Pearl
Longlisted for the Booker Prize 2023
(Author) Sian HughesA haunting debut novel inspired by the medieval poem of the same name Marianne is eight years old when her mother goes missing. Left behind with her baby brother and grieving father in a ramshackle house on the edge of a small village, she clings to the fragmented memories of her mother's love; the smell of fresh herbs, the games they played, and the songs and stories of her childhood. As time passes, Marianne struggles to adjust, fixated on her mother's disappearance and the secrets she's sure her father is keeping from her. Discovering a medieval poem called Pearl and trusting in its promise of consolation, Marianne sets out to make a visual illustration of it, a task that she returns to over and over but somehow never manages to complete. Tormented by an unmarked gravestone in an abandoned chapel and the tidal pull of the river, her childhood home begins to crumble as the past leads her down a path of self-destruction. But can art heal Marianne? And will her own future as a mother help her find peace?
Sian Hughes
Sian Hughes is a British poet and writer known for her innovative and experimental approach to poetry. She has published several collections of poetry, including "The Missing" and "The World's Hieroglyphic Beauty." Hughes' work often explores themes of memory, loss, and the complexities of human relationships. She is praised for her lyrical and evocative language, as well as her ability to blend the personal with the universal. Hughes has made significant contributions to contemporary poetry with her unique voice and style. Her most famous work, "The Missing," is a haunting and powerful exploration of grief and absence.