What a wild ride. Looking at how race, class, and gender all come together to impact people’s choices. Where do their loyalties lie? What do their morals and values look like? How do they affect one or the other when other peoples choices and morals rub up against them? Deceit, betrayal, rage, and tragedy all weave this story together while we are strung along for the ride.

IK enjoyed the narrator. They conveyed the wry humor. The story is strong, and I've thought about it quite a while since reading.

An absolute firecracker of a book, masterfully plotted. The story is so tight, so perfectly executed, the whole thing sneaks up on you, it feels almost ordinary, the repercussions build so slowly. It's a dazzling story. The audio is great too, both narrators read with the perfect mix of hidden danger and revenge at all costs.

It may have taken me ages to review, but I loved how much I learned from this story. I took a class on intersectional environmentalism last semester and frequently referenced this book to relate to the injustices that have been pervasive in America for centuries. I recommended this book to many students in my class.

Thanks for the chance to read this title. I've learned so much and it's stayed with me this whole time. I appreciate everything.

While overall quite enjoyable, I kept feeling more and more like I wanted more. Characters are wonderful and it has much to say on racism and classism, but the plot was achingly, achingly slow. I truly enjoyed many characters, I just wanted more to happen to them.

Thinking back on The Rib King, I can say I liked it, but while reading it, I was incredibly torn. It’s one of those books that feels like required reading, and maybe that’s just my personal relationship and feelings towards historical fiction, but it all just seems so analytical and full of hidden purpose.

It’s an interesting concept for a book because I still don’t quite know who the actual protagonist is. The book starts out following Mr. Sitwell and then switches over to Jennie’s POV years later, so as a reader, you end up missing part of the story. You don’t necessarily know who to trust. I’m sure that’s an intentional plot device, but I’m never one to dig deep into the intricacies of literary analysis. Comparing the actual book to the book’s synopsis, I feel like the synopsis actually spells out something that the book doesn’t say outright, and that aligns with my thoughts on the book overall.

There’s so much between the lines to be read, it’s easy as pie to miss pieces from the larger puzzle of the plot. In fact, even at the end of the book, I was left confused and feeling like I missed an integral part of the ending. Like things jumped through space and time a bit, and I wasn’t totally sure what happened.

But other parts of the book were wonderfully engaging and easy to speed through because they were so interesting and in-depth. It was a really odd mixture of styles within the same story. It just made things confusing and underwhelming for me. I wanted to love the book and think I could’ve enjoyed it, but I was too often left too puzzled to really latch on to the thick of it.

I can't speak as to the quality of the audiobook--the Netgalley app played approximately ten minutes and then would not open the file back up. I did however, read the hard back. In this era of everyone bemoaning the loss of Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben, this is an insightful read about the people behind such mascots. The dehumanization of caricatures, if you will...served with a lot of murder and character whiplash.

First, a disclaimer: I received this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own opinions. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this book.

This is easily one of the weirdest books that I have ever read and I am not sure how to describe it. The characters are very nuanced. The plot goes in a few different directions. The writing changed pace and style dramatically depending on which section of the book you were reading. Nothing in this book seems to be consistent… but somehow, it all WORKS in the end. Honestly, this book broke my brain and made me sad, but in a weirdly good way. It really exposed the psychology of the affects racism can have on individuals in complicated ways. This is not a light book and I do not recommend it for a beach read. But if you like complicated characters, richly layered storylines, and for a writing style to change and be a PART of the book; I recommend this one.

CAWPILE Score: 62
Star Rating: 4.5
Pages: 370
Read on Audio

I was definitely intrigued by this book! The first half was a little slow for me and I didn't love the narrator, but it picked up in the second half and I loved that narrator! I also think if I hadn't listened to it on double speed I might have been a little bored. I was definitely interested in Mr. Sitwell's story, but I thought it wrapped up too quickly! I could have used some more elaboration at the end.

I liked the premise of this book more that I actually enjoyed reading it. It's definitely interesting book that explores race, inequality, revenge, and it would make a good book club choice as it lends itself to analysis. Recommended for more deep, thoughtful reading and I prefer the audio version over e-book for this one.

This was a solid book with an interesting story and has left me still thinking about it even several days after reading.

Set in 1914, August Sitwell has worked for the Barclay family household for 15 years in about every different capacity you could. He's part of the tight-knit staff, intentionally made up of Black people, each serving the upper-class white family. However, the Barclay fortune has dwindled away and the family is desperate, looking for any kind of deal that would help get them some cash flow. After a business associate tastes the house's rib sauce, they offer to sell it as The Rib King and want to use a caricature of August Sitwell as the logo. The whole situation angers Sitwell and he strikes back hard, causing a catastrophe.

One of the more timely topics is that of racist branding logos. Even now, a hundred years after this novel is set, we're just now seeing some brands change like Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben's. Sitwell is thoroughly humiliated from having an exaggerated form of his likeness on a sauce bottle and from being exploited by his employer. The only reason he even agreed to do this was from his loyalty to Mr. Barclay, which he begins to see might have been ill-placed.

