In this stirring prequel New York Times best-selling author Mary Monroe returns to the “cold-blooded yet fascinating” (Publishers Weekly) character from her acclaimed novel The Upper Room. Ruby is a wild youth with a thirst for boys and booze by the age of 15. When she discovers she’s pregnant the only person she can confide in is her best friend Othella. But Othella talks Ruby into giving up the child leaving Ruby emotionally shattered and adamant that Othella is to blame for her loss.