Book Review: The Chinese Pearl by Patrick Aaron

There are some books that one cannot put down. They transfix you and make you forget the rest of the world. This is the magic of a good story, and I found that Chinese Pearl did that very thing to me. It was so wonderful to loose myself in the world of fiction for a while, a world that is hopeful and also has many lessons the most important of which is unconditional love.

    The story is about a midwife Xiulan whose dream of raising her own child seems to be dashed until she is called to help a mother give birth to a baby boy. When the mother gives birth, she delivers a boy followed by an albino girl with white hair. The girl’s grandmother doesn’t want to keep the second baby and asks Xiulan to dispose of her in the sea. But Xiulan cannot bring herself to do that and realizes that maybe she will be able to raise a child of her own after all.

    As time goes on, Xiulan realizes that there is a lot that is very different and wonderful about the girl. One of these things is her psychic ability. As she grows, she draws people to come visit the family’s apothecary. But can these powers attract the wrong attention over time? It soon does involving many different agencies and China’s National Aviation Corporation pilots.

    This book will make you laugh and cry. It is a book that is deep and yet light at the same time. I don’t think I have ever read a book that has just that perfect combination. What a gem of a book!

Rating: 5 stars

Reviewed by: Irene S. Roth