Excerpt from Probably Ruby by Lisa Bird-Wilson, plus links to reviews, author biography & more

They settled into his office, which was more like an overstuffed den, with couches and a big chair. She sat on the couch with its back against the wall. She noticed right away the Métis sashes draped over the end tables and along a shelf. Blown-­glass ornaments lined up on the sash on the shelf; more glass works scattered on the side and coffee tables. Bowls, paperweights, ornaments—colorful blues, oranges, greens, and purples, swirls of molten glass hardened shiny and cold. On the table beside the couch sat a perfectly round glass marble, slightly smaller than a golf ball: clear glass, with a purple and green flower trapped inside. Ruby knew Ex was an artisan, a glassblower. These must be hers. 

After some general small talk, Kal asked her an unexpected question.

"Tell me what kind of kid you were."

"That's a great question," she said, a big believer in warranted compliments. 

He smiled a bit despite himself. "So? What were you like?"

"I was a serious tomboy," she confessed. "I had short hair and I dressed like a boy and ran wild. All my friends were boys, and all I wanted to do was play sports and smoke cigarettes and break shit."

Excerpted from Probably Ruby by Lisa Bird-Wilson. Copyright © 2022 by Lisa Bird-Wilson. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.