Pearl: LONGLISTED FOR THE 2023 BOOKER PRIZE
08 September 2023Synopsis
LONGLISTED FOR THE 2023 BOOKER PRIZE
‘An exceptional debut novel ... Hugely ambitious. It’s a book that will be passed from hand to hand for a long time to come' BOOKER PRIZE JUDGES
‘Compulsive and wonderfully written ... A small gem’ TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT
‘A novel that has wisdom and experience distilled into it’ TIMES
‘Brilliantly rendered’ GUARDIAN
‘Deeply appealing’ FINANCIAL TIMES
‘Stunning debut’ SUNDAY POST
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?
Details
08 September 2023
9788119300129Reviews
‘In Hughes’ debut novel about motherhood, there is as much wisdom as there is abrasion’
Jerry Pinto, Hindu
‘Hughes’s novel is radical in largely dispensing with dramatic tension in order to create a circling story that maps the lasting impact of a loss’
Barney Norris, Guardian
‘A heart-tugging story, Pearl is a tender portrayal of loss and longing, of a daughter yearning for her mother, written in a poignant style’
Rachna Chhabria, Deccan Chronicle
‘A rare gem that fully deserves its Booker longlisting, and your attention’
Jake Kerridge, Telegraph UK
'Ridden with themes of grief, finding one’s lost identity, and postpartum stress'
Nandini Bhatia, Telegraph India
'Pearl is a compact, emotionally charged literary journey. The book explores the intricate nuances of the sense of loss, and how it transforms over a lifetime, and orbits themes of grief, motherhood and self-discovery.'
Shrestha Saha, New Indian Express
'Pearl is a tender portrayal of loss and longing, of a daughter yearning for her mother, written in a poignant style. The ending made the journey of reading the book worthwhile.'
Rachna Chhabria, Deccan Chronicle
