Overall I really liked the book and I absolutely loooved the ending. I found Ruby’s story to be far more interesting, but still enjoyed Eleanor’s, but I personally felt that Ruby’s journey to really tug at the heartstrings. I rooted for both of the characters and I badly wanted happy endings for both of them, and I felt for both of them, again, I just felt like Ruby’s story was more engaging.

The book is set in the 1950s and addresses racism, classism and colorism. The book alternates between Ruby and Eleanor with Ruby’s chapters being told in first person while Eleanor’s are in third person.

Ruby was born to a teen mother and raised by her grandmother, Nene in Philadelphia. Nene is now blind, and Ruby – a very intelligent high school student and talented artist – wants desperately to go to college and become an ophthalmologist so that she can help people like her grandmother.

Ruby’s mother Inez kicks her out of the house after witnessing her live-in boyfriend making a sexual advance on Ruby so she goes to live with her aunt Marie. Marie is no-nonsense woman, and a very hard worker.  Ruby attends classes on weekends that will – provided she finishes in the top two of the program – pay her way through college. She is desperate to get one of these scholarships so that she can attend college and realize her dream.

One day she meets a white, Jewish boy by the name of Shimmy – the son of Marie’s landlord and the two develop a friendship that eventually turns into something more than Ruby ever could have imagined. As we know, interracial couples were not only frowned upon at this point in history, they were illegal, and when she finds herself pregnant with Shimmy’s child, her hopes for college seem to be dashed. Shimmy is determined to marry Ruby, but Shimmy’s mother refuses to let the good family name be tarnished, so she offers Ruby a deal if she will give up the baby. Ruby now has to decide what she wants – a shot at college, or a baby and potentially resorting to the same sort of life her mother has led.

Our other main character is Eleanor, a small town girl from a mixed race Ohio town whose family worked hard to ensure she could go to college. Eleanor attends the all Black Howard University in Washington, DC. She dreams of becoming a member of the prestigious Alpha Beta Chi sorority on campus. Sadly, she is denied entry and this crushes her. When her sassy roommate, Nadine finds out, she says to Eleanor, Honey, everyone knows they only pick girls with hair straight as a ruler and skin paler than a paper bag.” The issue of colorism carries through Eleanor’s story.

Eleanor works in the library to help pay her way through college and this is where she meets William Pride. She has seen William at the library before and until she learns his name she refers to him as “the Back” because of his broad shoulders and strong back. The two have an interaction in the library one day which leads to a date where Eleanor learns that William is in medical school and finishing up his residency. She also learns that Greta Hepburn, the president of Alpha Beta Chi knows William and it becomes quite apparent that she has a thing for him. Nonetheless, William and Eleanor continue to date and eventually he takes Eleanor home to a dinner party his parents are throwing.

When she gets there she realizes that most of the wealthy people in attendance, while Black, are all light skinned. To make matters worse, William’s mother doesn’t seem to approve of Eleanor and it becomes abundantly clear that she’d be much happier if William were to marry Greta (she’s been trying to make this happen for years.)

Eleanor and William end up getting married when Eleanor becomes pregnant. Eleanor hopes that maybe a baby will help bridge the gap between her and William’s mother, but when she miscarries, and then miscarries again she begins to feel like she may never be able to give William the family he wants and deserves.

I won’t go further into details, but you can imagine where the story may lead and how our main character’s paths may cross. It’s a great read and like I said, the ending was amazing.