Blog Book Tour | “The Pearl Sister” (Book No. 4 of the Seven Sisters series) by Lucinda Riley CeCe is an artist on a journey towards self-identity whilst embracing the truth about her sexuality and her bi-cultural heritage.

Acquired Book By: I’ve known about the Seven Sisters book series for quite awhile now, however, I haven’t had the proper chance to dig into the series – therefore, when I was approached by the publisher to considering being on the blog tour this February, I decided it was time to borrow the books via my local library! Although, as a member of the blog tour I was receiving the fourth release “The Pearl Sister” for my honest ruminations, I decided to back-read the entire series ahead of soaking into the newest installment – my personal preference is to read serial fiction in order of sequence; even if sometimes I find myself bungling the order, I love to see how the writer has set the stage for a series which becomes progressively engaging! To start at the beginning is the best way to see how they laid down the foundation for both the series, their writing style and how the characters first make their entrances into our lives.

I received a complimentary ARC copy of “The Pearl Sister” direct from the publisher Atria Books in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

On how I felt after I read the third installment of the series:

I admit, I was thankful this sister’s story led to a happier restitution in regards to her birth story as Maia and Ally had quite a reckoning of truth awaiting each of them as they unravelled theirs. For Star though she had more to learn not just about her origins but about herself – she truly had finally found the time to focus on who she was inside and out. I think this was the main purpose behind why Pa Salt hadn’t let his daughters take these adventures until now; they weren’t ready to seek out the truth of their past because they weren’t yet ready to take a critical look at their lives. Each of them were coming-of age to the brink of where they could honestly understand themselves better and recognise the beauty of why Pa Salt raised them on Atlantis.

Inspired by Flora and encouraged by her own heart to learn the truth of her own blood-line, she forged ahead even without understanding how she could resolve the past. The interweaving layers of this one are emotionally thicker due to the overwhelming angst of what all the women in Star’s family had to endure; straight down to her own Mum! You truly feel for these women – who through each generation had to continue to overcome such intense odds! The beautiful part about having Beatrix Potter in the story is how what I had known about her was lovingly etched into Flora’s back-story; a person who encouraged a woman to live and to seek out love no matter the costs or fears of heartbreak. After all, to love is to risk and without risk we are each only half alive! And, this was truly what allowed Star to be set ‘free’ – by researching her ancestral line, she unexpectedly found herself, found purpose in her life and allowed herself to ‘fall’ for the first time in love with someone she never felt she’d feel attracted too because she never gave herself the freedom to ‘live’ away from CeCe.

Each of these novels is a lift of joy to be reading – especially for those of us who are considering Adoption and for having a family of adopted children in our futures. They are such beautiful tomes of adoptive joy bursting through the past and the present – I can imagine they would be beloved reads for all adoptive families and lovingly would find a place in their family libraries! I know one day I shall have the full set on my own bookshelves awaiting the day to be shared with my own children. As these are stories boys and girls should read who are seeking forever families and find their adoptive parents gave them a home they never knew they could have whilst encouraging them to remember who they are and who their families were prior to their second chapters beginning anew.

-quoted from my review of The Shadow Sister

The Pearl Sister
by Lucinda Riley
Source: Direct from Publisher

Synopsis on the backcover:

CeCe D’ Apliese has always felt like an outcast. But following the death of her father - the reclusive billionaire affectionately called Pa Salt by the six daughters he adopted from around the globe - she finds herself more alone than ever. With nothing left to lose, CeCe delves into the mystery of her familial origins. The only clues she holds are a black and white photograph and the name of a female pioneer who once traversed the globe from Scotland to Australia.

One hundred years earlier, Kitty McBride, a clergyman’s daughter, abandoned her conservative upbringing to serve as the companion to a wealthy woman travelling from Edinburgh to Adelaide. Her ticket to a new land brings the adventure she dreamed of… and a love that she had never imagined.

