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Mother of Pearl
Capturing all the rueful irony and racial ambivalence of small-town Mississippi in the late 1950s, Melinda Haynes' celebrated novel is a wholly unforgettable exploration of family, identity, and redemption. Mother of Pearl revolves around twenty-eight-year-old Even Grade, a black man who grew up an orphan, and Valuable Korner, the fifteen-year-old white daughter of the town whore and an unknown father. Both are passionately determined to discover the precious things neither experienced as children: human connection, enduring commitment, and, above all, unconditional love. A startlingly accomplished mixture of beauty, mystery, and tragedy, Mother of Pearl marks the debut of an extraordinary literary talent. (Oprah's Book Club)
465 pages, Paperback
First published June 2, 1999
184 people are currently reading
15604 people want to read
About the author
Melinda Haynes
15 books73 followersMelinda Haynes is an American novelist. She grew up in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. For much of her adult life she was a painter. In 1999, she wrote her first published novel, Mother of Pearl, while living in a mobile home in Grand Bay, Alabama. Melinda Haynes currently resides in Mobile, Alabama with her husband, Ray. Her writing has a close relationship to Mississippi in the 1950s and 1960s.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 554 reviews
November 20, 2015
Set in Petal, Mississippi during the 1950's, Mother of Pearl is a story about finding love and the connections between individuals regardless of our differences. These connections are particularly meaningful in a time and place where racial tensions and prejudice are very pronounced. Even Grade is a black man born to unknown parents. He builds a relationship with Joody Two Sun, an eccentric woman with Native American roots and an ability to "read" the past and future lives of the people she encounters. Valuable Korner is a white teenage girl whose mother is a loose woman that drifts in and out of her life; her father remains unknown and unnamed to her. She seeks companionship with a childhood friend, Jackson. Unbeknownst to the two of them, Valuable and Jackson are actually half-siblings; family members that keep this knowledge from them are causing them more harm than good - particularly when the two realize they have fallen in love. This did not exactly sit well with me; I wanted to shout out for someone to please let them know before this goes too far! An abundance of additional characters are introduced, each with his or her own distinct idiosyncrasies.
I struggled a bit with this book. It took quite some time for me to become interested in the characters and the plot. Once I understood where this might be going, I decided to continue and follow through to the end. The dialect was tough to get used to and parts of the story seemed just too fragmented; it didn’t really flow well for me. There were many characters and for the most part I did not feel many of them were well-developed. There was a thread of magical realism running through the book that somehow just did not work for me; I couldn’t really buy into it. Despite these criticisms, there were some things I liked about this book - vivid imagery, a touch of humor resulting from the bantering between Even and his neighbor Canaan, the bond eventually created between Even and Valuable, the connections made between several of these characters which defied the overlying prejudices and segregation in the small town, and an important decision which was made at the end of this novel. Overall I would say this book was okay - it had potential but just seemed too unpolished and choppy for me to truly enjoy it.
2.5 stars
I struggled a bit with this book. It took quite some time for me to become interested in the characters and the plot. Once I understood where this might be going, I decided to continue and follow through to the end. The dialect was tough to get used to and parts of the story seemed just too fragmented; it didn’t really flow well for me. There were many characters and for the most part I did not feel many of them were well-developed. There was a thread of magical realism running through the book that somehow just did not work for me; I couldn’t really buy into it. Despite these criticisms, there were some things I liked about this book - vivid imagery, a touch of humor resulting from the bantering between Even and his neighbor Canaan, the bond eventually created between Even and Valuable, the connections made between several of these characters which defied the overlying prejudices and segregation in the small town, and an important decision which was made at the end of this novel. Overall I would say this book was okay - it had potential but just seemed too unpolished and choppy for me to truly enjoy it.
2.5 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2008
For some reason you want to keep reading it. Not because you're hoping for an explanation or a story or a plot. But because you want to know what in the world possessed the author to write a book that makes no sense.
December 16, 2017
In this world of transient fads and media hype, books endure. One can discover and enjoy a book written decades, even centuries ago. Time does not diminish the impact of a great story.
I happened on Mother of Pearl at a used book sale. It was cheap enough that I didn’t spend much time debating. I just tossed it into my basket with the other dozen volumes I’d found. I didn’t realize I’d acquired a treasure until maybe a year later, when I began reading.
Mother of Pearl is a complex, lyrical, emotionally intense novel that doesn’t really fit into any genre category. Set in the small town of Petal, Mississippi in the mid nineteen fifties, it evokes a strong sense of place. Yet at the same time the conflicts and themes Ms. Haynes explores are universal.
It’s a bit difficult to summarize the plot of Mother of Pearl. Many events occur during its 500 or so pages, but the book is driven by the characters and their interactions. Central to the book is fourteen year old Valuable Korner, the precocious daughter of the town slut and an unknown father. She has grown up with her best friend Jackson McLain, but puberty has changed their relationship, bringing dangerous and confusing desires.
Meanwhile Even Grade, a black man from the next state, settles in Petal. A serious, intelligent sort, he wins the love of local witchy woman Joody TwoSun, who lives in the forest by the creek. Joody can read people, but she can’t read Even. That’s one reason she loves him. She can see that Valuable is headed for tragedy. However, knowledge doesn’t necessarily give you the power to change someone’s fate.
Then there’s elderly Canaan Mosley, the self-educated janitor of the Petal library, who has been working for years on his “thesis”, entitled “The Reality of the Negro”; and wealthy, cautious Neva, Jackson’s lesbian aunt, who lives with her frivolous partner Beatrice in a forbidding mansion near the river and nurses her secrets. And sleek, dark-skinned Grace, competent, calm, spending her life in service to white folks while nursing her own dreams. And teenaged Joleb, Jackson’s hapless sidekick, who finds a sort of wisdom in madness.
