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    Pearl
    Pearl
    Pearl
    Audiobook13 hours

    Pearl

    Written by Lauraine Snelling

    Narrated by Alexandra O'Karma

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    Award-winning author Lauraine Snelling continues the story of Ruby Torvald in Book Two of her Dakotah Treasures series. Ruby's most recent boarder at the Dove House is schoolteacher Pearl Hossfuss. Avoiding an arranged marriage, Pearl has deserted her home in Chicago to teach in Little Missouri. There she has befriended Ruby and fallen for carpenter Carl Hegland. But her father threatens to take her back home. Ruby must turn to God for the strength to stand up to her father.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateMar 10, 2008
    ISBN9781440799761
    Author

    Lauraine Snelling

    Lauraine Snelling has been writing and publishing books across all genres and for all reading levels since 1980. She received a Career Achievement Award for inspirational fiction from RT Books Reviews and has consistently appeared on the Christina Booksellers Association's bestseller lists. She has written over sixty-five books, and a hallmark of her style is writing about real issues within a compelling story. She and her husband, Wayne, reside in California and have two grown sons.

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    Reviews for Pearl

    3.5/5

    2,903 ratings89 reviews

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    • 4/5
      “Who do you fear?” Kino searched for a true answer, and at last he said, “Everyone.” And he could feel a shell of hardness drawing over him.

      Same Kino, Same.

      This felt like one of those books that could only ever be told through the medium of words; I respect that. It also felt a bit heavy-handed on the allegory of white capitalism and something I know English teachers would love to go on about. Still, I respect it. Any story about a descent into madness is automatically going to be cool with me.

      *3.5
    • 5/5
      This is a wonderful story for one to read.
    • 2/5
      It wounds me to rate a Lauraine Snelling only 2 stars . . . It really does!

      I was quite disappointed in this one. Firstly, the title is Pearl, but there is a WHOLE LOT more Ruby and Opal in it than Pearl. It felt forced, as if Pearl was just a vehicle to convey Ruby's storyline. And an unnecessary vehicle at that. Also the ending wrapped up very suddenly, and rather unsatisfactorily, and the next book picks up 5 years later. Pearl's storyline didn't feel like it had enough resolution; boom, all of a sudden everything is fine and dandy. I would have liked to see her storyline wrapped up better.

      I did enjoy getting to know some characters I have only heard of in passing, such as Charlie (<3), Cimmeron, Milly, Belle, and the marquis.

      Not really something I would read again. Although, I wouldn't necessarily NOT recommend it.
    • 5/5
      I enjoyed this book very much. The ending caused a smile to engulf me.
    • 5/5
      The Pearl by John Steinbeck is a parable about how sudden wealth can change people's lives. Protagonist Kino lives in a village near La Paz, Mexico, and the name of the village seems to describe the setting of the novella perfectly at the beginning. The atmosphere is quiet and peaceful, the villagers go about their daily work, none of them are rich and they dream about finding a big pearl in an oyster that will change their lot in life forever. The peace and quiet is first interrupted when a scorpion stings Kino's son Coyotito and Kino and his wife Juana set out to see the doctor in town so that their son will not have to die. The doctor, however, does not want to see such poor people and deems it beneath him. Juana then applies a seaweed poultice to the sting which will actually heal it eventually. However, the desperate parents do not know that at this point in the story. Kino sets out to dive for pearls in order to be able to pay for a doctor and save his son's life and he actually comes across the biggest pearl he has ever seen. Word of the lucky find spreads quickly. When the doctor learns about the pearl, he visits Kino and Juana to treat their child, claiming that he had not been in in the morning they came looking for him, but came immediately after he heard that their son was stung by a scorpion. The doctor sees that Coyotito will survive because of the poultice but treats him anyway so that he can portray himself as the savior. As soon as Kino finds the pearl it starts changing his life. It is not just the doctor who is after the riches but also fellow villagers who try to steal Kino's pearl. When Kino tries to sell the pearl in town, the pearl dealers have already heard about the size of the pearl and agreed on what they would offer Kino, which is obviously not enough. Offended by the offers of the pearl dealers, Kino keeps the pearl and wants to try to sell it in a bigger city. On the way there he and his family are followed and attacked again. Eventually, they return to their village their lives completely changed. I will leave out the specifics here so as not to spoil your reading.Steinbeck's story was inspired by a folktale he had heard about the pearl divers of Mexico. It covers the timeless themes of poor vs. rich and good vs. evil and explores the impact of sudden wealth on a person and the people around them. I loved the novella for its writing style and the incidents Steinbeck chose to tell this story. 5 stars.
    • 1/5
      I didnt like this book when I read it for school and I still dont like it now.
    • 5/5
      This is my first book by John Steinbeck. Last night, I was not satisfied when I read it for the first time so I reread it the early in the morning today. I wanted to feel the tragic narration of a blessing that becomes a curse in the end. The story is heartbreaking to read, considering the parents have high hopes for their child. It leaves me with the impression similar to the wretched ones (yes you, Les Miserables).
    • 3/5
      Steinbeck has caught life's tragedy perfectly. A poor fisherman, discovers untold wealth, only to have his life turned upside down because of it. The writing style reminded me a little of Ernest Hemingway's in his book, The Old Man and The Sea.
    • 4/5
      Steinbeck, short and sweet. This was orginially published in 1945 as a serial in a woman's magazine. I read this on the plane to San Diego and on the beach when we got there. A quick read but it sticks with you. Not his most gripping work, but once you get a feel for the characters things pick up. I like my Steinbeck steeped in Americana, but I enjoyed reading his take on island life in what I assume is South America.
    • 4/5
      «The Pearl» is a short novel by the Nobel Prize Laureate John Steinbeck. Steinbeck's novels, particularly «The Grapes of Wrath» had shown him to take a passionate interest in the lives of America's poor, and Steinbeck was known to sympathize with communism. In his later years, he felt close to the poor and oppressed Mexicans found all over the southern United States. In «The Pear» Steinbeck writes a legendary story how sudden wealth destroys everything people hold dear. Instead of bringing happiness, the prospect of sudden wealth tears people apart leading to death and misery. A simple story, for a simple truth.
    • 4/5
      8 minutes in, and I already love Juana, the protagonist's wife. Juana made of iron. Juana who can be patient and cheerful and can arch her back in childbirth without so much as a cry.

