First edition "Mother of Pearl is a first novel of immense and staggering power. I had never heard of#MelindaHaynes in my lite, but everyone in America will be hearing about her very soon. Her sentences have the beauty of coined silver forks resting on linen. Her dialogue shimmers. Something absolutely wonderful is going on here and it might be the surprise one feels encountering greatness. -Pat Conroy, author of Beach Music