The Pearl Button Sisters

by Melissa R. Meyers

-A Mississippi River town narrative.

The Pearl Button Sisters is a multi-generational story that connects 1914-1986

In 1914, following the sudden death of her father, eighteen-year-old Anya Odegaard is forced to take over his dangerous clamming business on Lake Pepin to provide for her seven-year-old sister, Linnea. Faced with navigating a man's world, Anya vows to keep her sister safe at all costs, which soon propels her into making an impossible decision. Should she follow her heart or what is best for her sister?

In 1986, Michelle Anderson, aimless and reeling from a bad breakup, is sent to spend the summer caring for her Tante Anya in Lake City. When the story of a family heirloom, a pearl necklace, unfolds. Michelle discovers an unexpected connection to her family's past that has ramifications for her future.

326 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2026

Reviews

[Kristi]

This novel is a beautiful story. It takes place in Lake City, MN, off Lake Pepin, and is rich with historical detail. I learned about the clamming and pearl industry that happened in the early 1900s through this novel. Anya and her sister Linney have to overcome a lot of adversity, but this story is also filled with joy and hope. I love how you learn more about Anya through the dual perspectives…Michelle shows us who she is in her later years, and Anya shares her past with Michelle. It’s a unique approach to dual timelines and perspectives. Anya exudes grit and hope throughout the novel despite her circumstances. Well-rounded characters throughout with realistic dialogue, interpersonal dynamics, and outcomes.

[Rachel]

This book is a beautiful story set in a Lake Pepin, WI. It takes place in a unique time period, in an era of immigrants and deals with homelessness and poverty in that time. Its corresponding storyline happens in the 1980's which holds true to how I remember it. This book is filled with hard decisions that we make for those we love and takes place in a beautiful MN bluff town on the Mississippi River, where it widens to look like a lake. If you've ever been there, it's fun to picture this location while reading. And if you haven't been there, you'll want to visit one day because of how the author brings it to life. :-)