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Cover of Hidden Jewel

Hidden Jewel

Andrew Neiderman (1995)

SubgenreDark Fantasy
Age groupAdult 18+
Content ratingPG-13
Pages (Standard (250-400))
SeriesLandry #4
Setting
CSM age16

Content levels

ViolenceMild
Sexual contentModerate
LanguageMild

Hero archetypes

Cajun / Local Man

Protagonist archetypes

Coming-of-Age Protagonist

Synopsis

**Pearl hopes for happiness, but destiny is drawing her deep into the shadows of her family's tainted past....** Raised in a New Orleans mansion filled with kindness and laughter, Pearl Andreas dreams of going to college and becoming a doctor. With all the finest families wishing her well, her high school graduation party is almost as festive as Mardi Gras itself. But even a famous jazz back's beat cannot drive away her fear that she will never know the magic of romantic passion, or the truth of her family's buried secrets. Yet her summer job as a nurse's aide in an elegant old hospital is as fascinating as she hoped it would be... and an experienced intern is eager to share his friendship with her. But the sultry Louisiana heat cannot dispel her family's sinful legacy, or the cruel accident that befalls one of Pearl's twin brothers. Then the bayou that caught him in its spell beckons to her mother, Ruby, who flees, tormented, back to her Cajun roots. With Pearl's other brother deathly ill, and her father retreating into his own bourbon-soaked world, Pearl's cherished dreams swirl away with the hurricane winds. Seeking her mother and the shocking truths of her heritage, she finds a blessed refuge in the arms of a Cajun man, the gentlest friend she has ever known. But only when the storm clouds clear can she savor the springtime sweetness that always, always seems beyond tomorrow....

Is Hidden Jewel appropriate for my child?

Suitable for most readers 16 and up.

This Southern Gothic family saga contains themes of family dysfunction, alcoholism, accidents with serious consequences, and moderate romantic content. The atmospheric setting and family secrets drive the emotional drama.

What to know going in

This book has mild violence, moderate sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include substance abuse, death, and grief (see the full list above).

Who'll love this

Teens will connect with Pearl's struggle to balance her dreams with family obligations while uncovering shocking truths about her heritage.

Tags

Southern GothicFamily SagaContemporary FantasyRegional Fiction