When CeCe reaches the searing heat and dusty plains of the Red Centre of Australia, something deep within her responds to the energy of the area and the ancient culture of the Aboriginal people, and her soul reawakens. As she comes closer to finding the truth of her ancestry, CeCe begins to believe that this untamed, vast continent could offer her what she’s always yearned for: a sense of belonging.

Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

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ISBN: 978-1501180033

Also by this author: The Seven Sisters, The Storm Sister, The Shadow Sister, The Moon Sister

Also in this series: The Seven Sisters, The Storm Sister, The Shadow Sister, The Moon Sister

Genres: Adoption & Foster Care, Biographical Fiction, Contemporary (Modern) Fiction (post 1945), Epistolary | Letters & Correspondences, Genre-bender, Historical Fiction, LGBTQIA Fiction, Time Slip and/or Time Shift, Women's Fiction

Published by Atria Books

on 23rd January, 2018

Format: Paperback ARC

Pages: 528

 Published By: Atria (@AtriaBooks)
{imprint of} Simon & Schuster (@simonschuster) 

I *love!* finding videos by authors who love to engage with readers about the inspiration behind their stories – this truly is a wonderful way to find yourself immersed even further into the settings as by catching small glimpses of the characters your reading about – you start to re-align what you’ve read with what they are seeing with their own eyes whilst feeling thankful the author took a very immersive path into the heart of this book series!

The Seven Sisters Series: of whom are Maia, Ally (Alcyone), Star (Asterope), CeCe (Celeano), Tiggy (Taygete), Electra and Merope – the series is based on the mythology of the Seven Sisters of the Pleiades – interestingly enough, this is a constellation in close proximity to Orion*.

The Seven Sisters : Maia’s Story (Book One) | (see also Review)

The Storm Sister : Ally’s Story (Book Two) | (see also Review)

The Shadow Sister : Star’s Story (Book Three) | (see also Review)

The Pearl Sister : CeCe’s Story (Book Four) | *my stop on the publisher’s blog tour!

Available Formats: Hardcover, Audiobook, Paperback and Ebook

Converse via: #SevenSistersSeries

#whoispasalt ← I advise not visiting the second tag on Twitter as it tends to reveal a few things ahead of reading the stories themselves.

on where we alight within the third installment:

CeCe had felt Star pulling away from her even before Star knew how to articulate the reasons why she was seeking a life outside of being with CeCe; this made her feel unwanted in such an extreme way, she felt the only way to rectify her emotions was to make a radical change. Boarding a flight for Thailand – the one place she considered her respite in the world before taking the last leg of her journey to Australia (as this is where her clues led her to travel) felt right somehow. What was interesting is that you oft felt CeCe held all the confidence in the world – she never came across as being especially vulnerable, she seemed quite the opposite: like a bear to take-on the world and be the protector of Star. In reality, both sisters were equally vulnerable and had yielded to life being lived side by side rather than separately; until now, of course, when they both felt it was time to simply sort out how to live independently.

One critical thing CeCe shared is how the opinions of others can destroy your well-being and break your spirit. The kind of criticism which doesn’t seek to aide you on your journey towards being a creative artist (as she leans towards industrial art and found art installations; whilst sorting out what kind of paintings she likes to create) but rather to dissuade you from the pursuit itself. No one should have to endure that kind of judgement and for whichever reason, I found CeCe didn’t confide in her Ma or in Star (although, perhaps she felt she wouldn’t have cared) – one thing which helped me the most in life is being able to turn to my parents. Sadly, I think the confidante in her life was Pa Salt and without him nearby, she felt like she’d lost her anchour; and rightly so!

I loved how she felt Buddhism was her most comfortable religion to feel attracted to practicing because of how she felt the inner peace of what it provides to us all. CeCe was quite the deep thinker and spiritualist without realising any of this about herself. She also held back her fears, the nightmares and the questions of sanity from her family; she had a lot moving through her mind, things which you would have thought she’d want to openly discuss if only to disallow them from festering further afield. Yet, CeCe was a very private individual such was a trend of her sisters – each of them thinking they could take-on whatever they needed to face alone.

