Today, I have the pleasure of introducing you to Kellie Gilbert, a debut author and a special friend. We’ve laughed and talked late into the night during our Pulpwood Queen Girlfriend Weekend adventures and spent hours on the phone talking about our favorite authors and writing. It’s nice to have friends like that – those who “get us” and understand why we do what we do. This week Kellie gets to step into the limelight as her first book, Mother of Pearl, has hit the streets and she’s hit the road on her book tour. Happy trails, Kellie!
The Story:
Barrie Graeber has two great kids, a loving husband, and a respected job as the high school counselor in her close-knit community. Without warning, everything unravels when her teenage daughter, Pearl, is betrayed by friends and lashes out.
Nothing prepares this mother for the helplessness that follows when her attempts to steer her daughter back on course fail and Pearl shuts her out . . . or when she discovers the unthinkable about her nemesis, the football coach.
Emotionally riveting and profoundly moving, Mother of Pearl brings us into the heart of a mother bound by an incredible burden, who ultimately finds she must recognize her own vulnerability and learn to trust in something much bigger.
I think you’ll enjoy hearing Kellie talk about Mother of Pearl in this video clip:
I was honored when Kellie let me have a sneak peak at her book last spring. Here’s my endorsement of her lovely debut.
“A story that could have come from today’s headlines, MOTHER OF PEARL is a compelling, thought-provoking debut. With impeccable prose, Kellie Coates Gilbert kept me turning pages in this high-stakes story of one mother’s quest for healing and justice.”