"The Story of Ruth" is a first person narrative about the life and journey of an African American woman who grew up in the deep south during the Jim Crow era. Ruth Smith was an only child who was very close to her mother and father. They moved north leaving her in Mississippi at the age of 17. In 1948, Ruth and her young husband and baby eventually migrated north also in pursuit of the American Dream, but more importantly to be closer to her parents. She was a devoted wife and mother and after being a homemaker for many years, she worked in hospitality. She was the mother of six children who gave her a multitude of grand-, great- and great-great grand-children. At the time, and shortly before her untimely and tragic death at the age of 80, she was happy to have cast her vote for Barack Obama, the first African American US President.

This book shares historical facts intertwined with racism, despair, heartbreak and the trials and tribulations Ruth Smith faced as an African American woman in America.