Each character in Mother of Pearl is vivid, real, and multi-faceted. Though their world could hardly be more different than mine, I felt that in some sense I understood them. As the strands of history and emotion entangle and connect them, I found myself swept along, like twigs in the River Leaf at flood.
Ms. Hayne’s prose is beautiful and evocative. She excels both at description and at dialogue. In particular, I loved her portrayal of the growing attraction between Valuable and Jackson, and its ultimate consummation. Teenage sex is a forbidden theme in erotica, of course, but perfectly permissible in literature. In this case, the book pulled me into their desperate confusion, making me feel the breathless, scary exhilaration of first love.
Mother of Pearl is not an easy book to read, categorize or review. Readers on Amazon have ranked it from puzzled or frustrated one-stars to ecstatic five-stars. The novel doesn’t flinch from darkness. It includes some violence, both human and natural. It deals with difficult topics. Although it’s a realistic book, it shimmers with hidden magic. Perhaps this is the overarching theme—that the world is simultaneously painful and full of wonder.
Really, I’m having a hard time conveying how much I loved this book, or why. I guess you need to read it yourself.
I happened on Mother of Pearl at a used book sale. It was cheap enough that I didn’t spend much time debating. I just tossed it into my basket with the other dozen volumes I’d found. I didn’t realize I’d acquired a treasure until maybe a year later, when I began reading.
Mother of Pearl is a complex, lyrical, emotionally intense novel that doesn’t really fit into any genre category. Set in the small town of Petal, Mississippi in the mid nineteen fifties, it evokes a strong sense of place. Yet at the same time the conflicts and themes Ms. Haynes explores are universal.
It’s a bit difficult to summarize the plot of Mother of Pearl. Many events occur during its 500 or so pages, but the book is driven by the characters and their interactions. Central to the book is fourteen year old Valuable Korner, the precocious daughter of the town slut and an unknown father. She has grown up with her best friend Jackson McLain, but puberty has changed their relationship, bringing dangerous and confusing desires.
Meanwhile Even Grade, a black man from the next state, settles in Petal. A serious, intelligent sort, he wins the love of local witchy woman Joody TwoSun, who lives in the forest by the creek. Joody can read people, but she can’t read Even. That’s one reason she loves him. She can see that Valuable is headed for tragedy. However, knowledge doesn’t necessarily give you the power to change someone’s fate.
Then there’s elderly Canaan Mosley, the self-educated janitor of the Petal library, who has been working for years on his “thesis”, entitled “The Reality of the Negro”; and wealthy, cautious Neva, Jackson’s lesbian aunt, who lives with her frivolous partner Beatrice in a forbidding mansion near the river and nurses her secrets. And sleek, dark-skinned Grace, competent, calm, spending her life in service to white folks while nursing her own dreams. And teenaged Joleb, Jackson’s hapless sidekick, who finds a sort of wisdom in madness.
Each character in Mother of Pearl is vivid, real, and multi-faceted. Though their world could hardly be more different than mine, I felt that in some sense I understood them. As the strands of history and emotion entangle and connect them, I found myself swept along, like twigs in the River Leaf at flood.
Ms. Hayne’s prose is beautiful and evocative. She excels both at description and at dialogue. In particular, I loved her portrayal of the growing attraction between Valuable and Jackson, and its ultimate consummation. Teenage sex is a forbidden theme in erotica, of course, but perfectly permissible in literature. In this case, the book pulled me into their desperate confusion, making me feel the breathless, scary exhilaration of first love.
Mother of Pearl is not an easy book to read, categorize or review. Readers on Amazon have ranked it from puzzled or frustrated one-stars to ecstatic five-stars. The novel doesn’t flinch from darkness. It includes some violence, both human and natural. It deals with difficult topics. Although it’s a realistic book, it shimmers with hidden magic. Perhaps this is the overarching theme—that the world is simultaneously painful and full of wonder.
Really, I’m having a hard time conveying how much I loved this book, or why. I guess you need to read it yourself.
March 5, 2008
It makes me sad that this is the only book in probably the last 20+ years that I just put down and never finished. I just absolutely could not get into it. Boring!
February 11, 2008
Melinda Haynes has taken on a Herculean task, crafting a multicharacter story that reaches across racial barriers to encompass an entire community. She doesn't shy away from the ugliness in life--bigotry of every stripe, mean-spiritedness, betrayal, thoughtless cruelty, and death--but what interests her is the potential of the human heart to find space within itself for the most unexpected people. With its strong, lyrical language and fully realized characters, Mother of Pearl is a fine novel and a terrific introduction to a new literary voice. --Alix Wilber --
Frankly I couldn't say it any better than Alix so just read what he wrote.
Frankly I couldn't say it any better than Alix so just read what he wrote.
July 26, 2012
I just can't read this book, I probably shouldn't even write a view because I am only 25 pages in. I am an avid reader! I have read so many books, and I read fast...I bought Mother of Pearl at a local bookstore in their used section. It caught my attention because it is on Oprah's Book Club. I have been trying to read this book for 7 months! I can't do it. In the meantime I have read many other books...every time I finish a book I, of course, need a new one to start. So every single time I pick up Mother of Pearl. I am only able to read about 2 pages at a time and then I am done.
I feel that it so jumbled together, the pages don't make sense. I have to re-read almost every page trying to make sense of why one line is about certain characters, and the next line about different characters. I see that there are many mixed reviews on this book, maybe you need to like a specific genre to be intrigued by Mother of Pearl. I am really not sure, because I like ALL different types of genres. I especially enjoy books that are written about the south. Although I find segregation and slavery a hard topic, I have always enjoyed movies, books, articles, etc. about this era. And by reading the book flaps about the book, I thought this would be one I would enjoy.
