Its a book of the month club and quality paperback club selection. Picture of the 1999 first edition dust jacket for mother of pearl. Mother of pearl by haynes, melinda and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Haynes creates a tapestry of life, love and family that, while reminiscent of toni morrison and zora neale hurston, has a freshness and style all its own. Shelby hearon author of owning jolene mother of pearl is a monumental novel set in the noblespeaking backcountry of faulkners mississippi.
Twentyeightyearold even grade is a black man who was orphaned as a child. According to author melinda haynes, mother of pearl is a story about six people, black and white, whose lives become intertwined in small town in 1950s mississippi. Mother of pearl 1997 biography of melinda haynes 2000 by catlin connor shs melinda haynes was born in 1955 and grew up in hattiesburg, mississippi she was the daughter of a baptist minister, who was the pastor of two small churches in petal, mississippi. A friendship formed against odds in 1950s mississippi cnn. Mother of pearl has 14 available editions to buy at half price books marketplace. Capturing all the rueful irony and racial ambiavalence of smalltown mississippi in the late 1950s, melinda haynes celebrated novel is a wholly unforgettable exploration of. But at 44 years of age, the firsttime novelist is still dumbfounded by what is happening to her.
Mother of pearl does offer a vivid picture of life in a small mississippi town in the 1950s and a cast of interesting characters does propel the plot forward to a satisfying conclusion. Jun 01, 2000 shelby hearon author of owning jolene mother of pearl is a monumental novel set in the noblespeaking backcountry of faulkners mississippi. Set in the small town of petal, mississippi, in the late 1950s, mother of pearl is the story of 6 people trying to figure who they are and where they belong. Melinda haynes mother of pearl 1st edition 1st printing. What immediately strikes the reader is hayness style. Haynes, melinda isbn 0671774670 12 copies separate mother of pearl haynes, melinda isbn 0786864850 12 copies separate mother of pearl mother of pearl by haynes melinda author jun 01 2000 paperback haynes, melinda isbn 0671774670 11 copies. Jun 02, 1999 mother of pearl revolves around twentyeightyearold even grade, a black man who grew up an orphan, and valuable korner, the fifteenyearold white daughter of the capturing all the rueful irony and racial ambivalence of smalltown mississippi in the late 1950s, melinda haynes celebrated novel is a wholly unforgettable exploration of family. Mother of pearl revolves around twentyeightyearold even grade, a black man who grew up an orphan, and valuable korner, the fifteenyearold white daughter of the capturing all the rueful irony and racial ambivalence of smalltown mississippi in the late 1950s, melinda haynes celebrated novel is a wholly unforgettable exploration of family. Oprah urges readers not to be stumped by what some may call a dense few beginning chapters, because, that, my dear, is called reading, a. Excerpt from mother of pearl by melinda haynes, plus links.
Mother of pearl by melinda haynes 19990602 haynes, melinda 1 copy separate mother of pearl. The story revolves around 28yearold even grade, a b. The main characters of this fiction, historical story are. Mother of pearl 1999 is a novel by melinda haynes, and was chosen as an oprahs book club selection, june 1999. Mother of pearl oprahs book club haynes, melinda on. Melinda haynes, quote from mother of pearl and though he has watched a decent age pass by, a man will sometimes still desire the world.
Valuable, age 15, has an unknown father, and her mother is promiscuous and selfish. Melinda haynes twothirds of the way through the writing of her luminous first novel, mother of pearl, melinda haynes started working on a second novel. Melinda haynes, mississippi writer of mother of pearl. Mother of pearl by melinda haynes first edition points. Mother of pearl revolves around twentyeightyearold even grade, a black man who grew up an orphan, and valuable korner, the fifteenyearold white daughter of the capturing all the rueful irony and racial ambivalence of smalltown mississippi in the late 1950s, melinda haynes celebrated novel is a wholly unforgettable exploration of family, identity, and redemption. Set in small town mississippi in the late 1950s, mother of pearl is populated by wonderfully rich and original characters with themes of identity and the true meaning of family interwoven throughout. Melinda haynes signed book 1st ed hcdj mother of pearl 1999 like new coa.
Mother of pearl book by melinda haynes 14 available. Oprah urges readers not to be stumped by what some may call a dense few beginning chapters, because, that, my dear, is called reading, referencing a toni. Buy a cheap copy of mother of pearl book by melinda haynes. Mother of pearl by melinda haynes pdf free download ebook. In 1999, she wrote her first published novel, mother of pearl, while living in a mobile home in grand bay, alabama. Melinda haynes mother of pearl 1st edition 1st printing ebay.
