Sins of Pearl

Pearl Johnson, unknown to her but obvious to almosteveryone else, falls in love with a younger man. Due to the heavy baggage of a yet-to-be-terminated marriage whichwas doomed from its beginning, strict obedience to religious dogma, herfamilys mores, and a strained relationship with her grown daughter, Pearl hasdifficulty accepting that she has the right to enjoy her own being, life, andthe pursuit of happiness.

Widower Bob Johnson, with three grown children, isclueless about what the future holds for him.He only knows that he was happily married for almost thirty years and isdubious even thinking about a second relationship, fearing that it would leadto disappointment because he would always be comparing the new women to hisdeceased beloved. Buried in loneliness,he becomes heavily involved in volunteer work and begins to imbibe a bit toomuch in self-pity and alcohol.

This story of love and internal conflict takes placeamid the wonderfully complex, yet beautiful, sometimes tragic, life inHaiti. Guidance comes from two unlikelyfriendships...a Voudoun priest and aHaitian engineer. Fates interventionin the relationship is best capsulated by the Voudoun, who says, God works in strange and mysterious ways.

As with all of Jims novels, Sins of Pearl iswritten to entertain. Hopefully, thereader will laugh a little, cry a little, and think a little. Its clash of cultures and comparisons ofreligious doctrine may cause some to think, which is good.