As of right now, I can't read it! It's too boring, and too much to follow. Maybe one day I will get farther and have a better review. I'm 25 pages in and the only thing I have made sense of is the character Valuable who's mom is pretty much the town whore. Her grandmother that raised her has passed away...and that is all I have learned in 25 long pages!
I feel that it so jumbled together, the pages don't make sense. I have to re-read almost every page trying to make sense of why one line is about certain characters, and the next line about different characters. I see that there are many mixed reviews on this book, maybe you need to like a specific genre to be intrigued by Mother of Pearl. I am really not sure, because I like ALL different types of genres. I especially enjoy books that are written about the south. Although I find segregation and slavery a hard topic, I have always enjoyed movies, books, articles, etc. about this era. And by reading the book flaps about the book, I thought this would be one I would enjoy.
As of right now, I can't read it! It's too boring, and too much to follow. Maybe one day I will get farther and have a better review. I'm 25 pages in and the only thing I have made sense of is the character Valuable who's mom is pretty much the town whore. Her grandmother that raised her has passed away...and that is all I have learned in 25 long pages!
April 1, 2012
I'm going to begin my review by quoting from some of the jacket blurbs, to give you a sense of how well received this first time novelist was with her beautiful piece of work.
From the Chicago Tribune: "Remarkable." From The Plain Dealer in Cleveland: "Haynes is the real thing, a true artist, a genuine writer, and in this book, at least, a genius....MOTHER OF PEARL transports us to the wilds of a different world." From Publishers Weekly: "In prose both rugged and beautiful, Haynes plumbs the secrets of the South in her stunning debut novel...She is fearless in portraying her characters flaws, their pettiness and racism, their erring thoughts, but she's also merciful, letting them grow and change during the course of the narrative,,,This wise, luminous novel demonstrates her great gifts-for language, courageous storytelling, and compassion." And from Booklist (starred review): Both richly humorous and deeply tragic, this story leaves one wiser, and makes one understand something meaningful and important about life and human nature. Haynes speaks the truth in a story that is astonishingly powerful." Now, to MY review.
I don't cry. I'm just not an emotional person. One thing my mother is always sure to tell me, "You're just like your father." Meaning I am too stoic, unemotional. Point being, I was NOT unemotional while reading this haunting, multi-layered, so very deeply Southern book. As a matter of fact, I had real tears falling down my face, I was fearful of choking on pent-up sobs! This is not such an easy thing to admit.
As a matter of fact, not giving any spoilers away, I was so immersed in this world of hot, steamy, racially charged, small town Petal, Mississippi in the early 1950s that when tragedy REALLY struck 3/4 the way through, and I was so emotionally drained, I literally had to throw the book down. I just couldn't take any more of the heartache right then. I just needed a little breather. That's how real her characterizations are. All her "people" are fully realized and simply come alive and burst off the page.
You ARE in Petal, Mississippi and it's hot and lazy and the town is divided and their are so many secrets. I do have this to say, this book is truly a work of art. Even the names she gives them are true. The heroine is young Valuable Corner, who has problems being named after a real estate sign. She is the daughter of the town whore, who leaves town soon after her birth, and she is left to be raised by her grandmother, Luvenia. There is heartache for Valuable when Luvenia passes on and Enid, her mother, comes slinking back to town.
Even Grade is a young black man just trying to make do in the world. His best friend is an older man, Cannan Mosely, who has been writing a discourse for years, "The Reality of The Negro" and is enamored with Greek Mythology. This leaves him at a disconnect with virtually all of his peers and leads to a lot of soul searching on his part. A young half Indian, half Black Voodoo/Shaman woman, Joody Two Sun comes breezing into town, staying down by the river. She sees far and brings with her many changes. This is but a tiny peek into the world of Petal, Mississippi, a tiny town...filled with big secrets.
From the Chicago Tribune: "Remarkable." From The Plain Dealer in Cleveland: "Haynes is the real thing, a true artist, a genuine writer, and in this book, at least, a genius....MOTHER OF PEARL transports us to the wilds of a different world." From Publishers Weekly: "In prose both rugged and beautiful, Haynes plumbs the secrets of the South in her stunning debut novel...She is fearless in portraying her characters flaws, their pettiness and racism, their erring thoughts, but she's also merciful, letting them grow and change during the course of the narrative,,,This wise, luminous novel demonstrates her great gifts-for language, courageous storytelling, and compassion." And from Booklist (starred review): Both richly humorous and deeply tragic, this story leaves one wiser, and makes one understand something meaningful and important about life and human nature. Haynes speaks the truth in a story that is astonishingly powerful." Now, to MY review.
I don't cry. I'm just not an emotional person. One thing my mother is always sure to tell me, "You're just like your father." Meaning I am too stoic, unemotional. Point being, I was NOT unemotional while reading this haunting, multi-layered, so very deeply Southern book. As a matter of fact, I had real tears falling down my face, I was fearful of choking on pent-up sobs! This is not such an easy thing to admit.
As a matter of fact, not giving any spoilers away, I was so immersed in this world of hot, steamy, racially charged, small town Petal, Mississippi in the early 1950s that when tragedy REALLY struck 3/4 the way through, and I was so emotionally drained, I literally had to throw the book down. I just couldn't take any more of the heartache right then. I just needed a little breather. That's how real her characterizations are. All her "people" are fully realized and simply come alive and burst off the page.
You ARE in Petal, Mississippi and it's hot and lazy and the town is divided and their are so many secrets. I do have this to say, this book is truly a work of art. Even the names she gives them are true. The heroine is young Valuable Corner, who has problems being named after a real estate sign. She is the daughter of the town whore, who leaves town soon after her birth, and she is left to be raised by her grandmother, Luvenia. There is heartache for Valuable when Luvenia passes on and Enid, her mother, comes slinking back to town.
