As a former legal investigator
and trial paralegal, it’s really not
surprising that author Kellie Coates
Gilbert can spin a compelling tale
where the quest for justice plays a
leading role.
In her debut novel, Mother of Pearl,
that’s exactly what she does as
she tells the story of how one
woman’s idyllic existence spectacularly
unravels when her teenage
daughter Pearl not only rebels
but begins lashing out when she’s
betrayed by her own friends.
Confessing that she didn’t know
how many things there were to
be afraid of until she had her
first child, Kellie explores what
happens when a mother discovers
her beloved daughter ultimately
lands in the hands of someone
seemingly safe who is really
anything but safe.
“When the inception
of this story was
still coming together in
my brain, I saw a sadly
recurring event on the
news where a coach had
been inappropriately
involved with a teenager,”
Kellie shares. “The
cameras were honed in
on the major players in
the courtroom; and yet, I
couldn’t help wondering
if that girl’s mom was
seated out of view. What was she feeling?”
With no agenda in mind other than telling a
compelling story that offers some relevant food for
thought, Kellie says Mother of Pearl is a reminder that
people have many layers and even more when family
dynamics and particularly hard times are concerned.
“I’m intrigued with the coping mechanisms we
employ to fill our empty places, the chasm that only
God can fill,” she says. “When readers find themselves
in deep places in life, I hope they will think of Barrie
Graeber [the book’s leading lady] and remember that
life-changing circumstances actually can be conduits
to His majesty.”