One of the things I love the best about this book is that it's told from two different perspectives and everything comes together in the end. The first half is told by August Sitwell and the second half is told from the perspective of Jennie Williams, a pretty new maid that started at the Barclay house before The Rib King business deal. Her life mirrors Stilwell's in many ways and we see more of this in her half of the book.

All throughout the book we see so many themes revolving around race and gender. When is something your work or your employer's work? If a Black cook made up the Rib King sauce in her kitchen, why wouldn't any of that credit come to her? Jennie rises from homelessness to a chemist and business woman, yet her ambitions can be swept aside purely because of her race and gender.

Quick tip though - I listened to this on audiobook and I think reading it would have been better. Jennie's narrator, bless her heart, had a pitiful Southern accent that ended up being super distracting for me.

I'm thankful to NetGalley for the opportunity to get to read and review this great book.

The Rib King is an excellent and compelling read!
The Barclays home and its servants become fully formed in the first couple chapters and their well being is a concern the reader takes on.

The story centers around the groundskeeper, August Sitwell, and maid, Jennie Williams. Sitwell has worked for the Barclays 15 years and navigates the needs of his employer and the well being of three orphan boys who work at the house.
The narrative and jump in time was unexpected, but Jennie’s story is just as engaging.

This is a story of survival and connection. The narration for the audiobook is great.

Thanks to NetGalley for the access to the audio recording of the Rib King. The voices chosen to read this novel were perfect. The two narrators really brought the characters to life, and had very pleasant voices to listen to.

This book is difficult to review. It is told in two parts: the first half of the novel is about August Sitwell, and the second about Jenny Williams. Both are employees of the Barclay family, a previously well-to-do family living in Chicago(?) The book is set in the early 1900s and explores issues with race, and class. The writing is amazing but slow, The story is character driven and moves at a heavy plodding pace. It takes quite some time to pull everything together and see how the pieces of the first half fit together with the pieces from the second half.

Overall I found the book fascinating and plan to read the Talented Ribkins how that I have finished the Rib King.

This book read as a lush critique of the exploitation of of Black and Black/Disabled labor during Jim Crow era in the United States. The book takes place in 1914. The two main characters struggle to come to terms with the past events that have brought them both to the Barclay estate. Mr. Barclay is a Southerner who employs Black people because they are cheaper than other forms of labor. Mr. Sitwell, the main character the reader encounters first, is the groundskeeper of the Barclay estate. Jenny, the character that narrates the second half of the novel, is the cook. They each co-mentor three Black boys to learn a trade in order to be employed outside the home. This is guised as Mr. Barclay's wife's "charitable donation" for the betterment of society though it is code for labor exploitation. This book was very well written and nuanced in terms of its portrayal of protests and the intricacies of Jim Crow era politics. Profoundly relevant! This book channels much of the politics that happened in history toward contemporary times. I really was able to see so many similarities between then and now as well as chart how the U.S. has changed tact politically. We are still fighting the same war on marginalized people despite the fact that diversity is valued now. This book was instrumental in putting many of the smaller moving parts together to think critically about race, gender, and class, and disability here and now with capitalism as the uniting factor. Hubbard illustrates how capitalism oppresses differently and specifically around race, gender, class, and disability, and that capitalism is the system that enacts race, gender, class, and disability subordination. To do that in a historical fiction novel that gripped me the whole way through is one heck of an achievement. Highly recommend for historical fiction lovers and folks who love to read from marginalized voices!

I was given an advance copy from NetGalley. Thank you for trusting me with this work. #NetGalley #TheRibKing #LadeeHubbard

I had really high hopes for this one, but it just didn't end up working for me. Don't get me wrong, there are so many incredibly important covered in this book such as racism, sexism, privilege, and xenophobia. That being said, the execution of this story just fell a bit flat for me, and I think this came down to pacing. The first part of the book was really difficult for me to get into, and I think a lot of that came down to the writing style. The second half of the book was much more interesting. I definitely would try different books by the author in the future.

Provoking storytelling. That is why I enjoyed The Rib King so much. Hubbard broaches on racial exploitation, class, ambition, and rage in a novel expertly researched and masterfully written. This book felt like a story a relative would tell you before bed, as educating as it is compelling. I listened to the audiobook and felt narrators Korey Jackson and Adenrele Ojo took me deeper into the time period and characters.

In Part one we meet August Sitwell, the groundskeeper at the Barclay house. The Barclays are a rich white family who have recently fallen on hard times. Their money is running out but the servants are being held responsible for keeping up appearances. Joining Sitwell on the all-Black staff is Miss Mamie the cook, and new maid Jennie. In addition to the staff, Mr. Barclay has brought on three Black orphan boys to "reform" as he has been doing with other boys for years, including Sitwell.

A business associate appeals to Barclay, proposing to sell Mamie's rib sauce and put Sitwell on the label. Barclay is desperate for cash and agrees.
Of course, Sitwell and Mamie will never receive any of the profits. The sauce is branded "The Rib King" featuring a grinning Sitwell on every bottle. Sitwell is content with the deal he has made until the sight of two different associates at the Barclay house brings up memories and rage that cause his emotions to boil over.

