Description
Pearl of the Sea by Anthony Silverston et al. is a South African middle-grade/YA adventure set in a sleepy coastal town. Pearl is a tough, independent teenage girl who spends her days exploring the ocean with her goggles and her one-eyed dog, Moby. With her father out of work and struggling to pay the bills, Pearl turns to fishing to help support the family. But when she dives in a restricted area near a shipwreck, she encounters a group of illegal abalone poachers — and something far more unexpected.
Near the wreck, Pearl discovers Otto, a huge ancient sea monster who is less terrifying than he first appears. Covered in old harpoons and clearly misunderstood, Otto wins Pearl’s sympathy, and she begins caring for him by feeding him fish heads and removing the weapons from his tentacles. When the poachers return and Otto is threatened, Pearl must find the courage to protect her new friend. Along the way, she learns to confront the loss of her mother, trust other people, including a girl she has a crush on, and open up to her father.
Combining ocean adventure, fantasy and a distinctly South African coastal setting, Pearl of the Sea explores friendship, family, environmental threats and learning to trust others. The story’s abalone-poaching backdrop also connects Pearl’s personal struggle to the real pressures facing South Africa’s coastal communities and marine life.
