Finding Pearl

by Kathleen Cummings

BOSTON, 1858
Pearl Wynn has lived a life of privilege—wealth, prominence, beauty, and an upcoming engagement that promises a glittering future. But when she witnesses the cruelty of slavery and the courage of those fighting against it, she begins to see the deep injustice of a nation built on bondage.
Alex Barton has fled the horrors of his father’s Missouri plantation, where the prosperity his family enjoys is built on the backs of slaves. Haunted by guilt and shame, Alex has come north to begin again, determined to wash this blood from his hands.
Drawn to the work of the Underground Railroad and to Alex Barton, Pearl finds herself torn between expectation and conscience, comfort and conviction, duty and the stirring of an unlikely bond. Together, they risk their reputations and their safety to help a family find freedom. But a single mistake sets off a chain of events that will test their courage, their hearts, and the limits of what they are willing to sacrifice for freedom and truth.
As the country edges toward civil war, and a slave catcher closes in, Pearl and Alex must each decide what freedom truly means—and whether love born in defiance can survive in a nation tearing itself apart.

292 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 28, 2025

About the author

Kathleen Cummings was born into a large family in Long Beach, California. In addition to traveling all over the United States, she has lived in California, Utah, Illinois, Nebraska, England, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. The more she sees of the world, the more she wants to see. She has a deep desire to understand and empathize with others, and her passion for writing about the human experience is fueled by her friendships with people from all walks of life. She believes everyone has a story to tell, and she longs to speak for those who are not heard.
Her first loves are her husband and children–followed by the excitement of airplanes and hotels–as a promise of adventure. Someday she hopes to eat her way from the North to the South of Italy with her husband. She attended culinary school, and beyond cooking daily for her family, she bakes and sells hundreds of pies each year.
In her dreams she is on a beach with her husband–a cold fruity drink in one hand and a book in the other. Kathleen resides in American Fork, Utah with her husband, Morgan, their seven children, and their beloved goldendoodle, Dodger.