Family Drama in Miss Pearly’s Girls

Miss Pearly’s Girls is a compelling family drama that excels in character portrayal and emotional storytelling. Its strengths lie in the authentic depiction of complex family dynamics and the nuanced exploration of heavy themes. However, some readers may find the multiple perspectives initially confusing, though this technique ultimately enriches the narrative. Overall, ReShonda Tate Billingsley's novel is a powerful read that resonates with its themes of forgiveness, love, and the enduring bonds of family.

Absolutely love stories about sister dynamics, and this book delivers! This is emotionally charged and deeply reflective. I liked the implementing of themes of sisterhood, forgiveness and redemption, and messy familial dynamics.

*Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own*

4.5 stars

For some reason, I thought I'd like this book, and I'm glad I was right.
It was amazingly a very quick story to read.
It holds you very well and you keep thinking about it long after you finish reading it.
I also liked how the revelations don't take long to happen and everything happens quickly but without being rushed or poorly done.
Is a story full of revelations and plot twists.
I loved following the story of these sisters, I just didn't like that we didn't have the pov of all of them, I still don't understand why I don't have the pov of one of them I think that was missing in the story for it to be more complete.
But I do recommend this book, I think it's a great read and very worthwhile to be done.

Miss Pearly’s Girls: A Captivating Tale of Family Healing is stunningly intense multicultural fiction by ReShonda Tate Billingsley.

The four Bell sisters are called home by their ailing mother, Pearly Bell. Ever obedient to their beloved Mama Pearly, they arrive, bringing their deepest secrets with them. Can this fractured family piece together the fragments of their tattered relationships?

ReShonda Tate Billingsley reveals the story through the alternating viewpoints of the four sisters. This oftentimes confusing technique is handled nicely with appropriate chapter headers. The characters are well-developed and interesting. The author knows how to keep the reader’s attention. I was immediately captivated and stayed that way until the final word. Even the parts I correctly guessed were good. Ms. Billingsley incorporates multiple sensitive topics into one heartfelt tale. Miss Pearly’s Girls is a definite 5 out of 5 star read. I highly recommend it to all readers of multicultural interest and/or women’s fiction.

My thanks to Kensington Books, Dafina, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. However, the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine and mine alone.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This is the book of the year for me. When Miss Pearly ends up in the hospital and the news is grim. Maxine (the oldest daughter) has to call her sisters. THis is something she is not looking forward to. The sisters do not get along at all. Stella and Star are teins but they have a history, Leslie the baby she doesn't;t have anything good to say about her sisters either. It is a tough situation, however Mis Pearly's last wish will have secrets coming out, ad a lot of forgiveness and healing to get through.
THis book was a great read. I really felt all the love in the end. I was so in tuned to it, there was no way I was puting it down. It is a must read

A great story of finding familial love amidst tragedy and finding how you can all come together when it's truly important. Sisters rekindle their affection for each other in light of their mother's illness and it's beautiful to see their story grow.

This was crazy beautiful amazing story about four sisters reuniting and answering their mothers final wish. I cried and laughed and didn’t want to put this down.

I spotlighted Miss Pearly's Girls by ReShonda Tate Billingsley as book of the day and included it in my weekly and monthly roundups of new releases on my Black Fiction Addiction platforms. I also interviewed the author.

Secrets this novel is full of secrets. Secret loves , secret desires, secret hurts. Four sisters flung far from home must gather when the matriarch is not just sick but dying. Each woman deals this reality in her own way. Each woman has a secret whose time has come.

Pearly Bell is a terminally ill, seasoned woman, who has one last wish...for her daughters (Maxine, Stella, Star and Leslie) to come together and reveal the secrets that they've been carrying for years. Some secrets can and will change the dynamic of their family...forever.

I've read plenty of books by @reshondatatebillingsley, and this one, by far, is her best. I highly recommend that you pick up this 💎💎💎💎💎.

I would like to thank Publisher and NETGalley for ARC Copy.



This was my second book by this Author, wow when I say this book was so good lord a real Page Turner. First my favorite was Leslie and Stella, what I enjoy about this book the most was how Author had liking Maxine at first thinking there was something wrong with the other Sisters. Man how wrong could I be Maxine turn out to be worse one out all siblings. And the big secret in the Family WOW just WOW that was crazy and Miss Pearly was not no angel either. This had me from page 1 I could not put it down please put up your copy today.