Even Grade is a young black man just trying to make do in the world. His best friend is an older man, Cannan Mosely, who has been writing a discourse for years, "The Reality of The Negro" and is enamored with Greek Mythology. This leaves him at a disconnect with virtually all of his peers and leads to a lot of soul searching on his part. A young half Indian, half Black Voodoo/Shaman woman, Joody Two Sun comes breezing into town, staying down by the river. She sees far and brings with her many changes. This is but a tiny peek into the world of Petal, Mississippi, a tiny town...filled with big secrets.
May 14, 2012
I bought this book used so I didn't know it was an Oprah selection until I read some of the reviews on Amazon. I was a little confused by some of the bad reviews here until I read a few of them. I have to say that I was on the fence with this one for the first 100 pages (seems to be a common complaint) but after that I was hooked. Give this one a good try if you have trouble with it because it WILL come together.
I've lived in the South all of my life and I thought many of the characters reminded me of people I've know over the years. Racism was not (and will not) be gone overnight, but people like the characters in this book make that happen. Sometimes it takes tragedy to force you to be around other races, but if this is what it takes to make you realize that they are not really that much different, then the sorrow might just be worth it. The south has always gotten a bad rap for being racist, and while I'm not saying horrible things haven't happened here, I just don't think we had more than everyone else.
Great book! I want to find other works written by Melinda Haynes.
I've lived in the South all of my life and I thought many of the characters reminded me of people I've know over the years. Racism was not (and will not) be gone overnight, but people like the characters in this book make that happen. Sometimes it takes tragedy to force you to be around other races, but if this is what it takes to make you realize that they are not really that much different, then the sorrow might just be worth it. The south has always gotten a bad rap for being racist, and while I'm not saying horrible things haven't happened here, I just don't think we had more than everyone else.
Great book! I want to find other works written by Melinda Haynes.
January 10, 2016
#woof what a tome. This was another in a long list of books that I was compelled to add to my “Want To Read” list a couple of years ago which I can’t for the life of me figure out/understand. Like, Oprah’s Book Club? Typically, these are three words that would send me in the other direction if only because I often find the books she likes to be overtly preachy, or fanatical, or over-the-top emotional and I just can’t get behind that type of book right naw, you know? But it was one of the first books I added, I didn’t want to be a quitter, and I had a long weekend, so I figured I might as well plow through it.
Considering I really expected to not enjoy this book at all, a 3 out of 5 ain’t bad, but this book took me SO. LONG. to get into. Like, at least the first hundred and fifty pages. I just could not figure out how all of the characters were related or what the actual POINT of the book was, and the writing style was just not something I could get into, dialogue wise and whatnot. I went into it thinking it was about like, race wars and segregation and stuff? Nope – turns out it’s more about all of the incest and weird voodoo stuff going on in Mississippi at the time which, you know, is fine I guess, but not what I thought I had signed up for. And I just had a really hard time figuring out who everyone was, what made them tick, how they were connected, and all that jazz. Yes, eventually I seemed to pick up on some semblance of plot/direction/etc. and kind of went with that, and there were indeed pretty huge chunks that I found really interesting, but anything to do with Joody or Canaan and I was all #peacehaterz
I think it’s hilarious to see how many people didn’t even finish this book. Like scrolling through the reviews, people are really crucifying it and that is hilarious to me, just because I had to steel my nerves to pick it up and read it, and had anticipated hating it so much, and can see why people wouldn’t be able to get through the first hundred pages. I mean, for a book that’s gotten such high praise and was endorsed by OPRAH for crying out loud, it really isn’t all that well received. #bless GoodReads and its ability to understand that just because Oprah gives you a car and promotes a book, it still might not be that great.
Considering I really expected to not enjoy this book at all, a 3 out of 5 ain’t bad, but this book took me SO. LONG. to get into. Like, at least the first hundred and fifty pages. I just could not figure out how all of the characters were related or what the actual POINT of the book was, and the writing style was just not something I could get into, dialogue wise and whatnot. I went into it thinking it was about like, race wars and segregation and stuff? Nope – turns out it’s more about all of the incest and weird voodoo stuff going on in Mississippi at the time which, you know, is fine I guess, but not what I thought I had signed up for. And I just had a really hard time figuring out who everyone was, what made them tick, how they were connected, and all that jazz. Yes, eventually I seemed to pick up on some semblance of plot/direction/etc. and kind of went with that, and there were indeed pretty huge chunks that I found really interesting, but anything to do with Joody or Canaan and I was all #peacehaterz
I think it’s hilarious to see how many people didn’t even finish this book. Like scrolling through the reviews, people are really crucifying it and that is hilarious to me, just because I had to steel my nerves to pick it up and read it, and had anticipated hating it so much, and can see why people wouldn’t be able to get through the first hundred pages. I mean, for a book that’s gotten such high praise and was endorsed by OPRAH for crying out loud, it really isn’t all that well received. #bless GoodReads and its ability to understand that just because Oprah gives you a car and promotes a book, it still might not be that great.
January 12, 2013
I read this book years ago when it first hit the market. I fell in love with the characters, their dialogue, and the easy-going narration. Melinda Haynes tells a sad tale of racial ambivalence, class order (or disorder), and the mistakes and sins common to mankind--regardless of the era. The story charts the lives of Even Grade, a black man, and Valuable Korner, a fifteen-year-old white girl, the daughter of the town whore. Their lives intersect at points neither could have imagined. Family secrets are dragged out into the midday sunlight for closer examination. Yearnings for human connection, commitment, and love without strings brings this story to it's heart-felt ending. I recommend this gem.
September 6, 2010
The plot is woven around the two main characters (Even Grade and Valuable Korner) and a witch, a goat, and some wise old people who live in a quirky little southern town in the 1950's. The plot is full of twists that are shocking, humorous, and heart breaking.
