Rating: 
Summary: Wish we were offered a choice of "zero stars".
Review: Very disappointed that I spent money for this book. It was such a struggle to get through. With all the rereading, it was like reading a 1000 page essay on a subject you know nothing about. When you finish it, you still don't know anything about it, and you're just happy that you don't have to read anymore of it.
Rating: 
Summary: Enjoyed it but I'm alittle confused
Review: If someone gets the pig symbolisim I'd be interested in learning how to figure that out. I never get it! I liked the book but it took me a long time to read it. I loved the characters and liked the overall story. I did get lost sometimes. I wonder if it's a book that is better the second time. I wouldn't suggest it to someone who only reads a few books a year I'm afraid they might give up reading. It was a effort but again, I liked the story and I'm committed to finishing books. Enjoyed the ending
Rating: 
Summary: NOT ONE OF OPRAH'S BEST PICKS
Review: What a strange book. I've read ALL of Oprah's books and Iwasn't going to stop now, but boy was it hard!! I struggled throughthe first 150 pages and finally figured out all of the characters. I did appreciate the ending. I even cried! Do NOT make this a must read, especially if it is your first Oprah book.
Rating:
Summary: Requires diligence to get through.
Review: Thank you. I thought it was just me rereading pages to try to make sense of the whole story. I'm still struggling to get through this book, but, like others, determined to finish it.
Rating: 
Summary: Lovable Characters in an Engaging Story
Review: The characters of this book became real to me. Melinda Haynes is a brilliant writer. She drew me into her story so that I didn't want to put the book down. I wanted to laugh and learn with Even, Valuable, Grace and the others. These people did a lot of thinking and were very wise to the ways of other people and life events.
Rating:
Summary: Boring
Review: To be honest, I gave this book to my local library after 250 pages. It was just boring. I don't see how this book made it past the editor's desk. The writing style is confused and disjointed. Many times it didn't make any sense to me. There are too many other good books to read this summer!
Rating:
Summary: Enchanting. . . lingers with you long after you put it down.
Review: Ms. Haynes is to be commended for a beautifully woven tale that sweeps the reader to another time and place. Her characters are captivating, subtle and well developed. Her prose reads like poetry. It is amazing that Mother of Pearl is her first book. Melinda, you go girl!!! Can't wait to read your next yarn----don't make us wait too long!
Rating:
Summary: Haynes Should Go Back to Painting
Review: This has to be one of the worst books to have ever made it on a bestseller list. From this point on I will steer clear of Oprah's BookClub selections. I really should have taken the advise of other reviewer's of this website and not attempted to read this mess. Even with re-reading sections, the book made no sense. When I was at 300 pages I continued to consider tossing it in the trash, which would have been a first since I never quit a book. But now I wish I went with my initial feelings and tossed it out. The characters were not interesting and by the end I could care less what happened to any one of them. Do yourself a favor and don't waste your time. Oprah should get out of the book business and Haynes should return to her first career of painting.
Rating:
Summary: WHAT WAS ALL OF THE FUSS ABOUT?
Review: When I first read some of the bad reviews, I wouldn't let myself believe the book could be so bad, especially since I have enjoyed most of the books from Oprah's club. Please ignore the hype, the book is as bad as others have alluded to. The ony reason I finished the book is because its my personal policy, I had to see at what point would it start to make sense. I'm still waiting.
Rating:
Summary: An interesting, though disjointed read!
Review: The book was slow moving and somewhat confusing. I had to reread several pages for clarification. The pages overflowed with strange, but interesting characters and their connections were not always clear. Was there symbolism in the dream about a walking, talking, slit pig? That still has me baffled. The end was a shocker, I would never have guessed it. All in all, the book was ok. Ms. Haynes did a good job blending the different southern cultures. A good book of 400 pages usually takes me one week, this one took over a month. This was my first read along with Oprah, I was determined to complete it!
| 
