Set in small town Mississippi in the late 1950s, Mother of Pearl is populated by wonderfully rich and original characters with themes of identity and the true meaning of family interwoven throughout. The story revolves around 28-year-old Even Grade, a black man who grew up an orphan, and Valuable Komer, a 15-year-old white girl who is the daughter of the town whore and an unknown father. Their paths cross through Joody Two Sun, a seer, who becomes Even's lover. Both Even and Valuable are seeking the family, love, and commitment they never had, and their search ultimately takes both of them to places they never dreamed they'd go.
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"This is a rich and poignant story about life in the deep south in the mid-1950's. There are several stories woven into detailed descriptions of life in rural Mississippi with deep and personal insights into familial, friendship, sexual and race relationships." — Paula (5 out of 5 stars)
"This is a rich and poignant story about life in the deep south in the mid-1950's. There are several stories woven into detailed descriptions of life in rural Mississippi with deep and personal insights into familial, friendship, sexual and race relationships."
" This was a pretty good book. It's interesting how the two groups grow and blend together through the twists and turns. a decent historical fictions on the late 1950s if you like this period. "
" read 400 pages and realized that i didn't even want to finish it. i think the author was going for a toni morrison thing but it didn't work for me. "
" So far this has been a SLOW read in that it's like reading poetry in Novel form and you want to savor it... "
" I read this book when I was pretty young. It was good, not great, not bad...just good. The characters were interesting and well developed..a bit slow at times, but over all...a GOOD book. "
" Did not like or finish. A rarity for me. "
" What an uneventful story...took so long to develop the characters and the story. Their relation to each other, the climax and the end was completed in less than 100 pages of a 400 page book. Sorry Oprah this one didn't excite me! "
" Couldn't get into, it. Boring. "
" Mother of Peal is a very moving book. It looks at a life through several people and their circumstances. Still rolls around my mind. "
" This was a good book, it held my interest. Some parts were a little bizarre and still not sure why they were in the story. I truly did love the main characters in the book. "
" I absolutely loved this book. The attention to detail with diction and description add to the discussion of race and society's estimation of "morality". Well written and executed. "
" I read this but honestly don't remember much about it! "
" I really enjoyed this story. About racism, secrets and what if's. "
" I had a hard time getting into this book initially, but it did get better towards the end. "
" 25.5 850 pp from TBR "
" I loved this character study of the South. It reminded me why I love great literature. "
" Not a well known book, discussed in my book club. I liked it. "
" Read this a long time ago, a Oprah book club pick. It was a page turner! "
" I had a tough time getting through some of the language in this book. There were many phrases that were difficult to interpret. Overall this was a very good book. "
" A very different story for me, I am glad I read it. But, it is on the down side. OPRAH - maybe she is too happy now? LOL!! "
" the characters were awesome. "
" I didn't really like this. I don't remember it too much, but I know I got it from my mother - in - law and she didn't really think too much of it either. "
" Lots of characters, but once I got into the book I really enjoyed it. "
" Beautifully written. Rich detail. Engaging characters. "
" Great book....set in Mississippi....read it a long time ago. Time to read it again? "
" Wow is all I can say. Wow what an awful book. Confusing; the characters are numerous and I feel were never introduced into the plot correctly. Story just jumps all over the place. The language not comprehendible to me. Felt like I needed a "language of the mississippi" dictionary or something. "
" To many intertwining plots and characters "
" So beautiful and heart-wrenching. "
" It got an extra star cuz I'm still reading it despite it all "
" Really enjoyed this book and can't imagine why it took me so long to pick up and read. "
" I really enjoy this book. "
" This book was excellent! I can see why Oprah picked it for her book club. Fascinating. "
" Left me wondering and searching for more books about the race issue of the 1950 era south. Compelling, hard, and all to true. "
" I liked the writing style,but the story was so dark ,it stayed with me for awhile.Not in a good way ,either.Too sad for me. "
" You know how people say they "couldn't put it down"? Well, I "couldn't pick it up". I don't remember why, because it has been a while, but I do know I tried several times to get into this book...no luck. "
" Feeling a bit confused but liking that feeling "
" I read this based upon a recommendation and because it was part of the Oprah book club. It was average at best. It is not the type of book I typically enjoy. I would not recommend it for a leisurely read. "
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