The Christmas Pearl (Hardcover)

by Dorothea Benton Frank (Author)
Key Phrases: rum balls, Merry Christmas, Christmas Eve

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
With her truculent family gathered at her stately Charleston mansion for Christmas, 93-year-old matriarch Theodora is having a hard time tolerating the lot of them. Theodora hankers for her 1920s childhood, when Pearl, the family's stern black maid, enforced strict houshold discipline and took no guff while working hard at Christmas, all the while singing gospel favorites such as Come en Go wid Me. When Theodora's usual maid is called away, Pearl herself (as a ghost) blows in, ready to set the house in order, She unearths the antique crèche and other Christmas heirlooms long buried, and altering the family's general bad temper. Frank (The Land of Mango Sunsets) includes homegrown recipes that further sweeten this Lowcountry holiday confection. (Nov.)
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Product Description

Theodora is the matriarch of a family that has grown into a bunch of truculent knuckleheads. While she's finally gotten them all together in South Carolina to celebrate, this Christmas looks nothing like the extravagant, homey holidays of her childhood.

What happened to the days when Christmas meant tables groaning with home-cooked goodies, over-the-top decorations, and long chats in front of the fire with Pearl, her grandmother's beloved housekeeper and closest confidante?

Luckily for Theodora, a special someone who heard her plea for help arrives, with pockets full of enough Gullah magic and common sense to make Theodora's Christmas the love-filled miracle it's meant to be.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow; First Edition edition (October 23, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061438448
• ISBN-13: 978-0739488553
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #47,759 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars lighthearted whimsical holiday family drama , October 30, 2007

By	Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews (#1 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Ninety-three years old Theodora still lives in her family home in Charleston just like her mother and grandmother did before her. Although the bones ache and the memory is not quite as keen as it once was, she still her faculties and wants to throw a Christmas gala for her family like the ones her mom used to host back in the 1920s. No one wants to attend, but none disappoint Theodora as the nonagenarian is the recognized family matriarch.

Thus the disgruntled family invades Theodora's Charleston home, but the gala is not anything like what she remembers as the stores do the baking (pre-packaged fruitcake is heresy) and the decorations come in packages instead of the family making them. Even more significant is where is Pearl, her grandmother's long deceased housekeeper, to serve as a drill sergeant making the truculent attendees behave and sing carols while the servant sang gospels? This is Christmas so sometimes a bit of magic is needed, this time Gullah magic, occurs. The ghost of Pearl arrives to bring order to the chaotic troops and Theodora takes out family Yuletide heirlooms hoping to bring good cheer to this distempered group.

THE CHRISTMAS PEARL is a lighthearted whimsical holiday family drama that fans of Dorothea Benton Frank's Lowcountry tales will appreciate. The novella stars an interesting elderly person who believes her family fails to understand what Christmas means and also wants nostalgically to catch a little of her past. With mouth watering recipes to round out the tale, readers will enjoy this fun holiday tale.

Harriet Klausner

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Frankly Disappointing, November 16, 2007

By	Whimsy 1 "Linda" (Sedona, AZ USA) - See all my reviews

I have been a Dorothea Benton Frank fan since her first book came out. I find her stories fiesty, fun and well written. I was thrilled to see her Christmas Pearl in my local bookstore but was disappointed with the read. While I agree with her values regarding old fashioned holidays, I found this book preachy and almost condescending. It seemed rather thrown together and not up to par with her previous books. Most of her characters are obnoxious and I just couldn't find the magic in this book.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars FAMILY CHRISTMAS STORY PLUS RECIPES, November 22, 2007

By	Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

This review is from: The Christmas Pearl CD (Audio CD)

There's little that will get you into the holiday spirit as quickly as this warm story of a family at Christmas time. The audio opens with a carol sung by a choir and then eases into the voice of Theodora, a Charleston matriarch. Her narrative is winningly rendered by Celia Weston, an American stage, screen, and television actress who is well known for her character roles. Noted for her performances as Southern women, she brings a slight South Carolina accent to this reading and a mature voice, quite appropriate for a 93-year-old woman. Very pleasant and authentic listening!

Thoedora, who describes herself as an "old nanny goat" but one who would prefer to be referred to as a "stylish dowager." has managed to gather her family for Christmas. Now, she may be a nonagenarian but she's a feisty one even though her bones creak "like loose floorboards" when she wakes up in the morning. It takes only a minute for her to realize that this celebration will be nothing at all like the ones she remembers - peaceful, loving, happy as everyone enjoyed the cooking and care of housekeeper, Pearl. While Theodora certainly realized that the world had dramatically changed since her youth, she was distressed to see her family at odds and apparently unaware of the true meaning of
Christmas.

But, what in the world, if anything could she do to bring them all together?

This audio edition includes 14 tempting recipes that you can print.

Enjoy!

- Gail Cooke