Some of my favourite moments of watching one of the seasons of The Amazing Race (in the early days) was observing the larger than life Buddha statues found throughout the South Pacific and the Pacific Rim! I was in absolute awe – due to the high definition of the cameras being used, you didn’t need to hop a plane to see them either – they seemed like they had somehow come straight through your television to where you felt as if you were standing right ‘next to them’ yourself! I thought of this as I read about how CeCe felt calm near the Buddha she was mediating near as she went to her favourite spiritual spot for a bit of solitude and causal companionship with others doing the same. Causal here referring to the fact although they were in the same place at the same time everyone was internalising their own thoughts without saying a word aloud. This close proximity to others allowed CeCea respite from feeling she was entirely alone and cast out into the world without knowing how to land on solid ground again.

My Review of the pearl sister:

I could definitely see why CeCe felt most at home under the skies and stars; as much as she loved to climb trees and stay nestled in their boughs. There is something to be said for having a keen attachment to nature, as I grew up climbing trees, watching the constellations twinkling at me at night and observing nature as oft as I could even if I was meant to be elsewhere. Even recently, an entire flock of a species of birds descended upon my area – you couldn’t count the number of this migration because of how many were in flight or swooping down for a pause of breath in their flight patterns. They dove and expertly swooped through trees – chirping as they pleased whilst I could hear the fluttering flaps of their wings. It was already twilight with the light barely glinting off their feathers but you could feel their presence as much as you could hear them. It was beyond incredible – the first time I had witnessed this kind of an event, too. Each year I think we’re privy to something wondrous and new – something which catches our breath and makes us thankful to be able to observe the natural world. This was my moment for the year,… which is why I understood why CeCe liked to sleep on the beach blanketed by stars and why she found beech trees alluring.

Thailand was her special place – she felt a natural homing beacon to return to the beach, as she felt comfortable there. The sand and the sea called to her in equal measure but what surprised her most was the kindness of acquaintances and strangers alike. Her old friends from this area of the country recognised her, welcomed her back into their lives and even found a way to put her up for a short bit as Christmas moved into New Year’s. Most surprising though is the mysteriously elusive bloke ‘Ace’ who didn’t disclose to her initially he lived in a private estate tucked behind the jungle on the more exclusive side of the beach areas CeCe knew best from her prior visits. It was Ace who took her in after the storm and who sorted things with the guards who found her in one of the caves where people left tokens to the Goddess they hoped to influence towards their prayers.

The author referenced a different film which showed the horrors of being caught by the authorities in Thailand but for me it was Brokedown Palace starring Claire Danes. I was appreciative that CeCe didn’t have to fear those kinds of circumstances and realising her instincts to trust Ace were well-placed, I could see how she was tempted to stay with him until her flight left for Australia! Such a wonderful retreat – where you had room to spread out from each other: imagine property if you will nestled in the forest, with individual mini-residential rooms and an open-air feel to the property overall. CeCe might have had reservations about travelling without Star, but similar to how Star grew in confidence without CeCe, she too, was she starting to see the merits of what Pa Salt had tried to encourage her to accept all along: the sisters could be close but they needed to be independent, too.

I had to smile – it was such a kind gesture of Ace to read Kitty’s story to CeCe, especially after he realised the faux pas he created in buying her a book she couldn’t read because her dyslexia was harder to compensate for than mine had been – although, as I grow older the more I realise I didn’t have a mild case of it like I had been lead to believe. Kitty came from a very controlling and conservative family – with her father being a minster and all. He wasn’t like Pa Salt if anything he was the complete opposite – he couldn’t care a whit about Kitty and only wanted to find a way to push her far enough away from the family as he could feasible find possible. Kitty had more strength inside her than she felt which is why when the time came for her to brave the ocean crossing to Australia she did it with a sense of urgency – if only to have a method of exit from one life and the potential to enter into another where perhaps she could one day live on her own terms.

