Customer Reviews

The Pearl

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Angela Elwell Hunt effectively captures the emotions of each family member involved in this story that deals with the current controversial subject of cloning. Extremely well written. You won't be able to put it down. Fantastic!

I wasn't sure if Angela Hunt could ever top THE NOTE, but she's done it with THE PEARL. Hunt took a Twilight Zone-like storyline (involving cloning) and made it seem the most plausible scenario in the world. Incredibly well-written, a wonderful study of human nature and an ending full of hope.

After experiencing a tragedy, grief-stricken Diana turns to medical science, sure that technological advances will heal her broken heart. Her single-minded quest alienates her from her husband and daughter, severing relationships, trust, and her career. Only the power of the Lord can bring this broken family back together and heal deep wounds. I thought that this was a great book and could not wait to find out what happens!

Tragedy strikes....five year old Scott dies in an accident, and his shocked family is left grief-stricken. Steve Sheldon knows that his son is now in heaven, and although Steve is heart-broken and often breaks down, he holds to the belief that this was God's will. His wife Diana, host of the Dr. Diana Sheldon radio show, can't accept Scott's death or believe that God had anything to do with it. She and her husband Steve were supposed to be unable to have children of their own, but God gave them a miracle in Scott, and now Diana absolutely cannot accept that God would take their miracle-child who He gave to them only 5 years before.

Several weeks after Scott's death, Diana receives a strange phone call. The caller is with a medical organization in France, and he tells her that new medical technology can allow Diana to bare another baby -- a baby exactly like Scott. A clone. This baby wouldn't actually be Scott, but would be more like "Scott's identical twin separated by time". At first Diana thinks it's absurd, but the more she thinks about it, the more it makes complete sense to her. She latches onto the idea, and even though her husband Steve doesn't support it at all, she can't let it go. Just how far will she go in pursuing this baby??

At 320 pages, The Pearl might be a bit on the long side, but overall this was a fairly entertaining book, and the cloning issue was presented in a realistic and believable way. Once or twice the medical terms for the development stages of a baby seemed a bit much, but not in a gross way. (More like it briefly seemed like a medical book instead of a fiction book. This might've just been me, though.) While I couldn't identify at all with Diana's "need" to clone her son, it was still interesting to see the lengths she was willing to go to.

If the storyline sounds interesting and appeals to you, then I definitely recommend that you read it. It really gives you some things to think about that stick with you even after you've finished the book.

Hunt is one of the strongest writers of our time, Christian or otherwise. Her characterizations are never lazy or weak and her descriptions are deeply moving. The story of Diana seeking her son is extremely relevant in today's political climate. Hunt does a terrific job of researching her subject matter and giving strong debate on both sides. Diana's descent was a little creepy at times, but that's deliberate on Hunt's part. Sometimes we can be equally as guilty of insisting on our way instead of the Lord's way in things. I bawled through the first seventy pages of this book, and spent the rest of it thinking and thanking God for what I have.

As with most of Hunt's books, the story in The Pearl takes a while to get going, but once it does the intrigue and emotion involved is enough to keep the pages turning. Hunt dives into the controversy over human cloning and takes it on head-first. To that I say, "Kudos!" Also intertwined in the story are thematic elements involving God's sovereignty, forgiveness, and accepting what life gives us. For anyone looking for a fresh look at the cloning issue and seeking a good story to boot, read The Pearl. It won't disappoint.

What would you be willing to pay for your heart's desire? is the compelling question posed by author, Angela Hunt, in her novel, THE PEARL. When a fatal accident takes her five-year-old son, Dr. Diana Shelton, well-known talk radio psychologist, faces questions she didn't even know she had while refusing to walk through her grief. She thinks controversial cloning is God's answer. Her quest threatens to destroy her faith and family until an unexpected phone call forces her to face reality and the potential consequences of her decision. Another well-crafted gem by Hunt. Restored Hearts

I thought it was a very good book. I ordered 10 copies for my Book Club. I have read it twice.

This book was a fascinating read; as is the case with most of Angela Hunt's books. I found the premise to be slightly unrelatable; the main character decides to clone a loved one after their sudden loss in a freak accident. The company doing the cloning was quick to point out that this was not bringing the loved one back, but more like having a twin born many years later. That's why her desperation to clone this loved one seemed so unrealistic. She wanted to bring back the loved one, yet all she would be doing is getting someone that looked like that loved one. If I had been in the same situation I would think that it would only make me more upset to have an exact replica of the person I lost reminding me of them everytime I saw them.

All that aside, I couldn't put the book down. The writing was great and I wanted to know what happened to the characters. My annoyance with the main character increased as the book went on, but I still enjoyed the journey. My love for Angela Hunt is that each book she writes is very unique in flavor. This book definitely kept to that precedent. It was unlike any other book I've read and was definitely worth the time spent reading it.

I just finished this book! It was wonderful, very thought provoking. I
believe the timing is incredible. I really loved this book!!!!