The Weight of a Pearl

By: Walker Smith

Narrated by: Walker Smith

In a war-torn world, a novel so intimate it whispers with feeling....

In 1937, a young trumpet player called Doc leaves Harlem with the Abraham Lincoln Brigade to fight in the Spanish Civil War. Eight hundred miles away, a little girl named Pearl is fighting a child's war against poverty and paternal abuse in a Chicago tenement.

Spain's defeat leads directly to World War II. For the honor of Spain and self, Doc heads off to fight another war. Meanwhile, Pearl discovers the power of her voice and begins her own odyssey.

By 1946, the war is over, and New York is sizzling with the sounds of bebop. Doc returns to find peace in the music, but everything changes when the band's new singer walks into the club. Her voice is as deep and arresting as her dark eyes, and her name takes up residence in his mind: Pearl.

After a turbulent start, they ease into a healing love and claim Harlem as their small piece of America. But soon, a new war is rumbling. As a deadly strain of heroin floods their streets, Doc is targeted by the House Un-American Activities Committee, and Pearl falls under the scrutiny of a stalker with a badge. Doc learns that everything is linked and must revisit a chilling question he still carries from Spain: What constitutes an act of war? And what is he prepared to do about it?

©2018 Walker Smith (P)2018 Walker Smith

Gripping story of hope and love

The characters in the story had me feeling all kinds of emotions. There were moments when I could not help but smile with joy and endearment and moments when I teared up. Walker Smith historical information was also knowledgeable and her voices made me feel a connection to the story and life of Pearl.

History and storytelling meet

This was an awesome read. The author had me hooked from the beginning to the end. It was a compilation of Black History and a love story wrapped into one book. The narration was excellent!