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The Christmas Pearl  By  cover art

The Christmas Pearl

By: Dorothea Benton Frank
Narrated by: Celia Weston
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Publisher's summary

Theodora is the matriarch of a family that, in her opinion, has grown into a bunch of truculent knuckleheads. They've all come together to South Carolina to celebrate Christmas. But this Christmas looks nothing like the extravagant, homey Christmases Theodora grew up with. What happened to the days when the holiday spirit meant tables groaning with home cooked goodies, over-the-top decorations, and long chats in front of the fire with Pearl, her grandmother's housekeeper / manager / caterer / psychiatrist / best friend? Luckily, someone hears Theodora's plea for help and Merle (possibly Pearl?) arrives, pockets filled with Gullah magic and common sense to straighten everyone out.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©2007 Dorothea Benton Frank (P)2007 HarperCollins Publishers

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What listeners say about The Christmas Pearl

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Never too old to learn or to love

I do like Dorothea Benton Frank's books. One of the most enjoyable things about them is the sweet as syrup southern drawl, and it is done just right. This tale of generations of one family growing up in the same family home exposes each of the homes occupants, warts and all. And time has not been kind to the family, not due in small part to the 94 year old grandmother's lack of confidence in her own daughter as a child and young woman. Isn't that always the way, though? We all have unhealed wounds, a big ole hole in our hearts from what we needed and never got . . . this audio book, happily doesn't try to "fix" all that . . . but deals with it in the here and now . . . by sending them a Pearl at Christmas time.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Get's you into the spirit of Christmas

I have read ALL of Dorothea Benton Franks books. I have enjoyed all of her books, except, "Full of Grace". I have listened to one of her 2007 book's the title was something like, "Island of the Mango Sunset". The narrator for that story was not good. However,
Celia Weston must be from "the low country" because in "The Christmas Pearl" she gets the charming, low country speech perfect. I've listened to the story 3 times just to hear the narrator's beautiful ennuciation of low country drawl. "The Christmas Pearl" is a wonderful story, typical Dorothe Benton Frank. I believe this will become a classic Christmas Story, to be LISTENED to year after year. This is truly a must listen! Deborah.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

You'll Want To Bake Cookies During This One--

--And at about 3 1/2 hours, it seems like baking/cooking would be the perfect activity to engage in whilst listening to The Christmas Pearl.
Sure, it's a tad predictable, which is kinda what I love about holiday books: Chaos, smallness of soul, a lack of hope... all morphing into warmth, love, and a willingness to experience the joy of being with others.
Theodora has such a sweet Southern charm, is so simply childlike even while she's being baldly honest and scathing about her family's shortcomings that I enjoyed wallowing in the syrup of the story. And Celia Weston does a delightful job in bringing not only her but the whole family and the gifted visitor to life.
Truly, I wished I was pouring out flour, sugar for cookies, and cutting butter into tossed flour for biscuits while I was enjoying this little Christmas book. A warm kitchen often goes with a warm heart!

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Written in 2007

I lived in Charleston, SC, from 2004-2013. I became a fan of Dorothea Benton Frank, among a few other women writers with roots there. The BLM movement happened much later than the book was written. If you have been on a quest to find the truth about white privilege or the myth of the romanticized South, as I have, be warned that there are a few things that are romanticized that take away from an otherwise good story. As I am not for banning books, I am in no way implying this book be boycotted. However, I can't imagine how hard it has been for African Americans to have their history whitewashed.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely loved it

This book takes you on a journey! Christmas in the south with the old traditions. It reminded me of how my family prepared for Christmas leading up to the holiday. Lots of cooking, cleaning and pulling out all the special china, crystal, napkins, and silverware for all the delicious dishes that would be prepared.

Most of all it reminded me of the fun times spending with my mom and sisters decorating the house, cooking and talking way into the wee hours of the morning. Christmas is about family, memories and loving each other.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Save your money and time.

I have read all her books, so was not expecting a great story, but did hope for a pleasant one. The characters were not credible and the plot was ridiculous.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Magical

This was just the story I needed to generate a little Christmas spirit. It hits all the right notes: Nostalgia, Love, humor, imagination and the eternal hope that the Christmas season evokes without being too sappy. The narrator is delightful, I would swear she was just sitting next to me telling me her life story and the comeuppins her family gets. I think I will listen to this one every year from now on, I have a fondness for Christmas stories and this is my favorite so far.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great story for the holidays

This was a nice Christmas Story enjoyed it
And brought back my memories of Christmas when i was young

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Every Family needs a Pearl at sometime

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This book made my heart sing. It brought a warmth back to what family truely can be

What did you like best about this story?

The accomplishment of change when the mind wants it.. The warmth was there.

What about Celia Weston’s performance did you like?

The Character of Pearl you could just "see" her. I throughtly enjoyed her reading of all the characters.

Any additional comments?

This was a surprising book. It wasn't deep and it didn't follow with all the soppy Christmas stories . The spark of magic had an entirely different slant. I'd listen to another one.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

Leaves you hanging

The stories on each sister is not enough, then when the book ended I checked to see if I had only downloaded the first part.

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1 person found this helpful