The venom Kitty’s future mother-in-law had to attack her with was beyond off-putting but hearing her father in this ray of light must have been difficult – as the insinuations were glaring! I truly felt for Kitty – here she was trying to make her way in a world she could not influence nor control, and the first time she feels she can step outside her family’s reach she’s finding she hasn’t gone far enough afield. Counter to this realisation, I truly felt for CeCe – the first time she opens her heart to a man she gets caught in a twisted web of international proportions! I blame Ace, really! I mean, a decent person would have explained the truth to her without having to make her feel like she did when Star had to explain it from what she had read in the papers back home! I can’t even imagine what it would feel like to have the ground taken out from under you after spending so many blissful days and nights with someone who had stolen part of your heart.

I loved how the locals are talking to CeCe – mostly as before I had international friends, a lot of words in different languages felt strange to me – mostly as part of my dyslexia is having issues with syntax and the ways in which language sounds aloud. I grew to understand the variables and the quirks of international languages through my personal friendships; first through how each friend approached writing English as a Second Language but then, as I had mates in the UK and in Australia as well as in Canada, I started to notice the patterns of how our versions of English both conjoined and diverted all at the same time. This is why, as I observed the Aussie English in how the locals were communicating with CeCe, I had hoped she wasn’t out of her depth as much as I had been and could pick up the lingo a bit easier as she was there in person rather than trying to access all of this through letters and phone calls. Although, I think that is what I loved the most about having international friends: the accents and dialects you hear in their voices! Quite smashing!

It felt almost kismet CeCe’s clue was about a famous Aboriginal artist who was not only well-known but someone who paved the way for other artists to follow his lead. Again, one of the joys I have had about the series is how wonderfully inclusive it is to multiculturalism and different ethnic backgrounds – it is mentioned CeCe could have more than one background to explore – as her ancestors could be from different ethnic origins. The fact she could have inherited some of her artistic instincts from an artist out of the past just felt ‘right’ to me because she found the art was within her – a natural bourne gift rather than something she had to draw out of herself through instruction. In fact that is something I loved about CeCe – she followed her muse even when others dismissed her gift and talent.

The beauty of CeCe’s story is how like Star, she started to reach outside her zone of comfort, trusting people, letting them into her internal world. She might not have felt she was a good judge of character due to the fall-out with her relationship with Ace (as throughout her trip in Australia the headlines and newsprint articles were growing worse!) but with Chrissie and others she was trusting, she was finding true friends. Each of them were helping her on her journey towards positive self-growth and a deepening awareness of her roots; where her origins were only the first part of her foundation as Pa Salt helped her find herself since she left her home country. By returning back to Australia she was finding the symmetry necessary to meet her future with a balanced sense of place and self – as so much is tied to how we self-identify ourselves. For CeCe, she didn’t have a positive impression about being dyslexic as it wasn’t something she could compensate for like I could, rather it was her lifetime ‘fly in the ointment’; she couldn’t shake it if she tried. She also didn’t see it as a gift but a slight curse because she only saw how it affected her from doing things others took for granted.

In Australia, she was finding her muse again – of what inspired her to create her art and how her art was an expression of herself in a way which left her raw and vulnerable. She created artwork which spoke to her on a soul level of heightened intuition – her art was not like other people’s and that’s the way it should be for each artist has a new vision of the world around them. She simply had forgotten to trust in the process of creating and to be comfortable as a an artist who didn’t use words to share a portion of herself but she used visual media.

I have appreciated Native American culture and traditions since I was a young girl who had conversations with the Cherokee and other tribes I used to interact with during art and craft festivals – therefore, having the chance to learn more about the Aboriginals was quite exciting! Their ‘dreamtime’ sounded very familiar but it was how they processed what they experienced and how they viewed the circle of life which was truly beautiful. They, like other Native cultures around the world were very clued in to the natural cycle of the Earth – they read the signs given to everyone and interpreted life in such a way as to find peace within the revelations.

