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A Lost Pearle
Pearle, the beautiful bride, paves the way to adventure in a captivating first chapter as, with horror in her eyes, she walks down the aisle. Then her sudden disappearance wreaks havoc, and she is relentlessly pursued. Trials and tragedy often reveal one's true nature, and Pearle comes out shining as she demonstrates great courage and inner strength. She soon realizes that, out of trials that seem to crush us to the earth, we can rise throught God's love and help into a purer and better life than we have ever known.
440 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1890
4 people are currently reading
76 people want to read
About the author
Mrs. Georgie Sheldon
78 books11 followersSarah Elizabeth Forbush Downs (1843–1926) was a "dime novelist" from the United States.
In 1868, she married George Sheldon Downs. She used a form of his name as a pseudonym in much of her writing.
Her career began with newspaper contributions in 1869. She was signed by Theodore Dreiser to write for his Smith's Magazine. Dreiser considered her to be one of the "three most popular authors in the world." Between 1880 and 1889, she serialized 47 romances for Street and Smith's New York Weekly.
In 1868, she married George Sheldon Downs. She used a form of his name as a pseudonym in much of her writing.
Her career began with newspaper contributions in 1869. She was signed by Theodore Dreiser to write for his Smith's Magazine. Dreiser considered her to be one of the "three most popular authors in the world." Between 1880 and 1889, she serialized 47 romances for Street and Smith's New York Weekly.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
August 8, 2017
I am setting a new goal for myself...to read a Lamplighter book in between my other reads. I have neglected my lamplighter collection far too long and miss these wonderful books...krb 7/24/17
Loved this book. It had so many twist and turns that it keeps you on your toes. You really won't like the villain in this book and I found myself yelling at the book in unbelief at times. This is not one to read aloud to kids. It's more for teenage and above...krb 8/7/17
Loved this book. It had so many twist and turns that it keeps you on your toes. You really won't like the villain in this book and I found myself yelling at the book in unbelief at times. This is not one to read aloud to kids. It's more for teenage and above...krb 8/7/17
January 10, 2018
I must admit, this book started out a bit slow for me. The old fashioned way of writing sometimes makes it harder for me to really get into a book. However, half way into this story I could not put it down! In the end i loved it all!
Here's what I love about this book:
•The main character, Pearle, is such a godly example of the kind of character and goodness young women should have today! Inspite of all the sorrows she endured, she never became bitter and allowed the Lord to work in and through her instead.
•There were so many little mysteries in this book, so many questions and unique encounters. At the end the author fully explained each mystery leaving nothing left out.
•Biblical principles and good morals are strewn all throughout this book!
•All the exciting happenings in this book made it an absolute page turner!
I am so happy I finally got to read this book after so many people recommended it to me!
Here's what I love about this book:
•The main character, Pearle, is such a godly example of the kind of character and goodness young women should have today! Inspite of all the sorrows she endured, she never became bitter and allowed the Lord to work in and through her instead.
•There were so many little mysteries in this book, so many questions and unique encounters. At the end the author fully explained each mystery leaving nothing left out.
•Biblical principles and good morals are strewn all throughout this book!
•All the exciting happenings in this book made it an absolute page turner!
I am so happy I finally got to read this book after so many people recommended it to me!
February 16, 2022
I'd really like to see how this book was outlined. The plot was so complicated, yet I wasn't lost or confused. It's full of trickery, romance, adventure, and biblical lessons that make it an exciting page-turner!
July 25, 2024
The five stars of my review are for the original work of this book. When I read it, I was disappointed to discover that the edition published by Lamplighter Publishing had edited out key portions of the story, sections that to me made it the excellent book that it is. I recommend reading the original copy of this book. The romantic language is a bit over the top at times, but Pearle's spiritual development is exceptional.
July 5, 2018
Charming story, full of suspense, drama, love, evil, forgiveness, and so much more. It is truly a page turner that in the end resolves even better than I anticipated.
