• Mother of Pearl

  • A Novel
  • By: Melinda Haynes
  • Narrated by: Nana Visitor
  • Length: 16 hrs and 23 mins
  • 4.0 out of 5 stars (178 ratings)

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Mother of Pearl  By  cover art

Mother of Pearl

By: Melinda Haynes
Narrated by: Nana Visitor
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Publisher's summary

Set in small town Mississippi in the late 1950s, Mother of Pearl is populated by wonderfully rich and original characters with themes of identity and the true meaning of family interwoven throughout. The story revolves around 28-year-old Even Grade, a black man who grew up an orphan, and Valuable Komer, a 15-year-old white girl who is the daughter of the town whore and an unknown father. Their paths cross through Joody Two Sun, a seer, who becomes Even's lover. Both Even and Valuable are seeking the family, love, and commitment they never had, and their search ultimately takes both of them to places they never dreamed they'd go.
©1999 Melinda Haynes (P)1999 NewStar Media Inc.

What listeners say about Mother of Pearl

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    85
  • 4 Stars
    41
  • 3 Stars
    24
  • 2 Stars
    18
  • 1 Stars
    10
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    69
  • 4 Stars
    24
  • 3 Stars
    10
  • 2 Stars
    8
  • 1 Stars
    3
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    63
  • 4 Stars
    24
  • 3 Stars
    12
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    6

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

Narrator problem??

This probably could have been a much better book if the narrator was better. I love listening to audio books, but this one was really difficult to get into and stay focused on. This is the only book - from a large library - that I had to be alone in a quiet room to try to follow. I also had a hard time knowing which character was speaking. I couldn't tell the boys for the girls! It certainly wouldn't be a book that I would recommend for a first time listener!

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

????????

I give it two stars for effort. The reader had the same voice for every person so I never knew who was speaking. I always give a book a chance and go by Oprah but this time I give a thumbs down. Too hard to follow the story.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Mother of Pearl (Unabridged)

A wonderful story that brings a smile to one's lips, a tear to one's eyes and a warmth to one's heart.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Hard To Get Into But Worth It

I admit I had to restart this book at least once in order to make sure I remembered all I needed to. But once I got the characters down, it was a great story. You have to understand small towns and it helps to connect with the south.

This was actually a number of little stories that connected into one big one. There are numerous characters to develop, numerous story lines. That is why it was so rich. I loved learning about them all.

I thought the narration was fine. There was no differentiation between the characters, but since there were so many characters, who would have been able to keep track of them if they were different?

This is not for everybody. But it is well worth it if you can hang in there.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

I couldn't wait for it to end

Maybe it was the narrator who used the same voice for every character so you were never sure who was speaking, or maybe it was the convoluted style of writing, but I could never get in to this book as I can with a great audiobook. It is supposed to take place in a small town in Mississippi and yet none of the characters seemed to know each other prior to the time of the story. The timeline was impossible to follow. This is one book that may be better to read instead of listen to since the lengthy narratives about dreams, old letters, and past lives make you want to go back and figure out which character is being developed.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Hard to put down....er, hard to hit

I thought that this was an EXCELLENT listen! I enjoyed the character development, the plot - everything about this book. I was sad when it ended. May we look forward to a sequel?

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3 people found this helpful

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

Just a sheer delight..

this book was one of the few that I could honestly say that were in the same league as Life of Pi. it was so alternative, good and very enjoyable. Read the storyline and download it. You wont be disappointed.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Mother of Pearl

I can't believe that I wasted a credit on this audiobook. Too much landscape description; jumps around a lot and I found it hard to follow. The reader doesn't seem to be too interested in telling the story or relaying enthusiasm into the story. The audible is in 2 parts and I can't seem to get past the first 2 hrs without my mind wandering or falling asleep. Sorry! I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.

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1 person found this helpful

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

Very poignant !

So we’ll written and read! I enjoyed it a lot…almost makes you feel like you are there!

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

I loved this book.

I loved the this glimpse into another era and another culture. I loved the characters in it. I savored the descriptive writing, the surprising metaphors, the down-home way of looking at things. I was mighty sorry when it ended.

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