The Ballad of Jessie Pearl Receives Another Good Review!

I am thrilled with THE BALLAD OF JESSIE PEARL’S reviews by Kirkus and Publisher’s Weekly, and now I have more good news. A review by Children’s Literature:

Children’s Literature – Jean Boreen

Jessie Pearl wants to follow her heart’s desire: go to college and become a teacher. But that is not the easiest goal to achieve for a girl growing up in rural North Caroline in the early 1920’s. When her sister, Carrie, is diagnosed with tuberculosis (a death sentence for many in the early 20th century), Jessie must take over the family chores as well as nurse her sister. In doing so, Jessie essentially has to give up her studies and her friends because of concerns about contagion. When Carrie dies, Jessie has to deal not only with her loss but with Carrie’s expectation that Jessie will help raise her son, Ky, until her husband remarries. Jessie’s response to these various life changes as well as her eventual realization that she has fallen in love with her longtime friend, J.T., complicates the choices she must make for her future. This is a beautifully written book based on the author’s family history and gives teen readers an interesting glimpse at a time in our history when medical interventions were not as sophisticated as they are now and the impact of these limitations on families. Reviewer: Jean Boreen, Ph.D.

I would give my eyeteeth for a review from School Library Journal so fingers crossed that it happens!