The Pearl

By JF Anstead

4.0 out of 5 stars An Extended Metaphor About the Life Paths We Choose to Follow, January 1, 2014
By The Kindle Book Review (Indianapolis, IN) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Pearl (Kindle Edition)
Even for a religious person such as myself (or perhaps, especially for a religious person such as myself), it can be hard to get a handle on God, who is by definition unknowable. While I typically turn to the Bible for insight, it can be nice to read another perspective or try a different metaphor to supplement my scriptural reading.
The Pearl, by JF Anstead, is basically an extended metaphor. In this short story, two sisters share a dream at night involving a mysterious pearl, a man who wishes to steal it, and an adventure that must be undertaken to get it back. Other characters that populate the book are presented as those who wish to help the girls regain the pearl that has been lost. Through the story, the symbolism of the pearl is revealed, and the girls, still sleeping, learn important lessons about life’s path and choices.
The writing in this book is straightforward and the characters are not highly developed, but this may have been intentional to keep the focus on the book’s message. My favorite parts of the book were the descriptions of the “river of light” that flows in and around the story. It was easy for me to visualize this river flowing with tiny illuminated boats, each holding a gleaming pearl. I felt that the ending of the story was a bit rushed, and could have been better used in service of the overall metaphor. It was not entirely clear to be what religious tradition the author was drawing from, but perhaps that was intentional as well.
The Pearl is a quick read with a lot to consider, and would be a good book for a small group discussion around issues of faith, sin, and salvation. It definitely left a lasting impression on me.

Lisa Runge (The Kindle Book Review)
The reviewer received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest, independent review. She is not affiliated with the author or Amazon.

• Language: English
• Publisher: JF Anstead
• Release date: Jan 18, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311009647

JF Anstead

I was born in Enid, Oklahoma, May 2, 1962. Enid is a welsh word made famous by Arthurian legends. It literally means soul. My full name is Joseph Frank Anstead but most people call me Joe. Because my father was a cartographer I grew up in a series of latin American countries. My very young years I spent in the Andean country of Ecuador. There in the third grade I asked my older sister how to write a poem. My homework assignment made it absolutely necessary. I did not know then that I would be writing poems for the rest of my life. My late elementary school years I spent in Nicaragua. There we experienced a large natural disaster by way of the 1972 Managua earthquake. While going to school I invented a club called the Spy League of America. It was very successful and the money I made off it lasted me about six years. But it was the friends that I made that I remember most. My early High School years were spent in Panama, Canal Zone. It was there in the ninth grade that I was published for the first time in the school newspaper. It was the end of an era as soon as we left, the Canal Zone ceased to exist. The world was changing. My late High School years I spent in Mclean, Virginia a suburb of Washington D.C.. There I took classes at the American Film Institute and later attended George Mason University. I went on to win an award at the Potomac Film festival for a short video about poetry called Le Noir. I also worked a while at an award winning documentary company. Later I would work for the Defense Information Agency that overlooked all the computer networks for the military. I was an Internet Developer specializing in web animation. I would go on to design the first 3-D virtual reality shopping mall for a company named Cybereality Currently I am Co-Founder of Luxconscientia.com Now I live in Houston, Texas where I write short stories and poetry for fun and enjoyment.

Book preview

THE PEARL

JF Astead

Copyright JF Anstead 2013

Published by Smashwords

Throughout the darks and lights, throughout the grays, it rules the darkness. That orb in the sky rules our lives. It is the precious pearl, God’s island in the sky.

Tonight in this black and white world, the moon showed a luster as moonlight beamed softly, lighting the recently rained-upon streets. A taxi meandered down the road and came to a stop. The lamp light competed with the moon. Standing in the darkness was a man in a black trench coat with a goatee. Out of the taxi emerged a man in a black fedora hat. The two men met. They walked into an alley. The man in the fedora was carrying a large satchel. The man in the black trench coat pulled on his goatee and said, Did you get it?

The man in the fedora held up the satchel. It was hard to come by, Dr. Faustus. This one will cost you.

Dr. Faustus smiled. Whatever the cost, it is always worth it. Faustus pulled an envelope from his trench coat pocket. He opened the envelope. It is as you requested, and a lot better. The contract is a thousand years of bliss.

The man with the fedora looked at the paper. A thousand years of bliss buys a lot of cans of tuna. The two men laughed.

Then the man in the fedora stuck his hand in the satchel. He pulled out a giant pearl, spotless and glowing with mysterious light. Suddenly the two men could hear a lion roaring in the distance. Dr. Faustus looked up. You sure you weren’t followed?

The man in the fedora turned. Damn. I was careless.

Dr. Faustus took the satchel and pearl and walked over to the taxi. You have your payment. So long.

The man in the fedora ran for the taxi, but Dr. Faustus closed and locked the door. Step on it, Dr. Faustus said to the cab driver.

The man in the fedora heard a growl and turned to look. A lion leapt through the air and grabbed him by the