The best message of CeCe’s story is that in order to live free you have to be honest about who you are – in every facet of your life because if you start to hide who you are from everyone, you can literally disappear from your own spirit too. CeCe was encouraged by Pa Salt to be who she was no matter who she realised she was at the core of her being but knowing she was accepted by her father and understanding who she was on those levels of awareness were two very different things. Her sexuality was part of her identity she never addressed, it wasn’t on her radar to even look at it from an angle of enlightenment because she had a lot of fears to overcome in general. She was a woman who was afraid to live by most counts but this journey she was taking towards her past was what truly gave her the inspiration to finally see herself and face herself for the first time in the mirror. The best takeaway for me was watching her blossom into being the artist Pa Salt knew she was destined to become; as he truly saw his daughters true essence and wanted them to see themselves the way in which he did all along.

A note on Equality in Lit:

All along in the series, there are wonderful inclusions – either of culture or ethnicity or learning difficulties or any of the varieties of individualism Ms Riley has knitted into the personalities and back-stories of her characters’ lives. As we move from Thailand to Australia, she continues to keep this inclusive style actively visible. Including allowing CeCe to reveal how her dyslexia affects her and why writing was never her strong suit (it wasn’t mine originally either – like Ally, it took practice and a firm belief I could compensate for my dyslexic slips) but art was a mainstay in her life as it gave her an outlet where creativity was the fuell of her soul.

CeCe was able to explore her sexuality but also her romantic attachments – she wasn’t entirely sure if she was straight, bi or pansexual – a subject which was broached by Chrissie who truly fell in love with her and wanted to be around her as much as she could. This is something which had undertones of recognition for me throughout the passages where CeCe and Star interacted – from the first novel straight into The Shadow Sister and The Pearl Sister. I originally felt both of the girls’ might not be aware of their sexuality or of the way in which they felt attached to both genders; they had such a loving and tight friendship which bordered on companionship, their sexuality could have gone in different directions quite easily. I even thought they could have been aromatic or asexual due to how both sisters hinted towards the fact they were not sexually attracted to men. They could be emotionally and intellectually attracted but the sex for them was secondary to what truly connected them in relationships; if it ever was important to them at all.

Again, what I love about Ms Riley is how she owns the truths of her characters – allowing them to have honest conversations with those who are interacting with the sisters and to let them choose their own path based on what they feel is authentic and true for them.

on the historical writing styling of lucinda riley:

Instead of writing each of the stories ahead of publishing the first one (ie. The Seven Sisters) Ms Riley was travelling the world in tandem with her sisters – as each story was created and crafted together after the last one had been completed. In many ways, as each of Pa Salt’s daughters were experiencing their roots for the first time, so too, was Ms Riley uncovering their ancestral trail – following her own instincts about where to place their origins whilst being blessed to go there IRL as she wrote their stories. It has become a fascinating journey as a reader because you feel closer to the her writing life due to the journalling videos on YT whilst reading the extra bits she reveals at the end of each of the novels in turn.

She’s very giving of her time and of explaining why she writes the stories she finds gives her the most joy to produce. All the while though, never knowing fully where each of the girls’ will take her next and enjoying the process of discovery as much as all of us do as we eagerly await her stories to be published! As there are three novels left (ie. Tiggy, Electra and Merope’s stories) I now get to join the queue of world-wide readers who are in wicked anticipation of ‘reading’ what comes next for Pa Salt’s daughters!

For those readers who are eagerly anxious to know more about Merope, I was wicked happy seeing part of her story is slowly starting to emerge into the threads of where we are right now in the series! I am appreciating the author’s approach of writing this epic and dramatic saga – I shall remain patient to see what emerges next as I have a feeling by the time Merope’s story is released I shall not be prepared to ‘let go’ of the sisters, but I must, as they will have each found their ‘home’.

