Publication Date: April 11, 2024
Everyone knows Ruby Devereaux’s books. But no one knows her story… until now.
From a teenager in wartime England to a veteran of modern-day London – via 1950’s New York, the Swinging Sixties, Cold War Berlin, Venice and Vietnam – Ruby Devereaux has lived one hell of a life: parties, scandals and conflict zones, meeting men and adventure along the way. In a writing career spanning seven decades and more than twenty books, she’s distilled everything into her work. Or has she?
Now beyond her 90th year, Ruby’s energy is ebbing and her beloved typewriter put away. Until a call from her publisher presents Ruby with an ultimatum, and the impetus to embark on one last book – “warts and all”, as she says. Even in her dotage, Ruby M Devereaux has the power to surprise, because whatever this author does, she does on her own terms. Always.
Is Ruby finally about to reveal the secrets of her infamous life?
Taking the reader on a rollercoaster ride through the latter half of the 20th Century, The Scandalous Life of Ruby Devereaux is a mesmerising story of one unforgettable woman’s place in an ever-changing world.
At age 90, Ruby Devereaux has amassed numerous bestsellers, but her publisher is demanding one more story.
This time around, she’s determined to deliver a memoir on her own terms. Author M.J. Robotham serves up an unforgettable character full of vim and vigor in The Scandalous Life of Ruby Devereaux.
What makes Ruby’s story so unique is her unconventional approach. Rather than the typical demographic information and tales from childhood, Ruby organizes her life around 12 men who shaped her life beginning in 1947.
As the years go by, they are documented from Ruby’s perspective. She travels extensively and uses her experiences to enrich her writing. The man in her bed may change, but her writing remains constant.
This approach enables readers to fully immerse themselves in Ruby’s life, sharing in the moments of happiness and the times of sorrow.
The Scandalous Life of Ruby Devereaux provides a captivating look at a woman who chooses to memorialize herself through the passionate relationships in her life.
M J Robotham saw herself as an aspiring author from the age of nine, but was waylaid by journalism, birth, children and life. After twenty years as a midwife and an MA in Creative Writing, she is now a full-time author, writing historical fiction as Mandy Robotham. She lives in Gloucestershire with her partner and muse mutt, Basil.
