Pearl

About the Book

Lucio is a poor a pearl fisherman who lives in La Paz, Mexico, on the Baja. He knew the stories of his proud grandfather, Kino, who had once found "The Pearl of the World" and then in a desperate attempt to keep it, lost everything - his house, his boat and his child.

Decades after Kino´s terrible ordeal, little has changed in the Mexican town, and less for young Lucio. Life has been difficult for the poor fisherman until Luck and "the gods" reward Lucio with a great pearl of his own. And then his life becomes unbearable.

Lucio´s great pearl unleashes the evil that has been lying always just beneath the surface in La Paz, and when evil does show itself, Lucio must confront the danger and risk losing everyone and everything he loves.

Inspired by John Steinbeck´s The Pearl, Scalia´s Pearl is a new chapter to an old story that stands on its own merit. Pearl is a story of luck and love and sacrifice that will touch every reader´s heart.

“Steinbeck, move over! I know my high school readers (including reluctant readers) will be captivated! Great selection for a ´class read´ - lots to dissect and discuss. A gem. Scalia’s Pearl… seriously... it tops Steinbeck." - Carol Byrne, High School Librarian, Deer Park, NY

“We met a few weeks ago at Tamarac Elementary School where I bought a copy of PEARL. I just finished reading PEARL and I have to say you did a great job. You really captured the same feel of Steinbeck´s original. By the way, my wife, who is not a big reader, read the book and loved it! I found her in the kitchen reading it and she had already knocked off 5 chapters in one seating.” – Joe C, parent, Holbrook, NY

"Outstanding! This dark and brooding novel explores the heights men will go to when greed and cruelty consume them. Memorable, well-defined characters add to the suspense and forward momentum of the plot. Written with the style and voice of the earlier work, this extraordinary novel is a perfect complement to Steinbeck´s short story and is a MUST for every high school English curriculum. A masterful achievement!" - Diane Kolb, Writer and Fan, Melrose Park, PA

“It takes us past Steinbeck´s story of Kino and brings us the unfolding tale of his grandson, Lucio. The author has managed to use his own brilliant, true voice to bring us a mystery/ adventure that is so wonderfully written and so gripping that it´s impossible to put down! A must read; a classic in it´s infancy! This is one that´s great for all tastes and ages, and one you´ll definitely want to own so that you can read it again and again!” - Marcia Brice, Teacher, East Meadow Schools, NY

"More than Steinbeck revisited! Although reminiscent of Steinbeck´s The Pearl in style and tone, Scalia´s Pearl is more. While it is a homage to Steinbeck, it is not a sequel, but a novel that stands on its own merits, with a story that will keep you turning the pages!" - A reader, Long Island, NY

“My son enjoyed the book. He totally enjoyed it! That’s good because he doesn’t like to read. Thank you and keep writing.” – Susan Stanley, parent, Oceanside, NY

“I recently shared your book Pearl with my 5th Grade classes. They loved the story! Several asked to borrow my copy – which I shared with them.” – Linda Domanico, Library Media Center, Albany Avenue Elementary School, Lindenhurst, NY

“I just finished Pearl. It was great!” – Erika, student, Sayville HS, Sayville, NY

“Pearl is an interesting story that I couldn’t bear to put down the first time I read it.” – Louden P, student, Smithtown, NY

“The book Pearl most enjoyable. Thanks for writing so we can read. Thanks for coming to our

About the Author

Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A., Joseph E. Scalia moved to Long Island, where he taught English and Creative Writing for 33 years. Always a writer himself, he started by scribbling what he calls "terrible rhyming poems on bathroom walls." Over the years he has written three novels, a volume of short stories, countless humorous essays, and a filing cabinet full of poetry, much of which has found its way into print on paper. The idea for FREAKs came to him one morning in a Study Hall class, when he met Carol, the limping 7th Grader who would become the model for Hildy. Similarly, all the other characters in FREAKs have been drawn from his long teaching experience. Today he lives in Farmingdale with his cat Silvier.