Book Style: BONE GAP by Laura Ruby

Laura Ruby’s Bone Gap didn’t even last a day in my hands. I absolutely had to make a Book Style for this honest, moving and ephemeral novel. Ruby has said that she aimed to make the Midwest mythical, and that’s exactly what she accomplished in this coming-of-age meets magical realism tale. The novel focuses on Finn O’Sullivan who proves to be a uniquely unreliable narrator. The subtle hand Ruby uses to weave the tales of Cupid and Psyche and Hades and Persephone into the story is impressive.

For this Book Style, I didn’t focus on a particular character’s style. I wanted to incorporate as much of the book’s ample symbolism as I could and making a summer-worthy outfit not specific to Petey or Roza seemed like the best route. I started with a “Roza” metallic dress; the pattern reminds me of flowers and honeycomb simultaneously. A bit of whimsy – and a bit of warmth – with the black mare cardigan was next. The “Touch the Sky” platforms ground the outfit while the name echoes the fantastical settings Roza encounters.  This “Beekeeper” hat and the hand embellished cross-body purse round out the outfit.