The Lost Pearl

Like a number of other recent novels (including Meet me at Lennons), in this book Emily Madden provides an account of the life of civilians living through events during the Second World War. As a story of lost love the book also provides a study of attitudes regarding class and people from other ethnic backgrounds as well as social changes that have occurred since the 1940s.

Catherine  McGarrie was a teenager living in Hawaii in December 1941 when Pearl Harbour was bombed. This event changed her life as Catherine and her mother left Hawaii for Australia to stay with Aunt Iris for the rest of the war. Having visited Pearl Harbour several years ago I could vividly imagine the experience of the bombing as described in the book.

In Sydney Catherine met William Bennett and they married and had four sons. When her granddaughter, Kit, was born Catherine developed a special relationship with her. However when Catherine died, Kit discovered that her grandmother had a secret that was unknown to other family members.

This is the story of Kit's quest to discover her grandmother's story. The story is told in two time frames - 1940s and 75 years later - and is set mainly in Hawaii and Sydney. During her search Kit must come to terms with her own past events and make decisions about her future.

(One of the themes in the book concerns the forced adoption of children of young unmarried mothers - a theme that also occurs in Philomena.)