Probably Ruby

A Novel

By: Lisa Bird-Wilson

Narrated by: Dakota Ray Hebert

Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

An Indigenous woman adopted by white parents goes in search of her identity in this unforgettable debut novel about family, race, and history.

Finalist for the Governor General's Literary Award • “Engaging . . . Ruby never disappoints with her big heart and outrageous sense of humor—and her resilient search for her own history.”—The New York Times Book Review

“A passionate exploration of identity and belonging and a celebration of our universal desire to love and be loved.”—Imbolo Mbue, author of Behold the Dreamers

This is the story of a woman in search of herself, in every sense. When we first meet Ruby, a Métis woman in her thirties, her life is spinning out of control. She’s angling to sleep with her counselor while also rekindling an old relationship she knows will only bring more heartache. But as we soon learn, Ruby’s story is far more complex than even she can imagine.

Given up for adoption as an infant, Ruby is raised by a white couple who understand little of her Indigenous heritage. This is the great mystery that hovers over Ruby’s life—who her people are and how to reconcile what is missing. As the novel spans time and multiple points of view, we meet the people connected to Ruby: her birth parents and grandparents; her adoptive parents; the men and women Ruby has been romantically involved with; a beloved uncle; and Ruby’s children. Taken together, these characters form a kaleidoscope of stories, giving Ruby’s life dignity and meaning.

Probably Ruby is a dazzling novel about a bold, unapologetic woman taking control of her life and story, and marks the debut of a major new voice in Indigenous fiction.

©2022 Lisa Bird-Wilson (P)2022 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“In this time of crises and isolation, I’ve come to cherish Probably Ruby. It details legacies of struggle without giving in to spectacle. It illuminates, in language of deepest care and artistic exactness, the diverse relations and irreducible complexity of an unforgettable life. Lisa Bird-Wilson is someone I urge you to read.” (David Chariandy, award-winning author of Brother and I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You)

“Writing from the depths of her heart, Lisa Bird-Wilson has gifted us a passionate exploration of identity and belonging and a celebration of our universal desire to love and be loved.” (Imbolo Mbue, best-selling and award-winning author of How Beautiful We Were and Behold the Dreamers)

Who Are You? Probably Ruby.

Dakota Ray Hebert makes Lisa Bird-Wilson's characters come to life so vibrantly, it feels like I knew her sometime in my own life. I was drawn by the description of the character, Ruby, as a Metis/Cree growing up adopted by a white woman ashamed of Ruby's ancestry. In so many ways, I can relate to that pressure to be or not to be whatever other people believe.
The stories are a tapestry of her tragic, messed up, wonderful, delightful life. My favorite is Rose so much to the point where I'm starting to irritate people by occasionally uttering "King of the Bingo". I hear each story and with painful recognition call out "no, no!" at the tragic decisions around identity, and "yes, yes!" to every bubbling laugh and defiant response that, yes, she is indeed Ruby. Probably.
As a tapestry, it weaves back and forth, not only on Ruby and her experience, but the oft invisible strands that touch her life and make/made her who she is. It doesn't seem like it has the answer in the end, except that it makes me want to circle back and listen again, now knowing what I know. Probably.
kinanaskomitin. Thank you for this book.