished my Anna Karenina assignment so now it's time to read for pure pleasure.

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  23. Yes, I'm looking forward to this book, too! Ilie Ruby is a local author, and her writing (and art) have received a lot of praise.

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