I read this book with a friend and had a blast. I loved this book because it was very literary... full of symbols, motifs, allusions, and figurative language that allows the reader to explore many levels of interpretation. Definitely a book that needs to be read more than once to fully appreciate and understand its different levels.
I read this book with a friend and had a blast. I loved this book because it was very literary... full of symbols, motifs, allusions, and figurative language that allows the reader to explore many levels of interpretation. Definitely a book that needs to be read more than once to fully appreciate and understand its different levels.
March 31, 2009
I read this book for a project in Ms. Shakir's class. This book was a little bit difficult to follow at some points ,but ultimately it all came together very nicely. I admit, that yes, I indeed cried at the end, twice. Once because it was sad, and once because it was happy.
This story is about a white girl named Valuble Korner, a black man named Even Grade. This is a story about Love, morals, and tough choices. I highly recommend this book. A word of advice, this book tends to get very graphic so if you can't handle it, don't read it. My philosophy was, if its good enough for Oprah, it's good enough for me.
This story is about a white girl named Valuble Korner, a black man named Even Grade. This is a story about Love, morals, and tough choices. I highly recommend this book. A word of advice, this book tends to get very graphic so if you can't handle it, don't read it. My philosophy was, if its good enough for Oprah, it's good enough for me.
May 26, 2013
What did I think of this book? Hm, It was good, I liked the story, I laughed aloud in some places and anxious in others. I really didn't care much for the writing style though. It didn't flow, it was hard to follow and it switched between first and third person narratives with no warning. Several times I had to go back and reread a paragraph or start a section over again just to figure out who was doing the talking or who was being talked about. The author not only confused me with the narratives, but also with the story line itself. This might not come across right, but I would feel totally lost with what was happening, then go back and reread to see if I had missed something only to realize that, NO, I had not missed anything - she just skipped the middle of a story. I'd be reading about an event going to take place, a conversation between two people or maybe just a thought someone was having and then two pages later I'd be reading about the aftermath of said conversation or event that was to take place with no idea of when it happened...it felt like I was missing a piece of the puzzle only to find it already in place. Bad analogy? That being said, the story in and of itself goes like most novels do. There are, of course, exceptions. For example. I can't think of another story I've read in which a random character is added in the last 50 pages of the book. That was weird. But perhaps I am missing some literary symbolism because I really didn't see the point in doing that. At this point you may be asking yourself, "How on Earth did it get 4 stars?". Yeah, that was a tough call. I really wanted to give it 3 just because I was annoyed about being confused so many times and having to go back and reread, which i really don't like doing. BUT the story itself was really good once you can get into it and forgive it's faults. So, it does have it's redeeming qualities. I liked most of the characters, a couple were annoying, but that's ok because I don't want to like everybody. I liked how those characters have individual lives at first but though certain turns of events, whether they be natural disasters or manmade ones, become entwined and somewhat responsible for one another. I enjoyed reading about their personal demons and the symbolism it provided and how people dealt with and lived with their choices and the choices of other people. There is a love story to be found here too. Not just between two people or couples, but a different kind of love for everyone whose lives were involved. Love found in unexpected places, love that is lost, love that stretches the limits of the soul, love that is pure, love that redeems, love that destroys, and love that endures. There are lives lived in this book that are so unusual for the time period that I personally find it hard to believe, but hey, it's a story and anything is possible.
So there it is in a nutshell, without giving anything away. I hope you find it helpful.
So there it is in a nutshell, without giving anything away. I hope you find it helpful.
October 21, 2013
I thought that this book was amazing. It has everything that I am looking for in a novel: a plot that doesn't go the way I would expect; interesting characters who are fully formed and really differentiated from each other; a rich sense of the time and place that the story is set in and interesting insights about social issues that makes me think about issues in a way I might not have previously.
This is Haynes first novel and I was really surprised because of the skill she displayed in creating the characters. In the interview with her that was in the back of the edition of this book I had she stated that although this was her first novel, the characters and story had been swirling around in her mind for a long time and this chance she had at rumination really shows.
The story takes place in a small town in Mississippi in the 1950s and is about a cast of several residents, black and white, as their lives bring them together and apart. It doesn't sound like much when the plot is broken down to a simple sentence but the detail that Haynes gives to her characters and their interior lives really separates it from other attempts at depicting this time and place.
One of my favorite characters is Canaan, a grumpy old man who is struggling with the mismatch between his intellect, which is taking on greek classics and creating a modern black equivalent, and his heart, which has fallen for a very capable and loving woman who has to have the love letters he sends to her read by a third party because she does not read. Canaan's struggle with the benefits and downfalls of locking yourself in an intellectual cage versus making yourself vulnerable was very touching.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in issues of race, anyone who likes southern gothic novels and anyone who is looking for something enveloping and unpredictable.
This is Haynes first novel and I was really surprised because of the skill she displayed in creating the characters. In the interview with her that was in the back of the edition of this book I had she stated that although this was her first novel, the characters and story had been swirling around in her mind for a long time and this chance she had at rumination really shows.
The story takes place in a small town in Mississippi in the 1950s and is about a cast of several residents, black and white, as their lives bring them together and apart. It doesn't sound like much when the plot is broken down to a simple sentence but the detail that Haynes gives to her characters and their interior lives really separates it from other attempts at depicting this time and place.
One of my favorite characters is Canaan, a grumpy old man who is struggling with the mismatch between his intellect, which is taking on greek classics and creating a modern black equivalent, and his heart, which has fallen for a very capable and loving woman who has to have the love letters he sends to her read by a third party because she does not read. Canaan's struggle with the benefits and downfalls of locking yourself in an intellectual cage versus making yourself vulnerable was very touching.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in issues of race, anyone who likes southern gothic novels and anyone who is looking for something enveloping and unpredictable.