      Hector Elizondo reads as a narrator and his voice has a gravel texture but has a smoothness to it, like waves crashing on the shore. I'd never listened to a Steinbeck book before but I felt more than ever, how he uses repetition in his work so skilfully.

      This story is about a pearl diver, and how he finds a pearl so big, and so beautiful that in it, he can see the future of his family. A wedding. A sailor suit for his son. His son going to school.

      And then, as with all Steinbeck books, ruin is inevitable, and I find myself being pulled down a slope I'm unable to return from, along with all the characters.

      I forgot that Steinbeck does this thing where he makes me care about characters and then he wrecks them and ruins their lives and then I cry.

      Damn you, Steinbeck. I'm supposed to return to normal life after this?
    • 3/5
      Thought I should read this classic novel...it was okay...took a bit too much of a toll on my suspension of disbelief.
    • 5/5
      Another wonderful Steinbeck."The Pearl" is one John Steinbeck's smallest books. It is also an intense book, but it is very fluid and easy to read. It is about an island man who, like so many others, goes diving daily with no air, down to the depths of the sea to find pearls to help them eke out a very poor living for their families. These poor people live in little shacks and eat the same gruel day after day and their lives are the same day after day. But they seem a happy people none the less. This is the story of the man who finds "the pearl" of every diver's dream and what happens to him and his family after finding the "pearl".It is also an "if I could just" story. One always thinks that if this or that were "just to happen" in their lives, things would be wonderful. If you have just one teensy tiny bit of that rolling around in your brain (or if not), you should read this book. It is magnificent!~!~!I highly recommend it.
    • 2/5
      I really didn't like this book. I found it extreemly pretentious. I didn't understand the 'songs' that the author was talking about. Also I found it very predictable. it wasn't suspensful, nor did it have a twist to it. IT also for some reaason bothered me taht I couldn;t tell where the story took place or who the people were. They mentioned a few places/things that seemed to contradict each other.
    • 3/5
      It's been many years since I'd read anything by Steinbeck. I read Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men back in High School. I've re-read Mice and Men once since then. In my ongoing effort to read through more works by the "classic" and "modern classic" authors, I picked up The Pearl. I didn't have any real preconceived notions going in and I definitely don't remember anything of Steinbeck's style so I can't really compare this to his other work or comment on it in terms of other fiction of his day. My initial reaction to the writing were mixed. It had a strange balance of being both simple/rough and also containing well-crafted writing. I wasn't sure if the moments/scenes of stumbling words were perhaps intentional to let the structure of the work comment on the poverty and lack of education or status of the characters or if maybe Steinbeck's overall style is less of a refined, polished work and more a raw compilation of language. Whatever the case, even though some segments felt a bit oddly structured, I found the reading to be very easy and fluid and I was quickly drawn into the tale.The story felt VERY familiar. So much so that I wondered many times if, perhaps, I actually had read this book before. Commentary says that it's based on a Mexican folk tale, so I suspect I've either read this book before or else some other story based on the folk tale. The plot of the story is one of those tales that felt to me to be something that could have influenced countless other stories either directly or indirectly. In spite of the setting this is an almost timeless tale of greed, aspirations and jealousy that could be set in any location or time and follow the same arc.Even though (or perhaps because) the story felt so familiar and flowed so naturally, I was able to find additional depth in it as I thought on the possible moral trajectories the story would take. The initial pages introduce us to a very poor family living in a poor fishing village. The baby boy is stung by a scorpion before the father can stop it and they are unsure if they will be able to save their son. Their poverty leaves them in a very tight place as they interact with the affluent doctor and townsfolk. While the mother applies natural remedies, father goes fishing and discovers an immense pearl. Both mother and father are certain the pearl will bring amazing changes into their lives. The mother fears it is a sign of evil while the father is sure it will provide wonderful opportunities. As you might expect, news of the valuable pearl spreads and suddenly the family is dealing with advances from not only the