A review by carmenere
Gun Love by Jennifer Clement
4.0
At its core, this is a story about a pre-teen named Pearl. She is as pure white and gritty as the real thing. Like her namesake, she will also lament her home.
Although, from birth, her home is a Mercury Topaz parked beside a trailer park which abuts a garbage dump, it is all she knows and as long as she sleeps in the front seat and her mother sleeps in the rear she is content.
When her mother's boyfriend begins to take up space in the car, Pearl finds an unoccupied trailer to do her homework and get away from Eli. To her surprise, she's not the only one using the trailer. Someone is stockpiling firearms. They will change her life, not once, but twice.
Without being preachy, this novel explores, foster homes, social services, poverty and the gun trade. The characters were sympathetic and well drawn.
The reader, at its conclusion, can only hope Pearl's future will hold something good for her, yet this reader's a bit skeptical. I can almost sense a sequel is in the offing!
Although, from birth, her home is a Mercury Topaz parked beside a trailer park which abuts a garbage dump, it is all she knows and as long as she sleeps in the front seat and her mother sleeps in the rear she is content.
When her mother's boyfriend begins to take up space in the car, Pearl finds an unoccupied trailer to do her homework and get away from Eli. To her surprise, she's not the only one using the trailer. Someone is stockpiling firearms. They will change her life, not once, but twice.
Without being preachy, this novel explores, foster homes, social services, poverty and the gun trade. The characters were sympathetic and well drawn.
The reader, at its conclusion, can only hope Pearl's future will hold something good for her, yet this reader's a bit skeptical. I can almost sense a sequel is in the offing!