Guest Review by Leslie D. Rush. Follow Leslie on Twitter @LeslieDRush
The Pearl Thief
Elizabeth Wein
Disney-Hyperion
217
317 pages (with author’s notes)
ISBN: 97814847165
The Pearl Thief is the coming of age
story of Julia Beaufort-Stuart, whose privileged life in the world of Scottish
nobility collides with prejudice and her own sexual stirrings in the summer of
1938.
Julie’s Grandfather, the Earl of
Strathfearn, has died deep in debt, and the family is spending their last
summer at the estate. Grandfather’s historical collection is catalogued and the
estate grounds are being converted to an elite boarding school. Shortly after
arriving, Julie is knocked unconscious on the banks of the river and wakes up
in the hospital with little recollection of the attack, or the following three
days, during which she was rescued and tended to by a family of Scottish
gypsies, known as Travellers.
Julie befriends the family of Travellers,
but the disappearance of one of the estate historians is tied to the attack on
Julie. This disappearance becomes a suspected suicide, but when the river gives
up body parts, the inquiry turns into a murder investigation. Long-ingrained
class prejudice against the Travellers surfaces among the local law
enforcement, Julie’s librarian friend, and her own family. As her memory of the
initial attack begins to return, Julie must solve the mystery before her
friends are framed for murder.
Throughout
the book Julie has a burgeoning crush on Frank, the remaining historian. He is
at least fifteen years older than Julie, but she implies she is older than her
almost-sixteen years and flirts with him
constantly. Frank keeps Julie at arm’s length but is obviously attracted to
her. Julie also has a crush on the beautiful, prickly Ellen, a member of the
Travellers, and a well-drawn, interesting character, who teaches Julie how boys
kiss “when they mean it.”
The unfolding mystery is solid, and the
historical background is fascinating. I struggled with Julie’s wildly
inappropriate relationship with Frank, despite its underlying message as a
cautionary tale. The excessive use of parentheticals and italics to establish
Julie’s voice was distracting, but eloquent descriptions of the landscape and
history of the region create a powerful setting.
This book is the prequel to the much-praised Code
Name Verity. It stands on its own fairly well, but I suspect it will have
more impact on readers who know Julie’s eventual fate. This one feels like
Nancy Drew confronts British class prejudice and kisses a girl.
The Pearl Thief is recommended for ages
fifteen and up. Recommended for readers of
Code Name Verity and anyone who loves historical fiction and mystery.
FTC Required Disclaimer:
I received the book from the publisher for #Cybils panel. I did not receive
monetary compensation for this review nor did the guest reviewer.
