Barrie Graeber has two great kids, a loving husband, and a respected job as the high school counselor in her close-knit community. Then, without warning, everything unravels when her teenage daughter, Pearl, is betrayed by friends and lashes out.
Barrie’s attempts to steer her daughter back on course fail. Nothing prepares this mother for the helplessness that follows when Pearl shuts her out . . . or when the unthinkable comes to light about her nemesis, the football coach.
Kellie Coates Gilbert is a former legal investigator and trial paralegal who writes with a sympathetic, intimate knowledge of how people react under pressure. Kellie’s books tell emotionally poignant stories about women in life-changing circumstances. She writes about messy lives . . . and eternal hope.
Kellie currently makes her home in Dallas, Texas.
Her latest book is the Christian fiction, Mother of Pearl.
Visit her online at www.kelliecoatesgilbert.com.
Connect with her on Twitter at: https://www.twitter.com/#!/KCoatesGilbert
Like her at Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/kelliecoatesgilbert
Purchase your copy of Mother of Pearl at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Mother-Pearl-Kellie-Coates-Gilbert/dp/1426733437/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1348334991&sr=8-2&keywords=mother+of+pearl
Pick up your copy of Mother of Pearl at the publisher’s website: http://www.abingdonpress.com/forms/DynamicContent.aspx?id=160&pageid=698
Purchase your copy of Mother of Pearl at Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mother-of-pearl-kellie-coates-gilbert/1108857097
My Impressions:
Mother of Pearl was an emotional read for me. The subject matter, the loss of a child, was wrenching. Barrie Graeber struggles with the loss of her teenaged daughter, an ordeal her friends and family members want to hurry along. But it is the unanswered questions that torment Barrie the most. And nothing can compare with the loneliness of her walk in grief.
I found Mother of Pearl a riveting read. It sure tugged at the emotions, but was so real in the reactions of the characters. Our first child was stillborn and my husband and I found that grief takes many forms and is walked through at different rates. Kellie Coates Gilbert brings that to life in a way that I could certainly identify with. The other part of the story — just what happened to Barrie’s daughter, Pearl — is suspenseful. So suspenseful that I could not turn the pages fast enough towards the end.
Besides the realistic characterization of Barrie, her husband, son, and friends, I loved the character of Jackie. Here is a character you could love to hate — beautiful, wealthy, put together and a regular Martha Stewart. But Barrie comes to find that Jackie is the real deal — a woman who lives her faith and is loyal to those she loves. I found this character refreshing among the other friends that Barrie has.
So should you read Mother of Pearl? I say yes! The storyline is relevant, the characters are well-developed and realistic, and the writing is great. But realize your emotions will take a hit and the Kleenex box may be emptied by the end of the book!
Recommended.
(I received Mother of Pearl from Pump Up Your Book in return for an honest review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.)
Mother of Pearl Virtual Book Publicity Tour Schedule
Monday, October 1
Book Spotlight at Reviews by Molly
Tuesday, October 2
Book Review at A Peek at My Bookshelf
Wednesday, October 3
Book Spotlight & Book Giveaway at Captivated Reading
Thursday, October 4
Book Review at A Year of Jubilee Reviews
Friday, October 5
Book Review & Book Giveaway at Mary’s Cup of Tea
Tuesday, October 9
Book Review at The Mary Reader
Wednesday, October 10
Book Review & Book Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages
Thursday, October 11
Book Review at Blooming With Books
Friday, October 12
Guest Blogging at The Phantom Paragrapher
Monday, October 15
Book Spotlight at Between the Covers
Tuesday, October 16
Book Review at By the Book
Wednesday, October 17
Book Review & Guest Blogging at Jersey Girl Book Reviews
Thursday, October 18
Book Review at Splashes of Joy
Friday, October 19
Book Review & Interview at Hardcover Feedback
Monday, October 22
Guest Blogging at The Paperback Pursuer
Tuesday, October 23
Book Spotlight & Book Giveaway at 4 the Love of Books
Wednesday, October 24
Book Spotlight & Book Giveaway at Celtic Lady’s Book Reviews
Thursday, October 25
Book Review at A Room Without Books is Empty
Interview at Examiner
Friday, October 26
Book Review at The Bunny’s Reviews
Tuesday, October 30
Guest Blogging at The Story Behind the Book
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