August 21, 2017
This book served me a whole lot of southern vibes!
Set in Mississippi in the 1950s, it tells the story of a small town where the color of your skin dictated the treatment you got. Old family secrets and poor choices are the makings of this story. When, Valuable, a sixteen year old girl, gets pregnant and everyone in town knows that she's no stranger to her boyfriend Jackson, because 'em gray eyes speak of the same father. An unlikely friendship forms between Valuable; Joody Two Sun (who seems to know everything including the future), Even Grade, Canaan, Grace and Joleb.
The events after this build up on a simple question 'how far would you be willing to go for the one you care about?'
I loved the accent of the characters. Canaan is judgmental and he offers no apologies for it. Grace is forthright and forceful and she talks back to any white folk, including her employers when they make wrong decisions. Joody is mystical, what with the visions, rocks and chanting around open fire? Even...well, he's contemplative and I enjoyed their bantering with Canaan! Honey, Even thought, Lord have mercy, the man said honey.
This book is not for the impatient- entertain me now, kind of reader (if there is such), but it is a book that tells of the story of humanity, a true form of kindness that springs up in people we least thought it would.
Set in Mississippi in the 1950s, it tells the story of a small town where the color of your skin dictated the treatment you got. Old family secrets and poor choices are the makings of this story. When, Valuable, a sixteen year old girl, gets pregnant and everyone in town knows that she's no stranger to her boyfriend Jackson, because 'em gray eyes speak of the same father. An unlikely friendship forms between Valuable; Joody Two Sun (who seems to know everything including the future), Even Grade, Canaan, Grace and Joleb.
The events after this build up on a simple question 'how far would you be willing to go for the one you care about?'
I loved the accent of the characters. Canaan is judgmental and he offers no apologies for it. Grace is forthright and forceful and she talks back to any white folk, including her employers when they make wrong decisions. Joody is mystical, what with the visions, rocks and chanting around open fire? Even...well, he's contemplative and I enjoyed their bantering with Canaan! Honey, Even thought, Lord have mercy, the man said honey.
This book is not for the impatient- entertain me now, kind of reader (if there is such), but it is a book that tells of the story of humanity, a true form of kindness that springs up in people we least thought it would.
May 19, 2015
2.5 stars
"Mother of Pearl" is set in a small town within the South during the 1950's. Petal, Mississippi has plenty of drama as the story goes on. Namely, a woman has suffered a crippling stroke giving birth to her son; the child's father hides his identity but sends money for support. White teen-agers who fall in love turn out to be half siblings; when the girl gets pregnant and dies in childbirth, a black man raises the child; a lesbian whose brother is a priest, and a cranky lady who falls in love with an undertaker; a half ''Injin'' woman resides by the river, reading minds and casting spells.
Melinda Haynes's language left much to be desired because it is as vigorous as the Southern twang in the 1950s. Haynes tells the stories of Valuable Korner, a fatherless girl named after a real estate sign; Even Grade, an orphan, now grown, who was named for a road; and Joleb Green, whose name comes from a father he does not yet know. At one point, I could not keep track at the number of characters that Haynes introduced within the story. There is so much drama and so many people involved in the dispute that I found it difficult to follow along sometimes.
Haynes strives to bring a whole, rambunctious world into the book about the 1950s while trying to write in a 1950s style. Her language went over my head at times. For example, she animates a tattered road sign that's ''a too-old puzzle now for anybody to remember,'' ''lifted up by some mulish gust'' and odd angles of nature's radiance: ''Underneath the water at night the sand looked like ground-up bits of silver. Bluish-brown pieces of silver shining like sunken music.''
In the end, although I enjoyed a lot of Haynes' depiction of Petal, Miss., I did not love this book by any means. I found myself dragging through it but after reading a few other GR reviews, decided to push through and finish the book. There was so much added "fluff" in between each dramatic situation, that I had just about hit my breaking point to drop the book before a scene would arise that caught my attention. If you have patience, I would recommend this book. However, if you're looking for a quick read, hold off.
"Mother of Pearl" is set in a small town within the South during the 1950's. Petal, Mississippi has plenty of drama as the story goes on. Namely, a woman has suffered a crippling stroke giving birth to her son; the child's father hides his identity but sends money for support. White teen-agers who fall in love turn out to be half siblings; when the girl gets pregnant and dies in childbirth, a black man raises the child; a lesbian whose brother is a priest, and a cranky lady who falls in love with an undertaker; a half ''Injin'' woman resides by the river, reading minds and casting spells.
Melinda Haynes's language left much to be desired because it is as vigorous as the Southern twang in the 1950s. Haynes tells the stories of Valuable Korner, a fatherless girl named after a real estate sign; Even Grade, an orphan, now grown, who was named for a road; and Joleb Green, whose name comes from a father he does not yet know. At one point, I could not keep track at the number of characters that Haynes introduced within the story. There is so much drama and so many people involved in the dispute that I found it difficult to follow along sometimes.
Haynes strives to bring a whole, rambunctious world into the book about the 1950s while trying to write in a 1950s style. Her language went over my head at times. For example, she animates a tattered road sign that's ''a too-old puzzle now for anybody to remember,'' ''lifted up by some mulish gust'' and odd angles of nature's radiance: ''Underneath the water at night the sand looked like ground-up bits of silver. Bluish-brown pieces of silver shining like sunken music.''
In the end, although I enjoyed a lot of Haynes' depiction of Petal, Miss., I did not love this book by any means. I found myself dragging through it but after reading a few other GR reviews, decided to push through and finish the book. There was so much added "fluff" in between each dramatic situation, that I had just about hit my breaking point to drop the book before a scene would arise that caught my attention. If you have patience, I would recommend this book. However, if you're looking for a quick read, hold off.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 18, 2012
The book nearly lost me at the beginning - I think it was because I found the language quite difficult to grasp at first. Once I got used to it I reveled in the colloquialisms, sayings and conversations, especially between Even and Canaan. Such gems as "dead as a nob" and "cold as a witches tit" had me chuckling out loud.