For someone who has written 53 books, and not one have I read that felt stale, means alot. Ms. Pearly has 4 daughters, Maxine, the oldest, who help raised her sisters and stayed in their hometown, twins Star and Stella, and the baby of the family, Leslie. When Ms. Pearly falls ill, she tasks Maxine to get her sisters back home and reveal truths and secrets that everyone thought was never going to come to light in order for them to heal and be able to lean on each other before she slips to the other side.

This book kept me up until 2 o'clock in the morning and I refused to put it down until I was completely finished. The characters held on to my heart and would not go until the very end. Even though I had younger brothers and not sisters, I could relate to Maxine in several ways. Also it was a very emotional read. I would like to see this adapted into a movie.

Miss Pearly's Girls is both a reunion and journey. The four Bell sisters have been estranged for years and have a very complex relationship either each other. When their mother falls, they are brought back together waiting to hear about her condition. Their mother requests that the girls find a way take amends with each other. This will be the only way that she will have peace before she passes and all the hidden secrets must be revealed.

All four sisters Maxine, Star, Stella and Leslie have some form of a secret which has impacted the way that they have lived their lives. Each sister has a justification for keeping the secret and are holding on tightly to the pain of the past refusing to let go. They are each strong willed and hard headed and once one secret comes to light it isn't long before everything is revealed. The reveals are heart-rending and fracture the family even further. It is a really hard look at family, dynamics and forgiveness.

Maxine, Stella, and Leslie each get a point of view throughout the story. These are the characters with the heaviest of secrets. As you read you can see the toll which these secrets has had on each of them and their relationships Everything is so well placed together. I was able to guess one of secrets right away as it was first introduced and it was interesting to watch the characters who knew struggle with their truth; and the characters responses when all is revealed. These sisters have incredibly tense relationships and it came as no surprise to me that one sister would try and hurt another sister right where she knew it would sting the most. Especially when pushing buttons and revealing secrets.

Miss Pearly's Girls tackles several sensitive topics with beautiful storytelling. There is so much to unpack within these pages. It is painful and thought provoking. Each sister has a different dynamic and a different approach to life. They are their own person and each loves their mother very much. The strength and power of the matriarch is especially important in this story. It is just so well done and provides wonderful context for discussion possibly during a book club session

I really enjoyed this novel, particularly once I got past what I felt was a disjointed and rocky first few chapters... so stick with it! This book was like if the movie Soul Food was a book, if that gives you any indication. Lots of family secrets spilled in the most dramatic manner. I love mess, so I absolutely enjoyed reading this. I think I'd love it in audio if it were available. I actually went and grabbed more books by this author since I'd never read her before.

"This might not be who you are now, but it's your roots, and roots determine how you sprout."

Family secrets. Family shame. Family trauma. Miss Pearly and her girls (aka daughters) have all three and then some. The story is set in rural Arkansas, however anyone from a small town in which folks tend to know everyone's business can relate to the setting and why one would get to get as far away as possible. An unexpected trip home forces everyone to face some harsh realities.

Folks always seem to think secrets are a great idea until they start to come out. Miss Pearly's Girls is a story of redemption, forgiveness, and healing. RTB has crafted a novel that will spark many conversations, hopefully inspire some to live in their truth, and to quit sweeping things under the rug.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

I enjoyed this title. It follows a dysfunctional family who is brought together when finding out the matriarch is sick. In order to heal and find peace, they have to uncover many family secrets.

This book was like the films Soul Food and Waiting to Exhale merging together. The authors writing style makes this book very easy to read and follow. I enjoyed how the story unfolded and was definitely eager to finish. I could definitely see this book being made into a film (and I would love to help write it). Although it is very heavy, and sometimes uncomfortable, the book ends on a feel good high.

Trigger warning: rape, cancer, death

This was a story that had easy prose to get into, even though the topics explored were anything but. We follow four sisters as they converge on their family home when tragedy strikes. Each sister has their own baggage as a result of their experiences growing up in their hometown and also with each other. Secrets come to light and they cause much pain even as they offer a chance for healing and forging a path forward.
The tropes used were nothing new, but they were utilized effectively to move the plot forward, even though I was able to predict one of the plot twists and it's underlying cause pretty quickly.
If you enjoy stories with family drama and secrets being brought to light, this one definitely packs a punch.
Content warning for sexual assault, verbal abuse.

I only have brothers, so I am always obsessed with stories about sisters.
thank you to netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
The Bell sisters all return to Arkansas, after years of estrangement because their mother. Pearly, is terminally ill.
Maxine, Leslie, Star and Stella have to work through their pasts full of secrets. One of my favorite quotes from the book is " When you walk in happiness, negativity can't stay long."

This sums up the book for me. It's a lot, but i read it in one sitting. I think this would be a great book club read.