Review: Wonderful Coming of Age Story!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 18, 2013
From the opening pages as ten-year-old Pearl watches her mother run off in the Arizona night to escape the life she no longer wanted, I was mildly drawn in. Fast forward eight years and Pearl makes her great escape to Oregon with her wild, rough-edged boyfriend, Roy, I'm still mildly drawn in, seeing a train wreck just waiting to happen.By the time Pearl settles in to life in Oregon, she has found friends and family that stand by her, support her when she lets them. She also finds real love, the kind that isn't abusive and almost forsakes her wedding vows, like her mother. That stops her in her tracks.I was right, Pearl's life with Roy was a train wreck and it came to a crashing halt one night AFTER they had married. Fortunately, Pearl ran for her life before was too late, going full circle back to her home in Arizona, back to find the answers she needed. Back to become the person she was meant to be.Pearl saw and experienced more in her young life than many of us ever will. It didn't break her, it made her stronger, more sure of herself, more forgiving of others. There is much to appreciate about the lessons she learned and the way the author brought this story to life with sights, sounds, smells, and emotions! It is a gritty, unpolished look at maturing through tough life lessons! 4.5 stars!