The cast of characters is large, and at first seem rather random, but are connected nicely as the story goes on.
The book is really slow at first as well.....but it intrigued me and I was determined to plough on. Once the Green family were introduced to the mix I was hooked and read the last 300 pages in one sitting!
The thing that struck me most was the contrast between the black and the white adults. The teenage characters (white) suffer from the most awful parenting skills and a complete inability of their parents to guide, love and support. The blacks are feared and hated, and the victims of cruel discrimination and social exclusion by the so-called "superior" white-folk, yet have the most to teach us about relationships, compassion and family.
Definitely worth persevering with!
The cast of characters is large, and at first seem rather random, but are connected nicely as the story goes on.
The book is really slow at first as well.....but it intrigued me and I was determined to plough on. Once the Green family were introduced to the mix I was hooked and read the last 300 pages in one sitting!
The thing that struck me most was the contrast between the black and the white adults. The teenage characters (white) suffer from the most awful parenting skills and a complete inability of their parents to guide, love and support. The blacks are feared and hated, and the victims of cruel discrimination and social exclusion by the so-called "superior" white-folk, yet have the most to teach us about relationships, compassion and family.
Definitely worth persevering with!
August 21, 2011
Wow, I almost kept a journal while I was reading this book just to keep track of my thoughts about it. I generally do not like to read "Oprah" books but I really found this book full of great characters that you wanted to know more about. It took me about 50-60 pages to really get into it and once I was I didn't want to put it down.
I felt so awful for the majority of the characters and the issues they were dealing with (don't want to give anything away till Katie reads it!) I loved Valuable and her sadness towards her family. You just wanted to reach out and help the girl.
I think it was very good at describing what was happening in the book, how people were feeling etc...
When I finished it last night I wanted to call Brittany to talk about it! Eeeek! I was not expecting that ending and would like to go into more detail later about it. I didn't think it was fair to some of the characters.........
I felt so awful for the majority of the characters and the issues they were dealing with (don't want to give anything away till Katie reads it!) I loved Valuable and her sadness towards her family. You just wanted to reach out and help the girl.
I think it was very good at describing what was happening in the book, how people were feeling etc...
When I finished it last night I wanted to call Brittany to talk about it! Eeeek! I was not expecting that ending and would like to go into more detail later about it. I didn't think it was fair to some of the characters.........
November 17, 2014
This book took me forever to read! It is not worth your time! I don't usually leave comments but the author is all over the place in this book. It is hard to follow and the only good part was the last five chapters!
May 3, 2009
This book came recommended. I tried really hard to get into and finally gave up. Too strange for me. I could't connect with the characters.
October 14, 2019
Mother of Pearl by Melinda Haynes is an amazing novel. Written in 1999, it has been on my shelf for years. Moving has pushed me to review what is on those shelves and retirement is giving me more time to read. I took this book on my trip to Portugal, so much was read on airplanes.
It is set in Mississippi in 1956 and ends in 1961. In small Mississippi towns, the Civil Rights movement is not in the forefront. One character, Canaan Mosley follows the movement in the newspaper, he is personally victimized as he it hit with a bottle. An avid reader, he works as a janitor in the library, so he is there at night and not permitted on the grounds during the day. Yet, the core is the way he and his neighbor, Even Grade, support each other and also open new doors for each other both within the Black community create bridges to the White community. The characters are strong, but also, we learn their histories as we move through the book and see how personally they have each been harmed by racial injustices.
Black women are part of this circle, Joody Two Sun, and Grace. Grace, as been a caregiver to a White family, and follows them through various traumas. Joody Two Sun appears in the woods, a strong spiritual woman who is drawn to Even Grade, long working man whose orphan status has shaped him and some incidents in Memphis still haunt time. He meets Grace and see her as a potential partner for his friend, Canaan Mosley. The coupling is complicated for both, but they do endure.
We see members of the White community who have secrets that shape their lives, but many adults continue to keep the knowledge hidden from those most in need, even if the adult actions are taken to keep those secrets.
There are three young White people who pull members of the Black community into their world: Valuable, Joleb and Jackson. Valuable, a young girl who has lost her grandmother, Luvenia, who raised her in some supportive but questionable ways. With Luvenia’s death, Valuable’s mother, Enid is back in the picture, but they do not talk and Enid continues her seductive ways with various men. Eventually she does leave. Valuable’s other family, Neva and Bea, take over her care, when they can, moving her into their home and making plans for her future. Valuable sees how the knowledge of Joody Two Sun is more supportive of her real path. In that household Even Grade also comes to care for Valuable. They each recognize something in the other.
Joleb, is in the family that Grace cared for decades. In the face of losing his brother and mother, he depends on the support of others, since his family is keeping his own origins a secret. His mother suffered a stroke at his birth, so she did little mothering, Grace did that for him. As his finds his roots, he makes a new path.
Jackson, who has grown up with Valuable, comes to see her sexually, but his parents move him to Alabama. He is distant, while Valuable is with child. The plans for the child are complex, as family members has different ones. In removing Jackson from his community, his parents have cut his ties to people who initially cared about him.
Not focusing on the movement is a strength of this book, as we see how Black people continue to live in a segregated and racial divided rural area, but to connect in various ways. We also see the compromises and also the adjustments that White people make as they learn their real connections across color lines. Yet, we see how racial inequality harmed all and made it difficult for people to have real connections. It is the small Black enclave and the White folks who are connected to them who survive.