October 23, 2025
THIS WAS AMAZING. 10/10 wedding mystery I read in one sitting I could NOT put this down.
April 6, 2016
This book sounded intriguing from the little synopsis that was given and I definitely wanted to jump in at once into this story and I was certainly not disappointed! This author is so very talented and skilled!
What I Liked: This book was written in 1883 and with a lot of books written in this time period, there's usually quite a bit of description and not a lot of dialogue and that sometimes can get a little tedious to read as the author does more telling instead of showing. Not so with this book! From the very first chapter I was hooked into what was happening and there were plenty of surprising twists and turns in this story that kept me turning the pages, anxious to find out what would happen next to the main character, Margaret Radcliffe, or Pearle, to those who knew her well.
Pearle is heartlessly tricked into a marriage to save her fiancé from a life of paying for his seemingly committed crimes. Pearle is skeptical whether Richard, her betrothed, really committed the crimes the villain presented her with, but she doesn't know how she can disprove it to keep him out of trouble and Addison Cheetham, the antagonist of this story, threatens her that Richard will pay if she doesn't agree to marry him, instead.
Sacrificing herself for the man she truly loves, she agrees and marries Addison and then disappears to keep herself from his evil clutches, afraid that he might find her at any time, while she makes friends who help her in her troubles.
Wow. Pearle's sacrifice for her fiancé, Richard, was amazing. I felt for her as she struggled with bitterness and anger against her trials, but loved how she decided to work at doing good and investing in others' lives, all the while coming to a trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. The message of forgiveness was also very strong and that was something that I really liked.
I was amazed at all of the different turns this story took. The setup for the story as I read was pretty amazing, and I could not guess what was going to happen. I hoped for a good ending, (and I was very content with how it did end) but I didn't know how she was going to work the main plot, and all of the side plots, out before the end of the book.
What I Didn't Like: I can't really recall anything that I didn't like. I could have done without the mentioning of oaths and curses being uttered, but it was never written what the character said. I think that's the only thing that I have to say in this section of the review, though.
I give this book 5 stars for the quality of the story and the strong message of forgiveness, and the hand of God's providence shown throughout this book.
What I Liked: This book was written in 1883 and with a lot of books written in this time period, there's usually quite a bit of description and not a lot of dialogue and that sometimes can get a little tedious to read as the author does more telling instead of showing. Not so with this book! From the very first chapter I was hooked into what was happening and there were plenty of surprising twists and turns in this story that kept me turning the pages, anxious to find out what would happen next to the main character, Margaret Radcliffe, or Pearle, to those who knew her well.
Pearle is heartlessly tricked into a marriage to save her fiancé from a life of paying for his seemingly committed crimes. Pearle is skeptical whether Richard, her betrothed, really committed the crimes the villain presented her with, but she doesn't know how she can disprove it to keep him out of trouble and Addison Cheetham, the antagonist of this story, threatens her that Richard will pay if she doesn't agree to marry him, instead.
Sacrificing herself for the man she truly loves, she agrees and marries Addison and then disappears to keep herself from his evil clutches, afraid that he might find her at any time, while she makes friends who help her in her troubles.
Wow. Pearle's sacrifice for her fiancé, Richard, was amazing. I felt for her as she struggled with bitterness and anger against her trials, but loved how she decided to work at doing good and investing in others' lives, all the while coming to a trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. The message of forgiveness was also very strong and that was something that I really liked.
I was amazed at all of the different turns this story took. The setup for the story as I read was pretty amazing, and I could not guess what was going to happen. I hoped for a good ending, (and I was very content with how it did end) but I didn't know how she was going to work the main plot, and all of the side plots, out before the end of the book.
What I Didn't Like: I can't really recall anything that I didn't like. I could have done without the mentioning of oaths and curses being uttered, but it was never written what the character said. I think that's the only thing that I have to say in this section of the review, though.
I give this book 5 stars for the quality of the story and the strong message of forgiveness, and the hand of God's providence shown throughout this book.