well-to-do people like the doctor but other desperately poor people in the village. The story continues as you might expect and finally ends with pain and tragedy that came in a slightly different direction than I initially predicted. The conclusion of the book very clearly takes a stance on the effects of such windfalls of wealth and the nature of mankind. And yet, it is up to each individual reader to internalize and decide what moral message to take from the book. Most of the characters are embodiments of greed and manipulation but a few of them represent potential redemption and show that even amid dark times there can be influence for good.Even though I don't remember Steinbeck's other works well, I do remember that his themes and tones are emotional downers. This book follows that same trend. From the beginning to the end there is one tragedy after another. And even in the pages without physical tragedies and struggles we are still given moral difficulties to wrestle with as we watch a father filled with the good, pure desire to provide for his family but struggling with the best way to do so. The simplicity of the story and length of the book make this very accessible. However, the heavier theme and somber events may limit the audience. As such, I can see why schools have students read Mice and Men instead of The Pearl even though they are very similar in length. Still, this story does have a worthwhile moral to think about and is a great piece of literature to stimulate discussions on the nature of good and evil within humanity. If you have a little time to spare, give it a read. It will leave you pondering for a while.***3 out of 5 stars
    • 4/5
      Almost parable like, The Pearl is a quick read with a punch at the end. A young couple faces prejudice and a corrupted economic system as they move from dealing with a sick child to the rush of hope and excitement that comes with the discovery of a valuable treasure. But the treasure is not what it appears to be - instead of bringing fortune, instead the young couple must navigate the envy and villainous schemes of others as they are chased away from home, and into tragedy.
    • 3/5
      Remember that old Homer Simpson bit about beating jury duty by telling them he was prejudiced against all races? I think this book manages to exoticize all races. I wonder if Steinbeck wrote it to beat jury duty.
    • 3/5
      ** spoiler alert ** Another upper by Steinbeck. Reminded me of "Of Mice and Men" or "The Old Man and The Sea" (yes I know that's not Steinbeck). But you read it hopeful through the entire thing and then met with a crushing blow at the sad when you realize there's not going to be the happy ending you hoped for but a sad depressing one instead.
    • 3/5
      3 stars I admit, I'm not the biggest Steinbeck fan. It's probably because he's too depressing. I, however, do appreciate how much he was able to pack in such a short story. Poverty, social oppression, what it means to be a man, the meaning of family and community, greed, what makes a good woman...I didn't hate the book. I just didn't love it. But I really appreciated the imagery of song - that was pretty cool. In short, I didn't love this book because I was so frustrated by the situations and limitations but did not have anything good to hold on to. I didn't really like the characters - the closest was Juana, the wife. But her character seemed inconsistent - one moment strong, one moment meek without believable reason.
    • 4/5
      Great story that was based on a Mexican tale, I believe. Another fine example of the human condition and how pride and fortune can destroy us if we're not careful.
    • 3/5
      The Pearl is about a man, Kino, who finds a large pearl that he hopes will sell for enough money that it will change the life of his poor family. Meanwhile, he lives in an impoverished region of Mexico where the pearl dealers have colluded to rip off the native population by giving them low-ball offers for pearls. I love Steinbeck, but I thought that this one was a little flat for me. In trying to write about a people that I'm not sure that he truly understood, I thought that Steinbeck sucked the humanity out of these characters. They were a white man's interpretation of what a native must be rather than a group of people who changed, grew, and felt emotions that all people feel. Additionally, there was something odd about the cadence of the writing that felt forced to me. The whole thing just felt a little off. It was good for most, but it was disappointing for a Steinbeck novel.
    • 4/5
      I think this is highly underrated.
    • 4/5
      During 1940 Steinbeck, along with his friend Ed Ricketts, set sail for six weeks. The two traveled from "Monterey up the west shore of the Gulf of California to Angeles Bay and then across to Puerto San Carlos east and south to Agiabampo Estuary." The result of their travels being Steinbeck's and Ricketts' Sea of Cortez: A Leisurely Journal of Travel and Research.

