Mother of Pearl

Kellie Coates Gilbert
2012
Abingdon Press
Fiction/Christian/Contemporary

Barrie Graeber has the perfect life, so it seems.  A high school counselor, her two children are her pride and joys.  She is married to a great man, who is a go-getter, launching a sucessful new business.  But a betrayal to her daughter, from a close friend and her boyfriend, will upset Barrie's perfect life.  With destructive behavior, like she has never seen before, Barrie is horrified to find that her daughter is not healing from the betrayal as she hoped.  The death of Pearl, will derail Barrie's perfect life. 
What I loved about this book:  As a debut author, Kellie Coates Gilbert wades through the emotional mess that a child's death brings, with the expertise you would expect from a seasoned author.  The relationship between the whole family is not perfect but you knew they loved each other. 
What I did not love about this book:  The emotional stuff gets to you, especially if you have lost a child.  Otherwise there was nothing else that I disliked.
Conclusion:  Kellie Coates Gilbert will have you laughing, crying, and even raging at times in this story.  The hurts this family faces are real, and you can feel that pain, it rips at your soul.  The relationship this family has is threatened nearly to the breaking point, and while faith was not a big part of Barrie's story, there was a message in this book, however subtle it may have been.  A great book you must read!  304 pages $14.99 5 stars

This book was provided for review purposes only, no payment was received for this review. 

About the author:
Kellie Coates Gilbert is a former legal investigator and trial paralegal who writes with a sympathetic, intimate knowledge of how people react under pressure. Kellie's books tell emotionally poignant stories about women in life-changing circumstances. She writes about messy lives . . . and eternal hope.
Kellie currently makes her home in Dallas, Texas with her husband and a very spoiled 2.7 lb. Yorkie named Ava.
Please visit her online at www.kelliecoatesgilbert.com