August 11, 2015
So far this is my favorite Lamplighter book. From the first chapter you are swept into this exciting story about the beautiful Pearle who is suddenly, and of her own accord, thrown into a life of hardships and trials. I love Pearle mainly because it was not her outward beauty that made her shine but her inward beauty. Everyone she met seemed to always be falling in love with her. It didn't bother me too much that everyone kept falling in love with her because the Bible says "A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies." Proverbs 31:10, and that's is what I saw in Pearle.
With each chapter you get pulled even more into the story as each chapter reveals to you more of the mystery. I don't usually read mystery's but I find that whenever I read a book that has a mystery in it I love it. This book had a mild mystery going on. The author wasn't revealing all the facts and it kept me flipping pages, eager to find out what was going to happen next. Each character you meet has some important role to play in the story and the author doesn't reveal to you their purpose until the end.
So, In conclusion, I really love this book! I have to say that each Lamplighter book I have read has been a real treat. The Lamplighter books are always so rich and in my opinion, very satisfying. Plus, since they are Christian books, they teach about very important lessons in the Christians life.
With each chapter you get pulled even more into the story as each chapter reveals to you more of the mystery. I don't usually read mystery's but I find that whenever I read a book that has a mystery in it I love it. This book had a mild mystery going on. The author wasn't revealing all the facts and it kept me flipping pages, eager to find out what was going to happen next. Each character you meet has some important role to play in the story and the author doesn't reveal to you their purpose until the end.
So, In conclusion, I really love this book! I have to say that each Lamplighter book I have read has been a real treat. The Lamplighter books are always so rich and in my opinion, very satisfying. Plus, since they are Christian books, they teach about very important lessons in the Christians life.
September 2, 2016
I really wanted to like A Lost Pearle. A good friend recommended it to me and she was the one who told me about Mara Daughter of the Nile (Which I absolutely LOVE. It's one of my favorites.) Sadly, I just couldn't get into this this one. I read halfway (over 200 pages) before finally giving up.
I didn't like and couldn't relate to the characters. I found the writing style dull. I really got tired of hearing about Pearle's beauty, intelligence, and perfection. (Did every guy have to fall so desperately in love with her?!) She was supposed to be smart, but she fell for Cheetham's tricks so easily!
I'm ready to put this book aside and start something more exciting.
I didn't like and couldn't relate to the characters. I found the writing style dull. I really got tired of hearing about Pearle's beauty, intelligence, and perfection. (Did every guy have to fall so desperately in love with her?!) She was supposed to be smart, but she fell for Cheetham's tricks so easily!
I'm ready to put this book aside and start something more exciting.
May 24, 2021
An excellent story that truly pulls you in at the very first.
Pearle, a lady of obvious high breeding, is preparing to marry a young man of equal standing when a crude intruder lays charges against her husband-to-be and deviously manages to take her for himself. Having obliged to save her truth love, Pearle escapes her prospective future, resolving to live a life of isolation. She meets many different people and begins to see how closed her life was to the real world. With a heart eager to learn the lessons God has for her, Pearle endures hardship and trauma, while receiving God's kindness and provision in each circumstance. All the while her crushed husband-to-be endeavors to find her and dissolve the horror that keeps them apart. Gradually, pieces of the mysterious puzzle that brought her to her present state begin to show signs of having a connection but many more stories need to be told before Pearle can even begin to hope for the life she once took for granted.
Personally, I loved how Pearle was very much like a Cinderella in taking life's troubles with dignity. But unlike other stories, she had to learn important things about God's love and care for her, and her own responsibility to surrender to His will, before it was over. The story was adventurous from the start, as I have already noted, tossing our heroine into many different scenarios, including a building on fire and her stuck in an upper level.
It's a pretty quick read, compare to other classics, but one way or the other, well worth it.