What immediately strikes the reader is haynes s style. Thankyou and a big welcome to all our subscribers steve. As a child, she had panic disorder that caused problems with school. About the book according to author melinda haynes, mother of pearl is a stroy about six people, black and white, whose lives become intertwined in small town in 1950s mississippi. Mother of pearl revolves around twentyeightyearold even grade, a black man who grew up an orphan, and valuable korner, the fifteenyearold white daughter of the town whore and an unknown father. A startlingly accomplished mixture of beauty, mystery, and tragedy, mother of pearl marks the debut of an extraordinary literary talent. Its about racism, family secrets, and everyones search for love. Mother of pearl revolves around twentyeightyearold even grade, a black man who. Melinda haynes, mississippi writer of mother of pearl, chalktown. Melinda haynes a novel on a town in 1950s mississippi and the characters who populate it. In a luminous voice, original and true, melinda haynes tells the story, straight as a tree and deep as a pond, of the savage miseries and saving graces of the past and present in the deep south. I chose it based solely on the oprah seal of approval on the cover. Mother of pearl haynes, melinda isbn 0732267080 copies separate mother of pearl. Mother of pearl book by melinda haynes official publisher.
Mother of pearl by melinda haynes fantastic fiction. Mother of pearl is a first novel of immense and staggering power. What melinda haynes accomplished with her debut novel is nothing short of brilliance. Her sentences have the beauty of coined silver forks resting on linen. Picture of the first edition page for mother of pearl. Mother of pearl oprahs book club by melinda haynes. Even, age 28, is a hardworking black man who grew up as an orphan. Jul 24, 2016 mother of pearl is one of those reads. Mother of pearl by melinda haynes first book introduction. A friendship formed against odds in 1950s mississippi mother of pearl by melinda haynes. Mother of pearl revolves around twentyeightyearold even grade, a black man who grew up an orphan, and valuable korner, the fifteenyearold white daughter of the. Nov 27, 2015 melinda haynes grew up in hattiesburg, mississippi. Pdf mother of pearl book by melinda haynes free download.
Excerpt from mother of pearl by melinda haynes, plus links to. The first edition of the novel was published in june 2nd 1999, and was written by melinda haynes. Free download or read online mother of pearl pdf epub book. Jun 01, 2000 melinda haynes has been a painter for most of her life and her eye for color is obvious in her debut novel, mother of pearl.
Mother of pearl by melinda haynes book cover, description, publication history. With characters whose names came from real estate and road signs such as even grade and valuable korner, the story races and rambles through a. They include a witch who communicates with the moon, an orphaned girl who writes poetry, and the men in their lives. Jan 27, 2011 this is our first book club selection. Both are passionately determined to discover the precious things neither experienced as children. A painter for most of her life, she now writes full time from her home in grand bay, alabama, where she is working on her second novel. Melinda haynes grew up in hattiesburg, mississippi. Read free book excerpt from mother of pearl by melinda haynes, page 4 of 4. There is a subtle undertone of sadness running through this story set in the deep south during the 1950s. Author interview melinda haynes, author of mother of pearl. Mother of pearl is a luminous novel of the 1950s south that intermingles race and racism, degeneracy and prejudice, magic and love. Buy mother of pearl by melinda haynes online at alibris. According to author melinda haynes, mother of pearl is a stroy about six people, black and white, whose lives become intertwined in small town in 1950s mississippi. With characters whose names came from real estate and road signs such as even grade and valuable korner, the story races and rambles through a search for meaning, love, and family.
Capturing all the rueful irony and racial ambivalence of smalltown mississippi in the late 1950s, melinda haynes celebrated novel is a wholly unforgettable exploration of family, identity, and redemption. Newcomer haynes writes swaying, shaded sentences in a promising debut that nicely realizes the atmosphere of pearl, mississippi, in the 1950s but that lacks an emotional decisiveness able to justify its prodigious length. And melinda haynes is pretty clearly the force behind it all. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 465 pages and is available in paperback format. The negro on saxophone blew out a language older than english and the glasses on the tables trembled.
Still, i felt the writing could have been much better and much easier to read. First edition points and criteria for mother of pearl year published. See all books authored by melinda haynes, including mother of pearl, and stories from the blue moon cafe, and more on. She lives with her husband, ray, and an adopted greyhound, elaine. Mother of pearl oprahs book club by melinda haynes reading. Literary echoes of the past debut novel explores the modern mythology of the south. Twothirds of the way through the writing of her luminous first novel, mother of pearl, melinda haynes started working on a second novel. The process that had taken her deep into mother of pearl had been so amazing and inexplicable that she was afraid it was just a onetime thing. Melinda haynes has been a painter for most of her life and her eye for color is obvious in her debut novel, mother of pearl. Mother of pearl 1999 is a novel by melinda haynes, and was chosen as an oprahs book club selection, june. Melinda haynes books list of books by author melinda haynes.