The Secret of Hurricanes

by Theresa Williams

Pearl Starling, a pregnant, unmarried forty-five-year-old woman living in the same North Carolina trailer since birth, attempts to tell her soon-to-be-born daughter the story of her young adult life.

Genres: Fiction

209 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2002

About the author

I'm the author of a novel published by MacAdam/Cage called The Secret of Hurricanes. I grew up in eastern North Carolina, but I've lived in NW Ohio since 1987. I'm married and have three grown sons.

Reviews

[Trish W. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not sure what this story was about or exactly what the plot was, other than the passage of time as the protagonist moves from trauma to trauma and ages from childhood to bleak middle age. One repeating theme revolved around a fundamental religion, but other than the obvious hypocrisy any other point to it was rather unclear (perhaps just another blind alley of lies the protagonist had to negotiate? I have no idea.) A back-cover blurb says the protagonist overcame her past, but there's no strong sense of any progress or growth. Muddled survival through harsh loveless circumstances is the best I can describe it. I can't even venture a guess as to the relevance of title of the book, although a couple of named hurricanes appeared briefly in the story.

Perhaps it was the inherent off-putting nature of the subject and lack of any resolution that caused my dislike. Or the simple "banality of evil" that's all too common in real life, as Hannah Arendt aptly put it. I'll confess that with my first attempt to read this I put it down around the fourth chapter. Then I forced myself to give it a second chance, starting over again from the beginning; thankfully it's a slim book and was easily read in one evening.

* Potential readers should be aware that this is a story of neglect and all manner of abuse inflicted on children and adults.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written, but a little gritty and dark for my taste.

[Angie Seffker · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Pearl Starling is forty-five, a hermit with a "colorful past"--A past filled with treachery and desire, death and survival - who makes her living weaving rugs in a North Carolina military town. For years she has been an object of curiosity and scorn, and now she has defied society's conventions once again: she is pregnant and no one knows who the father is." "In The Secret of Hurricanes, Pearl tells her unborn child about how she has weathered the "hurricanes" in her life - from religiously reading the local newspaper to drawing inspiration from the Kennedy's abiding strength in the face of tragedy. Traveling the dark roads of her past, Pearl reveals how her need for tenderness led to sexual confusion, a relationship with a much older man, and her part in a murder thirty years ago."--Jacket.

[Ellen Behrens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning. Mesmerizing. Uncomfortable.

Not since Toni Morrison have I read a narrative as beautifully written as this book. The events of the book made me squirm but Theresa Williams' incredible use of language, her pacing and storytelling, compelled me forward, page by page.

It will likely make you uncomfortable, too. But in the end you'll begin to wonder how many Pearls you have known in your life, and if you are a Pearl you'll know one version of your story has been told.

In full disclosure, I attended an MFA program with Theresa Williams decades ago, but we haven't been in touch since then. I'm so glad I found this treasure of hers.

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may be a short novel, but what it lacks in length it more than makes up for in quality and intensity. The prose is beautifully crafted and the story is dark, compelling and emotionally meaningful. The intesity of the novel showcases exactly how novels exceed the concept of merely telling a story; it is through the emotional investment and the depiction of psychological struggles that the true strength of a novel is revealed. Film cannot get this intimate. A novel becomes a personal experience, something unique to each reader. The Secret of Hurricanes does just that.

[Courtney Niederer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book I had never heard of and randomly picked up off the shelf at the library. It's not a happy book, but the main character is a strong woman who does her best to survive in her community. Full of dysfunction and love, this story took me just a few hours to read.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite novels. Brief chapters, intense prose, but very dark. Only recommended if you can handle being in that place for the time it takes to read, and then some.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I chose this mainly because it was set in NC but really enjoyed it. It's short, keeps you interested and tells enough of the story without feeling the need to tell you everything.

[Sue · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is hard to look at such a life square in the face. Especially when alot of it is in the mirror. Tough book to read.

[Elizabeth Jennings · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this several years ago, but several of the images and patterns have stayed with me. Lyrical and insightful....

[Carol]

Weird!!