Pearle, a lady of obvious high breeding, is preparing to marry a young man of equal standing when a crude intruder lays charges against her husband-to-be and deviously manages to take her for himself. Having obliged to save her truth love, Pearle escapes her prospective future, resolving to live a life of isolation. She meets many different people and begins to see how closed her life was to the real world. With a heart eager to learn the lessons God has for her, Pearle endures hardship and trauma, while receiving God's kindness and provision in each circumstance. All the while her crushed husband-to-be endeavors to find her and dissolve the horror that keeps them apart. Gradually, pieces of the mysterious puzzle that brought her to her present state begin to show signs of having a connection but many more stories need to be told before Pearle can even begin to hope for the life she once took for granted.
Personally, I loved how Pearle was very much like a Cinderella in taking life's troubles with dignity. But unlike other stories, she had to learn important things about God's love and care for her, and her own responsibility to surrender to His will, before it was over. The story was adventurous from the start, as I have already noted, tossing our heroine into many different scenarios, including a building on fire and her stuck in an upper level.
It's a pretty quick read, compare to other classics, but one way or the other, well worth it.
February 8, 2020
This one’s a great example of a classic melodramatic novel. The fair heroine is misunderstood by many around her, and her path to true love is remarkably rocky. At the same time, though, her will isn’t crushed, and it’s also the story of a woman with the world against her who ends up surviving and thriving even without a man to lean on.
October 13, 2021
This was an excellent book. It was a mystery and had several interesting characters. Sometimes mysteries are predictable but this one wasn't at all, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. I highly recommend it to anyone!
January 8, 2020
Written with an old-fashioned English style, but fascinating book with lots of twists.
January 1, 2022
My heart is full after reading this book. So amazing!
February 19, 2023
One of those weird classics but a good read
August 8, 2023
An upbeat romance story filled with turns, twists, a relentless chase, and redemption arks galore. Not the most invested I’ve been in literary couple but it still captured my attention flawlessly. I believe I finished the book in four days.
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January 1, 2016The Goodreads' description:
"Pearle, the beautiful bride, paves the way to adventure in a captivating first chapter as, with horror in her eyes, she walks down the aisle. Then her sudden disappearance wreaks havoc, and she is relentlessly pursued. Trials and tragedy often reveal one's true nature, and Pearle comes out shining as she demonstrates great courage and inner strength. She soon realizes that, out of trials that seem to crush us to the earth, we can rise throughout God's love and help into a purer and better life than we have ever known."
I love the story of Pearle! Starts out horribly, but the Lord brings out the truth in the end.
"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." Psalm 30:5b.
I've read this book twice and I'm sure I will re-read it again in the future!!!
"Pearle, the beautiful bride, paves the way to adventure in a captivating first chapter as, with horror in her eyes, she walks down the aisle. Then her sudden disappearance wreaks havoc, and she is relentlessly pursued. Trials and tragedy often reveal one's true nature, and Pearle comes out shining as she demonstrates great courage and inner strength. She soon realizes that, out of trials that seem to crush us to the earth, we can rise throughout God's love and help into a purer and better life than we have ever known."
I love the story of Pearle! Starts out horribly, but the Lord brings out the truth in the end.
"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." Psalm 30:5b.
I've read this book twice and I'm sure I will re-read it again in the future!!!
November 4, 2015
I have had this book sitting on my shelf for a couple of years, and after my last book, I was looking for an enjoyable fiction book. This was perfect! The story was just delightful. I was so drawn into the story that I actually prioritized reading this book over getting school work done.
I have recommended it to my daughter. I hope that she enjoys it also.
I have recommended it to my daughter. I hope that she enjoys it also.
May 27, 2013
This book is amazing!I bought it on Friday and simply couldn't put it down. It tells the story of a soon-to-be bride who is lied and coerced into a marriage with her fatal enemy; Pearle learns to trust God through her hardships and comes out all the better for her trials.
February 15, 2015
I stayed up half the night to read this book in one sitting.
March 6, 2015
Excellent book! I will be checking out Mrs. Sheldon's other books! This was a great suspense and drama novel! I highly recommend it!
February 25, 2019
Loved, loved, loved this book!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews