Rating: 
Summary: A new top-5 favorite for me
Review: My favorite authors include Jane Austen, Barbara Kingsolver, and Maeve Binchy, who are now joined by Melinda Haynes. I was dismayed to see this book's low rating, since this is the best new book I've read in quite some time.A few other folks have been pointing to logical gaps in the storyline. Whether these gripes are legitimate or not--and I think most aren't--is really irrelevant. This is a fresh new powerful eccentric Southern woman's voice that should not be quibbled with. Haynes beautifully and powerfully captures the innocence of first love, cynicism's redemption by love, and much more. Her characters are wonderful, and their emotions are sometimes so pure and real they seem to shimmer above the page and threaten to materialize. The interactions between men and women in this novel are quite simply not to be missed. The pantheon of unforgettable Southern writers has a new member.
Rating: 
Summary: Wanted SO bad to give it five stars
Review: (... How) did Jolib know his mother said "call Joe Lieb---" when she was giving birth? ('they' thought she said call him Jolib--thus how he got his name) Grace wasn't in the picture yet. She was hired as wet nurse after the birth. His mother had a stroke GIVING birth and his father never knew anything about Joe Lieberstein. How did Grace know her husband told a joke before being hung. She wasn't there. Word of mouth? And a black man being allowed to raise a white child in 1961?? I loved the way the book was written but these things bothered me.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent.
Review: The lives of the characters are told with all the realness, the passions, the violence and the bigotry that we've grown up with in the South. Amidst all the action (yes, action ...) is a great story about rising above circumstances and making peace with all the demons.
Rating: 
Summary: Wasted time and cash!
Review: It sounds like it would be a good book, and might actually have been, if the author had stuck to any of the dozen or so storylines she started. Interesting ideas wither on the vine as Hayes jumps to something/someone new or more convinient in order to somehow justify one of the most insultingly implausible endings I've come across in quite a while. A total disappointment.
Rating:
Summary: a pearl in the oyster
Review: Once again, I found myself vacillating on whether to invest my time reading on "Oprah" recommended book.But I am certainly glad I decided to give this book a try.The first couple of chapters were difficult due to the dialogue "speak".However once I got the hang of it I became totally captivated with these characters and their story.I have recommended this book to all my friends and I am now recommending anyone who reads these customer reviews to give this one a try.You will not be sorry.
Rating:
Summary: Cain't Hardly Find Better!
Review: After reading Mother Of Pearl for the second time, all I can say is you can't hardly find a better book. The story is so full of heart breaking sadness and humour. Melinda Haynes has created a Masterpiece. Every sentence stuns the reader with its depth and power. Don't listen to anyone, buy the book and soak in the experience. It is unforgettable.
Rating: 
Summary: Doesn't live up to the hype...
Review: After seeing this book on the bestsellers list and being on Oprah's book club I decided to purchase this book and see for myself. It took me longer than usual to read this book and I must say it takes a lot of patients to finish this book. I did enjoy the development of the characters and was most interested in the story of Jackson and Valuable. However, it was tiring about midway through the book and the first chapter made it hard to get interested. The writing style I often found unnecessary and didn't really have much affect on the story. Overall I glad I read the book but wouldn't recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Mother of Pearl
Review: This is the kind of book you can relax into like a warm bath... There is magic woven into this story, and the characters continue floating into the reader's mind long after the book is finished. I liked Mother of Pearl SO much, I'm buying three more copies to send to my very best friends!
Rating:
Summary: You can't judge a book by its cover
Review: Initially, the cover, description, and reviews of this book did not appeal to me. However, I decided to give it a try and I am so glad that I did. The story is a poetic circle. A journey through the lives of folks so different than myself; of lives interwined in the most magical and mysterious of ways. I was surprised to find my thoughts influenced by the characters and delighted to share in their journey. I am still thinking about the characters a week after finishing the story. I wonder what will become of Pearl, if the risk Even took will end with a positive result, and if Joody can find peace. As for me, I give all the characters a voice in my mind: I give them a family, love, devotion, and acceptance. They deserve no less.
Rating:
Summary: Very hard to follow
Review: The language in this book is very hard to wade through and the story seems to skip around quite a bit. Overall, it's a confusing read. I have read several books in the Oprah book club, but this by far is the hardest one to get through. If you like complex, winding stories, this might be the book for you. On the other hand, if you like quick, light reads that don't require much thought, skip ahead or better yet, you might just want to skip the Oprah books altogether!
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