Pearl

Now here's a writer who knows how to write an engrossing story with real character development. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and the prequel, "The Book of Reuben". Tabitha King invited the reader to meet an unusual yet very interesting group of people. Mrs. King's descriptive and clear narrative style is such a welcome change to other interracial romance stories that I've read. She really made the reader feel that they were a part of her characters lives and as a reader one really wanted to know about their lives in Nodd's Ridge, Maine. I think Reuben Styles is one of the most sexiest, sweet, vulnerable and yet strong males I've ever been introduced to and he and Pearl were meant for each other. I fell in love with him myself. Pearl was a woman of purpose and very captivating. No one was larger than life, breathtakingly beautiful or facing horrific or outrageous challenges. Just living life was challenging enough. Simplicity goes a long way and I as a reader appreciate simplicity. I couldn't put it down. It is an interracial love story but, the romance is treated realistically and maturely and the interracial love story is not the only important story being told. Nothing unbelievable, sophomoric or just plain annoying was any where in this book. It's become one of my favorites and I'm so glad it was recommended to me. You really should meet Reuben, Pearl and all the other inhabitants of Nodd's Ridge, Maine.

This book is so rich and engrossing. This is one of my books that I always go back to periodically. It is also the second book I've looked up only to find out that it is out of print or stock. Please look for it, buy it, read and enjoy.

Pearl Dickenson inherits the home and land of her great-uncle Joe, who she never had the chance to meet. On the spur of the moment, while taking care of Uncle Joe's funeral arrangements, Pearl decides to live in his house rather than sell it. Even though Pearl is "from away" she fits in with many of the inhabitants of the small Maine town. All of sudden, after three years of having no gentlemen friends, there are two men on the horizon. The two are very different from one another, but both have a lot to offer Pearl--and both have their own troubled pasts.PEARL is not a fast-paced action-packed read. It is a novel of setting and character, a slice-of-life story that lets the reader live in small town Maine for a while. The characters are funny and real, and Pearl is so likable that one has to keep reading and share her life. Tabitha King doesn't fool around with sex issues, either: she faces them head-on, and most of the love scenes are poetic while retaining their reality. The author has some interesting things to say about sex, love, friendship, family, and caring, but never says them in a preachy, intrusive way. PEARL is a smooth, leisurely, thought-provoking read.Kimberly Borrowdale Under the Covers Book Reviews

From chapter one, this book hooks you into the life and loves of Pearl, an amazing person, but with human frailties. One can identify with her and you find yourself rooting for her throughout. Which of the men in her life will she choose? Or will she lose them both? The characters are interesting and believable. Pearl is enigmatic, as is the book. It has been, undoubtedly, one of the best books i have read in a long time. It was my first Tabitha King book, but certainly won't be my last. A very satisfying read.

I have given "Pearl" to several friends as gifts and she has quickly wound her way into all of our hearts. A warm, witty and smartly crafted novel, "Pearl" and its siblings extend the Nodd's Ridge boundaries; creating a place as familiar and fondly remembered as your own hometown. Well-paced and with outstanding characterization, this book, as well as Ms. King's other novels, is definitely recommended reading