Pearl

By: Siân Hughes

Narrated by: Laura Brydon

LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2023

Marianne is eight years old when her mother goes missing. Left behind with her baby brother and grieving father in a ramshackle house on the edge of a small village, she clings to the fragmented memories of her mother’s love; the smell of fresh herbs, the games they played, and the songs and stories of her childhood.

As time passes, Marianne struggles to adjust, fixated on her mother’s disappearance and the secrets she’s sure her father is keeping from her. Discovering a medieval poem called Pearl and trusting in its promise of consolation, Marianne sets out to make a visual illustration of it, a task that she returns to over and over but somehow never manages to complete.

Tormented by an unmarked gravestone in an abandoned chapel and the tidal pull of the river, her childhood home begins to crumble as the past leads her down a path of self-destruction. But can art heal Marianne? And will her own future as a mother help her find peace?

©2023 Siân Hughes (P)2023 W. F. Howes Ltd

I was mesmerized

When someone someone takes their life, they don’t only steal their future out from under our feet, they desecrate their past.It makes it hard to hold onto the good things about them. And no one deserves to be judged on the worst five minutes of their life, even if it turns out those five minutes were the of their life.”

That quote sums up the story in the book Pearl. This gem exudes, profound sadness on so many levels. The disappearance of Marianne’s mother when she was eight years old affected her throughout her life.
Her search for love throughout her life was based on the void left by her mother. I listened to this on audible and was mesmerized by the narrator and her interpretation of the words written by.Sian Hughes.

How her father and little brother (who was an infant when her mother disappeared) coped while deeply felt paled to that of Marianne. It was she who remembered her mother and the love and happiness with which she surrounded her family.

I found myself in tears during the last chapter as the adult Marianne reminisced about her mother and the probable cause of her disappearance. I’ll be thinking of this book and its messages of love for a long time.

Puzzling

Hints of Goldfinch. I found it puzzling in parts but it all comes together in the end. Sad. A rather dark book that leads to an ending of acceptance and moving forward.

Excellent and creative writing

Enjoyed tremendously reading this sad story of loss told so poetically and with unforgettable rawness.

Mysterious and beautiful

I did not like the voice at first but she really grew on me. This story was so genuine and heartfelt. I really loved it. I could not help thinking about Luna Lovegood from HP. Why is difference so threatening to most people. Live and thrive 🥰

one of the best books I've read

I read more than 100 books a year and this is now in my top 20.

You can absolutely tell this author is a poet, AND the story/events were interesting through the whole thing.

gorgeous ending

highly recommend