The Rib King is a masterfully bold story that explores themes of racism, classism, generational trauma, and vengeance. Although the story is set in the early 1900s, it remains poignant and timely today, making it incredibly thought-provoking and emotionally-evocative. Divided into two major parts, the story is follows two characters at different points in time: Mr. Sitwell, a groundskeeper for a wealthy family, and Jennie, a chambermaid turned entrepreneur. Their pasts are fraught with tragedy, leading them down paths that converge and diverge in truly shocking ways. I won’t give away more than that because this book holds major surprises that are best uncovered within the context of the overall story. It dives deep into many social issues that left me deep in thought and emotionally raw. My only critique is that I found the ending somewhat rushed and would have liked a little more detail regarding the characters’ outcomes. That being said, the ending was still satisfying as it effectively tied up loose storylines and answered questions I had about certain characters’ motives. Ladee Hubbard’s beautiful writing style is reminiscent of classic literature and I am certain this story will leave a lasting impression on me as many of my favorite classics have done.