Almost Paradise
- Author Corabel Shofner
- Narrator Eileen Stevens
- Publisher Blackstone Publishing
- Publish Date 25 July 2017
- Run Time 5 hours and 18 minutes
- Format Audio
- Genre Children’s / Teenage fiction: Action and adventure stories.
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What to expect
Twelve-year-old Ruby Clyde Henderson’s life turns upside down the day her mother’s boyfriend holds up a convenience store and her mother is wrongly jailed for assisting with the crime. Ruby and her pet pig, Bunny, find their way to her estranged Aunt Eleanor’s home. Aunt Eleanor is an ornery nun who lives in the midst of a peach orchard on Paradise Ranch. With a little patience, she and Ruby begin to get along. But Eleanor has secrets of her own—secrets that might mean more hard times for Ruby.
It’s not going to be easy for Ruby Clyde and Eleanor to heal old wounds, face the past, and learn to trust each other. But with enough little pieces of love, they might be able to bring their family together again and learn that paradise isn’t a place―it’s the feeling of being home.
Corabel Shofner’s Almost Paradise is a bighearted novel about trust, belonging, and the struggles and joys of loving one another.
Critics Review
u201cStevensu2019 depiction of Ruby and the family-of-sorts who take her in is a perfect fit, just like the heroineu2019s red cowboy hat. She rolls from Rubyu2019s bravado to Sister Eleanoru2019s matter-of-fact practicality to Joe Breweru2019s kindly resolve as smoothly as mud on Bunny the pigu2019s back. The easy Texas accent of Frankie, who lives near Eleanoru2019s retreat, and the whoop-de-do of Carlu2019s immature impulsiveness are spot-on, as are the myriad voices for all the characters who make this first novel memorableu2026A winner.u201d
u201cItu2019s not often that a book gets everything so right: characters, plot, setting, voice. Itu2019s even rarer to find all that in a first novel. But Shofner has taken all the established, important elements of a good middle-grade novel, given them a brisk shake, and served them up to readers in way that both entertains and enlightensu2026[with] a surprising twist that will leave readers with plenty to chew on.u201d
u201cPlucky and wise beyond her years, Ruby relies on hope and common sense in equal measure, and her voice is the star of Shofneru2019s debut novelu2026Quirky and ultimately uplifting.u201d
u201cIdiosyncratic characters and plot twists and turns keep the story going, but it is Rubyu2019s distinctive voice that shines in this debut novel and makes even the most far-fetched twist seem trustworthy. Rubyu2019s folksy precociousness and determination are as endearing as her realization that the world is not perfect and that love comes in piecesu2026A rollicking read.u201d
u201cWhat makes the story sing is our protagonistu2019s voice. Sheu2019s resilient, vulnerable, alert, honest, and hilarious, sharing her unique take on an unreliable world dotted with moments of joy and the kindness of strangers.u201d
u201cTotally delightfulu2026 What a joy to meet a spirited heroine like Ruby Clyde Henderson and to linger over Corabel Shofneru2019s glorious words.u201d
u201cWith humor, resolve, and an endless supply of spunk, Ruby Clyde is a character to root for. Reading this unique and unforgettable story about the power of love, trust, and healing isnu2019t almost paradiseu2014it absolutely is!u201d
u201cAlmost Paradise is fresh, original, and unforgettable. Readers will fall in love with Ruby and her hilarious, heartbreaking quest to find home and family.u201d
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