Light is shed on the lives of the people living on Ruby Road; lives well-lived with love and kindness shared, entwined with one another, regardless of their differences.
Mum Betty has not been herself since the birth of baby Maria.
Gran arranges for her to spend some time in the country to recuperate from what she tells everybody, is a bout of influenza.
Twelve-year-old Patsy is sent for her summer holidays to Ruby Road where Uncle Alex and Aunt Mary own a Milk Bar.
She hopes to keep busy to prevent becoming bored, while filling her sketchbook which is her constant companion, with whatever she sees.
Although she is introduced to the children of a Polish family that has moved in up the road, their stand-offish attitude initially gives Patsy the impression that they will not be friends.
If she imagined these holidays would be boring, when Uncle Alex shows Patsy the undercroft, currently used for storage, she experiences tremendous joy. It is a place to call her own, private and welcoming, where she can draw uninterrupted.
Regardless of first impressions, she makes a friend of Jolanta, one of the girls from the new family. They have a lot in common, especially art, plus the belief that to be creative, one must have a space of their own. They agree to share the room in the undercroft.
Patsy learns a great amount in the weeks she spends on Ruby Road, but some things she cannot understand about adults, and children.
Why does she have to tell people that mum has influenza when they ask about her, when that is not what she has? Why did she leave her baby with Gran and go away?
Will Mum be home for Christmas?
Why do the boys keep attacking Jolanta’s brother and calling him awful names because he is a new Australian?
Patsy is troubled by all the unanswered questions.
Determined to reverse the attitude of the unkind people on Ruby Road toward others with ethnic background, Patsy turns to her art for expression.
I love this series! It addresses many thought-provoking themes that are still current, while presenting lots of detailed, historical information about the habits and social ways of the early years.
Charlotte Barkla approaches controversial issues in a subtle way throughout the novel. This allows the reader to share the pain experienced by the characters, give in to the need to speak the unspoken and uncover the truth, and stand against wrong.
Title: 11 Ruby Road 1950
Author: Charlotte Barkla
Publisher: Walker Books, $16.99
Publication Date: 1 September 2025
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781761601262
For ages: 10+
Type: Middle Grade Fiction
