The Women of Pearl Island

Written by Polly Crosby

Narrated by Katherine Press

A darkly beautiful dual-timeline novel with a captivating mystery, for fans of Diane Setterfield and Kiran Millwood Hargrave

’Like a surreal cabinet of curiosities – haunting, eerie, evocative’ Bridget Collins, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Binding

When Tartelin Brown accepts a job with the reclusive Marianne Stourbridge, she finds herself on a wild island with a mysterious history.

Tartelin is tasked with hunting butterflies for Marianne’s research. But she quickly uncovers something far more intriguing than the curious creatures that inhabit the landscape.

Because the island and Marianne share a remarkable history, and what happened all those years ago has left its scars, and some terrible secrets.

As Tartelin pieces together Marianne’s connection to the island, she must confront her own reasons for being there. Can the two women finally face up to the painful memories that bind them so tightly to the past?

Atmospheric and deeply emotional, The Women of Pearl Island is the captivating novel from the author of The Book of Hidden Wonders.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Release date: Sep 30, 2021
• ISBN: 9780008497453

Polly Crosby

Polly Crosby grew up on theSuffolk coast and now lives in the heart of Norfolk. She won the Curtis BrownCreative's Yesterday Scholarship, which enabled her to finish her debut. Shereceived the Annabel Abbs Scholarship at the University of East Anglia and iscurrently working on her second novel.

Reviews for The Women of Pearl Island

[desiree_reads · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Strange. Beautiful. Moody. Slow to start. A panoply of differences - webbed hands, a scale-like cheek, a wheelchair, Asperger's. An odd climax and conclusion. A young woman who finds peace after grief. An elderly one who struggles with a lifetime of guilt. Not sure what the point of it all is, but an enjoyable read nonetheless.

[romonko · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book is very beautifully written, and the writing is so descriptive and so ethereal that it sometimes took my breath away. The island was described so well that it almost became a character in the book. I found though that book seemed extraordinarily long, and it took me forever to get through it. The descriptive writing took away from the storyline, and the book appeared to meander here and there. It became almost dreamlike and kept putting me to sleep. Also, nowhere in any of the descriptions or tags about this book that I read was there any mention that it is a fantasy, but it very definitely falls into the fantasy genre. In spite of all that I began to like and admire Tartelin (and what a bewitching name that is)! She has accepted a position with an old lady on an almost deserted island in order to get away from England where she has just lost her adoptive mother. She is dealing with her grief throughout the book, but she finds that she can relate to Maryanne, the elderly lady she is working for. The two women are years apart in age, but have many similarities to each other in their personalities. Ms. Crosby obviously loves nature, and this book is full of beautifully written stories and descriptions about animals, birds, insects and fish. The book is an evocative and moving tale about nature, family, friendships and love. I was disappointed that I couldn't really get into the story as much as I felt I should have. It just went on too long for my taste.

[virginia51-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved the descriptions of the island and the butterflies. The women on this island were made from sturdy stock. I loved learning all the secrets that the women on this island had accumulated throughout their lives. I did find it hard to understand what was really happening at times and I really did not like the ending all that well. It seemed to leave me hanging a bit as to what the island was really like. I enjoyed most of the story and I really liked the characters. I received a copy of this book from HarperCollins for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

[bettytaylor56 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

While the writing is beautiful, I just could not get into this book. I was enchanted with the descriptions of the island landscape and the wildlife there, but I could not connect to the characters Marianne and Tartelin.Marianne had returned to mostly deserted Dohhalund after having left it 63 years ago. Marianne strives to study the DNA of the local butterflies and moths to determine the changes in the species over her 63-year absence. Confined to a wheelchair, she hires young Tartelin to hunt for butterflies. Tartelin is grieving over the death of her beloved adoptive mother.Marianne’s family had lived on Dohhalund Island for generations. But then the British military requisitioned it during WWII. While Marianne clings to the memories of her family, she also has secrets that she has buried within herself, one in particular that she wishes she could forget.The story is told at a slow pace as it alternates between time periods and between the perspectives of Tartelin and Marianne.

[fredreeca · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Marianne has finally returned to her beloved Pearl Island after years of being away. Her family had been forced off the island during WWII due to nuclear testing. Marianne is determined to find out about her obsession, her butterflies. How have they survived and changed?Marianne hires a young girl, Tartelin, to help her. Marianne is very old and cannot explore the island like she wishes. So, Tartelin will be her eyes and ears. Needless to say, both of these ladies are hiding a lot in their past and as they get to know each other, these secrets come out!There is such beauty in this story. I felt like I was right there on the island experiencing everything Tartelin experienced. It is so well written and extraordinary! I fell completely in love with this island and the unique characters. The only issue I have is there is almost no plot. Well, maybe I should say, it is slow moving. There is a bit of mystery surrounding Marianne and Tartelin. It is just a minor part of the story. But, there is just something about the way this novel is written, the plot really didn’t matter much. The island, Marianne and Tartelin is all that is needed.Need a beautiful escape…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.