A magnificent novel for a global culture seemingly intent on stripping the young of the possibilities of love, purpose and belonging. Pearl stands at the end of her strand of descent and DNA with the resources of the lives of those who have come before to act as warning and counsel. Can she uncover their significance to her own life and change its course? This magnificent novel asks if stories can play a role in offering opportunities for acts of courage, love and kindness. Will Pearl take what she needs from her inheritance; and does her story hold out possibilities not only for her own future but for our own? Distraught after her grandmother Nora's death, Pearl scatters her ashes in the places Nora loved. As she retraces her grandmother's last journey, she recovers a series of handmade dolls that have been handed down in the family for generations. Hidden within each is a tiny note from grandmother to granddaughter. Together, these dolls and the messages they carry lead Pearl to recall and recount tales given to her as a child. It is these stories, ranging from the semi-mythic past to the present, that enable Pearl to see her life and her struggles against the larger scale of human survival, dislocation, war, and immigration as well as love and responsibility to the future. Pearl's mysterious gift of communication ultimately allies her with the survival of another species and also provides the key to unlocking love and happiness for herself.
The Unfinished World is a timely reminder that second chances are possible, as are deep and fundamental connections with the natural world.
