Barrie Graeber has two great kids, a loving husband, and a respected job as the high school counselor in her close-knit community. Without warning, everything unravels when her teenage daughter, Pearl, is betrayed by friends and lashes out.
Nothing prepares this mother for the helplessness that follows when her attempts to steer her daughter back on course fail and Pearl shuts her out . . . or when she discovers the unthinkable about her nemesis, the football coach.
Emotionally riveting and profoundly moving, Mother of Pearl brings us into the heart of a mother bound by an incredible burden, who ultimately finds she must recognize her own vulnerability and learn to trust in something much bigger.
"Heart-wrenching yet filled with grace and hope, Kellie Coates Gilbert's Mother of Pearl is beautifully written and a book that needs to be read by everyone with a child or grandchild. Novel Rocket and I give it a high recommendation." Ane Mulligan, Sr. Editor Novel Rocket
"A story that could have come from today’s headlines, Mother of Pearl is a compelling, thought-provoking debut. With impeccable prose, Kellie Coates Gilbert kept me turning the pages in this high-stakes story of one mother’s quest for healing and justice." - Carla Stewart, award-winning author of Chasing Lilacs and Stardust
"Kellie Coates Gilbert's debut novel kept me turning pages and on the edge of my seat. Wonderful, richly-drawn characters who drew me to their hearts despite their flaws. Mother of Pearl carries a sobering message but it's deftly threaded through a story that is anything but sober. I will eagerly await Gilbert's next offering." -Deborah Raney, author of the Hanover Falls Novels series from Howard/Simon & Schuster
"Gilbert’s debut novel is a force to be reckoned with. Mother of Pearl will pluck at the cords of every reader’s heart and refuse to let go until the last page. The story shines a light in the dark places of an issue too often over-looked. There’s a desperate need for awareness regarding this sensitive topic, and Gilbert’s Barrie is a mother who is willing to stand her ground in the face of the fiercest opposition. A heart-twisting tale that readers won’t soon forget."—Elizabeth Goddard, Carol Award winning author of The Camera Never Lies
"Kellie Gilbert's debut novel is a beautifully written, moving story about the vastness of a mother's love for her daughter. Highly recommended." Lisa Harris, Christy Award Finalist
"A cautionary tale for our times, Mother of Pearl is a compelling journey through loss and longing, grief and redemption, crime and justice. Kellie Coates Gilbert unfolds her story with the sensitivity of a skilled writer." – Lisa Wingate, National bestselling, award-winning author of Dandelion Summer and Blue Moon Bay
"From the deepest recesses of her heart, Kellie Coates Gilbert pens her debut novel – Mother of Pearl. It is a story about love, family, tragedy and loss that the author writes with an immeasurable depth of passion and skill. Beautifully and compellingly written, this heartbreaking - yet heartwarming story goes beyond the norm, allowing us to touch the very soul of depression and grief. And to come out the better for it. This story will remain with me for many years to come." - Nancy Jo Jenkins, author of Coldwater Revival
"I started and finished Mother of Pearl in one night. There is no better endorsement than simply not being able to put a book down. And I couldn't put down this first time authors debut novel. I was totally engrossed." - Tina Sloan, Author of Changing Shoes, and television star of Guiding Light
