Jo Knowles

Pearl

Henry Holt

 

 

 

 

From the publisher: 

“Love can be a lot like a soap opera. Pearl (aka Bean) has watched enough hours of the TV version to know all about sudden plot twists and dark secrets... But this is real life, not a TV drama, and some things are too important to lose.”

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Reviews:

 

“A touching family melodrama about the corrosive nature of secrets and the cleansing power of honesty.” —Kirkus

 

“Knowles has perfectly told an intriguing story of dysfunctional characters who cannot, will not, or are unable to communicate because of fear...fear of learning the truth, fear of hurting others, fear of losing love.” 

—VOYA

 

The book's forthright, first-person narrative and believable dialogue will draw readers into her story, from the wretchedly botched funeral to the head-spinning glimpses into her mother's teen years to the heartache and fear that her family's history may have tainted Henry and clouded their future. —Booklist

 

"Bean’s grief at learning the unfortunate situation surrounding her birth and its ramifications is deftly rendered, offering up a raw, unmitigated picture of a little girl lost...the hopefulness of Henry and Bean’s relationship is a welcome bit of optimism in this evocative tale that is sure to linger with readers." 

—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

 

“PEARL is so many things… it’s part family drama, part romance, and part mystery. It’s peopled with characters so rich, so beautifully imperfect, that it’s hard to believe they’re not real.” —Kate Messner, author of Sugar and Ice

 

“Jo Knowles has crafted an incredible cast of characters here: Bean, Henry, Sally, Mom, and the others are all quite human. That means that there is fragility and strength, laughter and tears, love and hate, trust and suspicion that fuels how all of these people interact...Quiet, powerful, and absorbing: this is a novel that will, like that tiny piece of grit, gnaw on the reader, driving her forward to find the pearl that awaits.” 

—Teri Lesesne, author of Reading Ladders

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Awards:

 

• YALSA Best Fiction For Young Adults

• A New England SCBWI Crystal Kite Winner

• Bank Street College's 2012 Best Books For Children