      After a night of beers with natives of La Paz on the Isla Espiritu Santo, Steinbeck and Ricketts' were invited to check out the town of La Paz. It is amidst Steinbeck's account of the three days spent in La Paz that he mentions the story that he would eventually rewrite as The Pearl.

      Initially a tale of a boy and his pearl seeking his divine three (clothes, booze, and sex), Steinbeck rewrote his Pearl into parablesque form. Playing on the biblical parable of The Pearl of Great Price (Matthew 13:45-46 NKJV) he layers this short but significant read with the voices, songs, and characters of Kino, Juana, and Coyotito.

      In Kino we have a father that carries the weight of the wealth and health of his small family and the village, both neighbors and extended family, they live in. His character is complemented by Juana with whom Steinbeck exhibits the wisdom of the mother and the pragmatist, the active nurturer of both husband and son. Both parents have strength and intensely delineated merit in their presumed roles in both village and home but Steinbeck does a very good job of furthering this and letting it flower into the reality of a relationship. Even as it becomes a relationship strained.

      The reader is quickly dosed with the vulnerability of Coyotito and, in turn, his parents and the balance of their life, the "Song of the Family," by a scorpion sting. But it wouldn't be Steinbeck if it didn't have layers! Coyotito is also an embodiment of joy, hope, and then grief. The child coming in and out of focus as we travel along with Kino on his trek through psychological development. The weight and shadow of Kino and Juana's return to their village and the pearl's return to the ocean.

      I think Steinbeck's parable of the fallacies of a materialistic culture is important and well written. It's very much the tossed pebble rippling of the pond; his layering of characters, situation, action is awesome. I was surprised at how much depth his use of melody added to my connection with the story. It added a primal feel; a glow of the often told legend as it sparks from lips around a fire and resonates.

      I think The Pearl is a new favorite. Which is something I seem to say after every Steinbeck I read. I can't help it; Steinbeck does rawness, hope, grief, strength, futility, 'regular' folk, and the importance of the shining humane act so well. His writing makes me want to reach out into the world and change something, change myself.
    • 4/5
      This short novel is another sad one from Steinbeck. We get a fable here, set on the Baja California coast where a poor Indian man and his young family live a hardscrabble existence. I've read this one before, though not recently, and it is a story not easy to forget. The descriptions the author gives us of the land and the peoples are the best part of the story for me. The story itself is so bleak, with what seems the entire world of the young man allied against him and his family, when he finds a great pearl, "The Pearl of the World," that is his one chance to break away from his desperately poor existence is crushed. That's my problem with this book - a very well written story, but is the message really as bleak as it seems, that one has no hope, no chance for a better lot in life? One should not dream for a better life for one's child for to merely think some things about the future is a siren call to evil to come for you and what you hold dear.Sometimes Steinbeck gives Thomas Hardy a real run for his money. Kino, Juana and the young baby never had a chance.
    • 3/5
      A beautifully written story of how wealth and greed changes people, not just the one coming into the fortune and how tragedy changes perspectives.
    • 4/5
      I am always impressed by Steinbeck's ability to create a powerful story with such a brevity of words
    • 2/5
      It felt like fairy tale with a moral ending.
    • 4/5
      It's been a while since I read this, and honestly I think it will be quite forgettable in the long run - but I obviously really enjoyed it at the time, hence the four-star rating! A kind of fable about greed, materialism and envy built around the discovery of a great pearl by a poor Mexican freediver, it's short, folksy, lyrical and poignant, and I very much enjoyed the musicality and dreamlike feeling of the reading experience. Not necessarily one I'd rush to read again, but quite beautiful!
    • 5/5
      This book is a reminder of what really matters most in life.It shows how greed can take over a person's life;how material possessions can change people.How strong is your integrity? Your belief? Your happiness?Would it change you?
    • 5/5
      high school or junior high required reading. It was good