This book brings attention to how severely Black people were used in this time period. Sitwell is presented at a party to perform a trick repeatedly for white guests who praise his talent but continue to look down upon him. Any clever ideas shared were stolen or bought for a less than fair price. When Sitwell accepts the business man's offer, he unwittingly takes on a new caricature role of the Rib King.

Ten years later Jennie is the owner of her own beauty parlor and selling a beauty salve she created. A promising business prospect is lost because of her previous association with the Rib King who is expected back in town to perform one of his demonstrations. The company that owns the Rib King sauce has been disappointed with Sitwell's behavior and gives Jennie the job of solving that problem. Jennie, having no idea how to get in touch with the Rib King crosses paths with the three orphan boys from the Barclay house. Each encounter with an old acquaintance reveals more about what the Rib King has been up to these past ten years.

Jennie is a resilient woman. She had a daughter too young and managed to survive and provide a good life for her and her child. She fights her way through every obstacle with the help of friends around her. Jennie becomes the shining star of the story after being a side character in part one. It was powerful to refer to Sitwell only as the Rib King throughout part two. He became less of a character, less of a person, and more of a commodity. He was only seen as the man on the rib sauce bottle. Sitwell may have played along in his Rib King persona, but he was playing a long game and he was not the only player. When Jennie finally confronts the Rib King, the encounter becomes more than she bargained for.

I love books that make me ask, "how is the author going to bring this all together?" All the confrontations and questions start culminating near the end and Hubbard did it. She brought it all together in the last five minutes of the audiobook. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and look forward to reading more from Ladee Hubbard. The Rib King is a literary, historical novel full of rich conversation and thoughtful characters.

I really enjoyed this audiobook. The narrators were wonderful and helped to fully envelop the listener in the story. I was surprised by the ending, which is always a good thing. The book took a turn I didn't expect, but the background history (the entire first half of the book) was VERY necessary in order to fully understand the ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amistad for allowing me to read and review this book.

I thought that I would enjoy The Rib King more. The story started off very slow and I had a hard time following where it was going. If I had to provide a summary of the book, it would be difficult because I understand the plot of revenge but it was a little all over the place for me. The book begins with August Sitwell and his time as groundskeeper with the Barclays. We learn bits and pieces of his past life but they don't seem help carry the plot. But the story shifts dramatically in the middle of the book to another character, Jennie, that wasn't that prominent during the first half. The story picks up after that point but it felt rushed as well. It's almost as if the second half became purely about Jennie. The past of August Sitwell does catch up to him, but as previously stated, it all felt very rushed. Overall, the book does touch up issues of race and class which were interesting but the storyline felt disjointed in general.

I did not realize until after I finished the book that it was a sequel. I think that maybe if I had read that, I may have been able to follow the story better but I'm not sure.

This is the prequel to <b>The Talented Ribkins</b> where we are introduced to the family's patriarch August Sitwell. When I requested this book I was interested in seeing how many aspects of that book carried over:
* Examination of Race/ Class
* Unique Superpowers
* Family Bonds

Certainly, this novel deals with race relations and social justice issues. Where <b>The Talented Ribkins</b> was a contemporary novel that also centered on the Civil Rights Movement, <b>The Rib King</b> is set in the early 1900s. Our protagonists are black servants working for an affluent white family that has fallen on hard times. Hubbard uses this construct to emphasize power structures not only between race and class, but among the oppressed. Although both Sitwell and Bart have special "talents" there is not as much "magic" in <b>The Rib King</b> as there was in <b>The Talented Ribkins</b>. Here family is not based on biological relations, but on those you depend on for safety, survival and comfort.

<b>The Rib King</b> is divided into two halves. The first part is told by August Sitwell and the second is from the perspective of Jennie Williams ten years later. I walked into this book yearning to know more about the Ribkins family so I was more beholden by the first half despite its slower pace. Both of our narrators make decisions without having the full picture. In the first half Sitwell makes many mistakes but in his mind he was doing what was best for his "found family". Unfortunately, the fates of the servants were so intertwined that his missteps impacted everyone. In the second half there is much talk about "Associations." Everyone seems concerned with how their associations make them look. Instead of telling the truth and revealing what they know, they worry over the potential consequences. In this second novel, Hubbard has more historical references. Erasure and cultural appropriation are at the forefront.

Because of recent events my emotions and thoughts were all over the place. Many parts of this book rang true for the present even though it is supposed to be centered on a time period 100 years in the past. That said, I would definitely urge readers to pick this one up.

A wild story with super vivid characters! But it felt like the action was over as soon as it began. There was so much buildup, and most of the serious drama occurred off-page and was relayed to the reader after the fact. As a result, even though the story's concept was incredible, it felt weirdly clinical and anticlimactic. I actually had a lot more fun describing this wild plot to my (long-suffering) sister and watching her reactions to all the twists than I did reading it.