Ruggles of Red Gap

"Ruggles of Red Gap" by Harry Leon Wilson is a funny story set in the early 1900s. It’s about a British valet named Ruggles, working for the Honourable George Augustus Vane-Basingwell, whose life turns upside down after a poker game gone wrong. When George loses a bet, Ruggles becomes the unexpected "prize" for an American family, the Flouds. The story seems to be a lighthearted look at the differences between British and American cultures, especially how people from different social classes interact. The book starts with Ruggles getting George ready for a night out in Paris, and their conversations give you a peek into George's gambling problems and Ruggles' dry wit. Ruggles even mentions a fortune teller's prediction, adding a hint of mystery that something big is about to change his life. As the story moves forward, Ruggles is thrown into a series of strange and funny situations, suggesting he'll have to learn how to fit in and find his place in a totally new world.