It is set in Mississippi in 1956 and ends in 1961. In small Mississippi towns, the Civil Rights movement is not in the forefront. One character, Canaan Mosley follows the movement in the newspaper, he is personally victimized as he it hit with a bottle. An avid reader, he works as a janitor in the library, so he is there at night and not permitted on the grounds during the day. Yet, the core is the way he and his neighbor, Even Grade, support each other and also open new doors for each other both within the Black community create bridges to the White community. The characters are strong, but also, we learn their histories as we move through the book and see how personally they have each been harmed by racial injustices.
Black women are part of this circle, Joody Two Sun, and Grace. Grace, as been a caregiver to a White family, and follows them through various traumas. Joody Two Sun appears in the woods, a strong spiritual woman who is drawn to Even Grade, long working man whose orphan status has shaped him and some incidents in Memphis still haunt time. He meets Grace and see her as a potential partner for his friend, Canaan Mosley. The coupling is complicated for both, but they do endure.
We see members of the White community who have secrets that shape their lives, but many adults continue to keep the knowledge hidden from those most in need, even if the adult actions are taken to keep those secrets.
There are three young White people who pull members of the Black community into their world: Valuable, Joleb and Jackson. Valuable, a young girl who has lost her grandmother, Luvenia, who raised her in some supportive but questionable ways. With Luvenia’s death, Valuable’s mother, Enid is back in the picture, but they do not talk and Enid continues her seductive ways with various men. Eventually she does leave. Valuable’s other family, Neva and Bea, take over her care, when they can, moving her into their home and making plans for her future. Valuable sees how the knowledge of Joody Two Sun is more supportive of her real path. In that household Even Grade also comes to care for Valuable. They each recognize something in the other.
Joleb, is in the family that Grace cared for decades. In the face of losing his brother and mother, he depends on the support of others, since his family is keeping his own origins a secret. His mother suffered a stroke at his birth, so she did little mothering, Grace did that for him. As his finds his roots, he makes a new path.
Jackson, who has grown up with Valuable, comes to see her sexually, but his parents move him to Alabama. He is distant, while Valuable is with child. The plans for the child are complex, as family members has different ones. In removing Jackson from his community, his parents have cut his ties to people who initially cared about him.
Not focusing on the movement is a strength of this book, as we see how Black people continue to live in a segregated and racial divided rural area, but to connect in various ways. We also see the compromises and also the adjustments that White people make as they learn their real connections across color lines. Yet, we see how racial inequality harmed all and made it difficult for people to have real connections. It is the small Black enclave and the White folks who are connected to them who survive.
July 2, 2018
So here's the honest truth: when I first began Mother of Pearl, I was cringing. So many characters (at least to me). So many weird character names (at least to me). So many pages... was this going to be worth the time and effort? I began the book at home - but perhaps I needed to be in the South to truly appreciate it. And, what perfect time! I lugged the hefty almost-500 pager to Georgia with me on a family vacation and it was like a light switch went on. I couldn't put it down. Suddenly, amid the intense humidity and southern accents, I was transported. I grew to love each and every character - even the ones with the weird names (like Valuable and Even), and with every chapter I wondered how the story was going to twist and turn. Haynes' novel blends powerful topics about race, status, love, relationships, faith...the works. And, might I add, impeccably. Reading Mother of Pearl furthered my belief that love knows no color, and sometimes the smallest connections and interactions leave the biggest imprints on our hearts. The story of multiple characters in a small town one year seems like a simple story - but the depth of each of them was incredible. I turned each page feeling like I was in that hot, humid town right there with them. Worth the five stars - and more.
April 25, 2018
Set in Alabama and Mississippi in 1956. This is the story of community where lives are interwoven and solid. It shows that even when you have nothing concrete, you can fill your days with ritual and ceremony and tasks that validate being.
I put off reading this for almost a year after getting it. I must have needed just the right time to have it told. There was heartache and lust and loneliness and satire and mischief. It did take almost 100 pages for me to get into the rhythm of the language, but the result was worth holding out for it.
I put off reading this for almost a year after getting it. I must have needed just the right time to have it told. There was heartache and lust and loneliness and satire and mischief. It did take almost 100 pages for me to get into the rhythm of the language, but the result was worth holding out for it.
July 11, 2017
I have never been disappointed by books from Oprah's Book Club books. Just finished reading MOTHER OF PEARL and I just can't get over the beauty of Melinda Haynes' writing, the complex characters and the lives of these people. I cried, laughed out loud, giggled, and sobbed and sometimes all this in one chapter. I felt love, sadness, hope, and anger, equally toward all of the characters and I want to know them all. This book makes me want to go and find these people, because I know they exist. Fantastic book all around! I will read more of Melinda's books for sure!
January 27, 2019
Was a little hesitant when I started it because it was in the racially turbulent times and I was wary of what violence there would be but there really wasn't any - story of a young girl and her relationship with boys, blacks, whites. lesbians and how their lives intertwined. Really loved this book for the relationships, very touching and how they all affected each other...
October 2, 2021
I would have given this book 4 stars except for the first 125 or so pages. It was a slow starter. Once the story moved past that, it was a very good read. The characters were purposeful and I loved the addition of Joody Two Suns. I also enjoyed the banter between the characters. The dialog felt “real” and it was easy to imagine the scenes. There were moments when I laughed out loud and others when I gasped. If only the beginning were more concise …
November 21, 2017
Way too slow moving. The plot didn't make a lot of sense
January 5, 2019
Recieved this book as a gift and wasn't sure what it was about. I ended up enjoying it greatly.
June 7, 2024
Bad. I think if Oprah's book club recommends it I won't like it
June 25, 2025
I can't get into this book. The story is all over the place. A previous review says it gets better around page 100, but 120 pages in and it hasn't gotten any better. I seldom ever not finish a book.
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