Ruby gives up talking at a young age. Her mother isn't always there to notice; she comes and goes and goes and comes, until, one day, she doesn't. Silence becomes Ruby's refuge, sheltering her from the weather of her mother's mental illness and a pressurized suburban atmosphere.
Plangent, deft, and sparkling with wry humour, Somebody Loves You is a moving exploration of how we choose or refuse to tell the stories that shape us.
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(@andothertweets, 16 November 2021, paperback, 176 pages, bought from @LRBbookshop via a Subscription Box)
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I couldn't wait to read this slim volume when it arrived. I loved the title and cover. I've also read other books from the publisher so knew I was in for a treat. Somebody Loves You is not a novel in the conventional sense, more of a series of vignettes. There's no plot to speak of. The mostly short chapters are narrated by Ruby talking about her life, her selective muteness, her feelings, the important things in her life, and her complicated family. The style is a variation of stream-of-consciousness and the language and images used is very poetic. I fell in love with Ruby and her life. I thought this was a terrific book. I will definitely check out the author's poetry collections.