A note on the content of the ARC:

The only main issue I had reading the ARC is the fact the words were blurred together for most of the pages on the left-hand side of the novel. I hadn’t realised this when it first arrived as I don’t always take a precursor look at the stories as they arrive by Post. This time round, as I knew I had borrowed the first three novels from my local library (one was actually an in-state ILL; inter-library loan) I decided it was best to keep this fourth novel a surprise until I was ready to read CeCe’s journey.

I had to skip some of the pages outright (predominately the sections involving Kitty moreso than CeCe as they were affected the most) because the ink was too hard to read – I do have issues at times reading certain fonts and with a history of chronic migraines (of which grew in frequency the latter half of 2017; they tend to come in clusters even if I have periods of where they are absent), I felt it was wise to take this course of action than to incur a major headache. I was already worried I might have fatigued myself this week as I had lost the hours due to health reasons to read these novels spilt between the months leading into the blog tour today.

Despite this wrinkle, I enjoyed following in CeCe’s footsteps as she made her way through the past and the present – sorting out her identity but also, learning more about herself overall. She was the latest sister to sprout her wings and emerge as a butterfly after a cocooned season of her life. I look forward to re-reading CeCe’s story once my local library has this in their card catalogue as I’d love to read all the pages rather than having to worry about the text egging on a migraine if I were to pause too long over the blurry lines.

Reader Interactive Question:

What are your favourite reasons for dipping into a story which ‘shifts’ through time – happily residing in dual timelines of both the present and the past whilst engaging you in a multi-generational saga which expands and contracts through the experiences and journeys the key characters are undertaking throughout the story itself?

If you’ve been reading the Seven Sisters series,

What encourages your heart whilst reading this kind of Historical Fiction?

A Note of Gratitude:

It has been a true honour to be a part of this lovely blog tour the publisher set-up for us to participate on as without the tour itself, I might have taken longer to read this wonderfully illuminating series of stories! I can’t even properly process the journey I’ve taken through reading Maia, Ally, Star and CeCe’s stories – for as a Prospective Adoptive Mum, I loved finding a pro-positive series which addresses both sides of ‘Adoption’ but I also was taken by the breadth of the series itself – for remaining emotionally centred and giving us such a lush backdrop of entry – from the various ports of call we get to happily visit round the world to the intrinsic nature of how Ms Riley has truly left behind a legacy of a story everyone should read because of how well she etched out the continuity of the series.

I found each of these lovelies #unputdownable – my hours spent inside the #SevenSistersSeries this past week were pure joy – I read them round the clock, deep into the night and straight through til the morning hours – I reversed my hours as you can imagine – finding Classical accompaniments through Pandora Radio which set the mood & soundscape so beautifully whilst the sisters themselves left me feeling as if we were dear friends as they each in turn allowed me into their lives right at the moment they opened their hearts and found their truer selves being revealled as they sleuthed out their ancestral pasts,… it is a series which weaves itself into your heart and never quite leaves you,…

{SOURCES: The book covers for “The Seven Sisters”, “The Storm Sister”, “The Shadow Sister” and “The Pearl Sister”; the author photograph of Lucinda Riley and the author biography were provided by the publisher; all of the Press Materials as well as the back cover blurb is being used with permission of Simon & Schuster. Tweets embedded due to the codes provided by Twitter. YouTube videos featuring the author Lucinda Riley talking about the Seven Sisters series was embedded due to codes provided by YouTube. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Blog graphics created by Jorie via Canva: Book Review Banner using Unsplash.com (Creative Commons Zero) Photography by Frank McKenna, 2018 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge and the Comment Box Banner.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2018.

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The Pearl Sister Book IV of #SevenSistersSeries
by @lucindariley

CeCe is an artist on a journey towards self-identity whilst embracing the truth about her sexuality and her bi-cultural heritage. #LGBTQ #HistFic

📚💗@AtriaBooks https://t.co/2PSgJg8PPt

— Jorie, the Joyful Tweeter 💜🦝 (@joriestory) February 1, 2018

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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• 2018 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge