One of my favorite books when I was a little kid was titled "Ruby Holler" by Sharon Creech. The story is about two orphans named Dallas and Florida from a foster home called the Boxton Creek Home. Mistreated at the foster home and by the potential foster parents, Dallas and Florida cannot trust the old couple Tiller and Sairy. Therefore, the teenagers act up and the old couple dish out grace and love every time.
When I was little, I had a fascination with orphan stories. I think I read so many cool books about orphans. I was entranced by Harry Potter. Here was a mistreated orphan who turns out to be the coolest wizard! They seemed to have no difficulty exploring the world by themselves and I really wanted to do that. I don't know if the charm of orphan stories came from Ruby Holler, but I do know that it became one of my favorite owned books.
The two main characters wanted to skip their childhood. The two, daydreamer Dallas and pessimist Florida, wanted to leave Boxton Creek Home by train so that they could work somewhere far away. It didn't help that every time they made a mistake, Dallas and Florida were sent to the dingy basement to think about their actions. When they arrive at Ruby Holler, the location where the old couple live, they apologize for everything that they do.
One time, after Florida heard Tiller complain about the poor lighting in the barn, she and Dallas hacked a hole in the side of the barn to build a window. The old couple almost fainted from the shock of the hole. The twins worked for the old couple, earning money so that they could leave. Their desire to leave slowly decreased over time, but they ultimately made an attempt to leave when the children of Tiller and Sairy come back home.
I loved the relationship between Tiller and Sairy. Honestly, they are old people relationship and parenting goals. Tiller is a grumpy grandpa who doesn't understand why Sairy would want to adopt two children. His complaining is so funny. Although he doesn't want the twins, he starts telling Florida old stories of his children's antics. Sairy and Dallas have compatible personalities, so the two rarely fight.
The story of Ruby Holler was one of my favorite because the author so nicely put in the side plots. My heart broke for the two orphans and their view on adults. To tell you the absolute truth, I think I cried the first couple of times reading the book through.
What are some of the books that have moved you to tears?
