Review by Teresa Mathews of MaryLu Tyndall's Veil of Pearls

Veil of Pearls
By MaryLu Tyndall
(Barbour Publishing, 2012)
Review by Teresa Mathews

5 Stars*****

In this gripping tale MaryLu takes us on a journey that starts in Barbados, the Caribbean with the story of a young beautiful girl that was taken by an evil, vile man to be his slave. Althea Claymore has endured many horrors at the hand of Sir Walter Miles the owner of a large sugar plantation in Barbados. Althea being raised by Christian parents was taught to pray and the night she gets up the courage to sneak away, it seems that God has heard her prayers. Everything falls into place and before she knows it she is on a ship bound for the bustling town of Charleston, South Carolina. That is when Althea Claymore is left behind and Adalia Winston is born.

When Adalia reaches Charleston she looks everywhere for work as a physician’s assistant, thankfully her mother passed along her knowledge of herbs and Adalia was quick to learn. But no one seems to be interested in hiring her, so Adalia soon finds herself at the mercy of the Father that runs the town’s Negro orphanage, if it had not been for him she would not have had a place to go. With hardly any money she is grateful that she has a roof over her head and in exchange she is helping take care of the sick children.

On the day that Adalia was desperately praying for a miracle, one of the local doctors calls at the orphanage to ask if she would be interested in helping him with some of his patients. She would have a nice room in the doctor’s house along with a small salary. At the beginning she is seeing to the local slaves’ children because the Doctor Willaby doesn’t want to be bothered with them. During that time Adalia has a chance meeting with the son of one of the wealthiest plantation owners in Charleston. Though overwhelmingly handsome, Adalia has no interest in this spoiled son of a slave owner, so when approached she puts him in his place.

Morgan Rutledge is bored with the society life of Charleston; he knows he will never please his father in anything he does so he has given up trying. Besides his brother is the one who will inherit everything. The only thing that brings him true pleasure is when he is on the open seas. When Morgan encounters Adalia coming from attending to a sick slave child he is taken back by her beauty, and even though she is a mere servant he desperately wants to know her better. And finally after saving Aldalia from an attack after walking home late from the orphanage, Morgan succeeds in persuading Adalia to let him take her to a soiree.  

Adalia has never been to anything like the party she attends with Morgan, despite the stares and condescending remarks from the other ladies there, she loves it. And so begins the whirlwind of events she allows Morgan to introduce her to. Although she has good intentions Adalia soon begins to enjoy the partying too much, and to her sorrow she soon forgets her heavenly Father and the life He wants her to live.

What would happen if someone were to find out whom Adalia really is and that she has lived the life of a slave? And worse yet what would Morgan do if he were to realize the beauty he is parading around Charleston is one fourth Negro? Will Adalia’s dream of being a princess ever come true or will the nightmare of her past resurrect itself and drag her back to the pit of despair from where she came?

MaryLu has created a masterpiece that not only sweeps you away to the glamour of Charleston before the Civil War; she also takes your breath away with the descriptions of the horrors of slavery. She paints the true picture of how slavery destroys lives, be it a person enslaved in physical bonds or being enslaved to a life of riches that brings nothing but misery. She also shows God’s faithfulness to us even when we let the things in life pull us away from Him.

MaryLu once again has woven a story that will not be soon forgotten in my mind and for all you ladies like me that love pirates let me say MaryLu did not forget us, so be prepared to swoon!

MaryLu's books can be found on CBD, Amazon, Lifeway, Barnes and Noble, and other book stores.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

GIVEAWAY:  Leave a comment and your email to be entered in this week’s contest.  Drawing will be late Saturday.  Your choice of Marylu’s books, choice of format*. Void where prohibited by law. *International winners will only receive the book in ebook format not as a paperback.