Pearl

By: Siân Hughes

Narrated by: Laura Brydon

Length: 6 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

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

Superb

Excellent story over generations after young mother disappeared. Love the language capturing the dimensions of the grief of a daughter who blames herself. . Wonderful last few chapters.

Excellent and creative writing

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

a meditation of memory, grief, and motherhood.

The 2023 Booker Prize Longlist nominee, “Pearl” is a quiet, yet powerful meditation on grief, motherhood, and memory. Marianne, the protagonist and narrator, tells her life story which is marred by tragedy: when she was 8-years-old, her mother vanished. She left Marianne and her baby brother Joe. For a bit, Marianne felt responsible because all the adults were asking her where her mother could be, as if Marianne inadvertently lost her. Author Sian Hughes brilliantly writes young Marianne; she’s confused and struggles to make sense of her mother’s disappearance.

Marianne was homeschooled. She spent all her youth with her mother, Margaret. They raised chickens and had a makeshift garden. After her mother disappeared, Marianne struggled emotionally. She cannot reckon with her feelings of abandonment and takes out her frustrations on her own body.

A memory Marianne treasures is when her mother recited the medieval poem “Pearl” which is a story of grief…a man lost his Pearl, sees her in his dream and jumps into water to get to her, only to awaken. Margaret is a name that means Pearl. Marianne’s fuzzy memory tries to bring back her Pearl.

Marianne becomes a mother and continues to wonder why her mother left her. The story begins with adult Marianne reflecting on her mother after she herself becomes one. It is these musings, these memories of struggles that allows Marianne to see the beauty of her life, the kindness and patience of her father. As an adult, Marianne sees her mother as a person. As she processes through her fuzzy memory, and with the help of a plot twist, she allows for an alternative view of her mother.

Hughes shines in showing how experiencing a loss at a formative age is emotionally damaging.

I listened to the audio narrated beautifully by Laura Brydon.

Perfect

Very moving account of grief, longing, and love. The poetic prose adds a wonderful quality to the story. The narration by Laura Brydon was beautiful.

Motherhood, time, and grief

We are affected by our mothers whether they are good, bad, or missing. They leave an indelible mark upon us. Excellent story dealing with themes of grief, loss, mental health, and love.