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Editor reviews

Joy Dettman's compelling saga is set in the rural Australian logging town of Woody Creek in the early 1900s, when Gertrude Foote discovers a pregnant woman near the railroad, unconscious and near death. She doesn't survive, but the child does, and is soon taken in by Gertrude's daughter, Amber, and her husband, Norman, who have recently lost their son in childbirth. The fairy tale turns dark, though, as young Jenny suffers under the neglect and abuse of her new mother. Diedre Rubenstein's performance is sharp and precise, bringing deft characterization and heightening the emotions of this brutal tale.

Summary

On a balmy midsummer's evening in 1923, a young woman - foreign, dishevelled, and heavily pregnant - is found unconscious just off the railway tracks in the tiny logging community of Woody Creek. The town midwife, Gertrude Foote, is roused from her bed when the woman is brought to her door. Try as she might, Gertrude is unable to save her, but the baby lives.

When no relatives come forth to claim the infant, Gertrude's daughter, Amber - who has recently lost a son in childbirth - and her husband, Norman, take the child in. In the ensuing weeks, Norman becomes convinced that God has sent the baby to their door, and in an act of reckless compassion and lonely desperation, he names the baby Jennifer and registers her in place of his son.

Loved by some but scorned by more, including her stepmother and sister, Jenny survives her childhood and grows into an exquisite and talented young woman. But who were her parents? And why does she so strongly resemble an old photograph of Gertrude's philandering husband?

Spanning two momentous decades and capturing rural Australia's complex and mysterious heart, Pearl in a Cage is the new novel by one of our most talented storytellers.
©2009 Joy Dettman. (P)2009 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

What members say

Average customer ratings

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Audible.co.uk reviews
Audible.com reviews
Amazon reviews
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Would have liked more in the end....

19 CD's on one book and then ended in a way that the listener feels dispointed, like something is missing. The book captures your attention to listen, well written and narrated but ends as if a lot can still be said and explained.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Beautifully Read

I like this book initially, and thought the story sounded hopeful, but found it incredibly depressing. The story spent far too much time the some of the characters who weren’t the main person described in the description details, so the story seems to lie it’s way. Then a sudden change in direction really does bring the book to its lowest point in the later stages, so quite disappointed, it is reasonably well written, but I wouldn’t recommend this book on.
But the reader was brilliant, if not for her I would have persisted with it.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
  • Verita
  • 16-06-17

Pearl in a Cage

If you could sum up Pearl in a Cage in three words, what would they be?

A bit confusing

Would you recommend Pearl in a Cage to your friends? Why or why not?

Yes I would. It is a saga you need to get into to understand the story around it, but once you get into it you cant put it down.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

The narrator was very good.

If you could rename Pearl in a Cage, what would you call it?

I think Pearl in a Cage was the perfect name for this book

Any additional comments?

This book was full of real life. The first book you dont realise that the Pearl in the Cage is Jenny. One has to read the following book to understand more of the first book.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
  • Robyn
  • 16-06-16

What a great storyteller Joy Dettman is

If you could sum up Pearl in a Cage in three words, what would they be?

I want more

What was one of the most memorable moments of Pearl in a Cage?

I hate this question I've read so many reviews where the whole story line is mapped out including the ending. This book is a really good story it's not a mills and boon type of story so don't buy if you are expecting a romance.

What about Deidre Rubenstein’s performance did you like?

She's believable even narrating the male voices, didn't find her narration grating. However as the story is set in a country town in Victoria, Australia she does sometimes put on a very aussie accent. Don't be put off by this it is in line with the story.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Where dirty linen is on show

Any additional comments?

I discovered Joy Dettman only recently when I purchased "The Silent Inheritance" at the airport. Loved this book and couldn't put it down and wanted more and discovered the Woody Creek series. I was a little worried however as I only generally read crime novels, however not disappointed finished this book and now on the second story. Highly recommend

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • alison post
  • 26-04-16

Bittersweet Bliss

Rarely does a story make me laugh, cry, steam with anger, and feel homesick all within its pages. This was just such a story and one of the most touching I have ever heard. Highly, highly recommended!!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Mary
  • 21-05-14

Love this book, have listened to it a few times.

What did you love best about Pearl in a Cage?

I love the characters, the story and how everyone is interconnected. I live in a small town, about two hours drive from the approximate area this is set. I find it so true to life I feel like I am there. The description of the town and the houses is what I see in my own town.

What other book might you compare Pearl in a Cage to and why?

Not sure. I had never read an historical family saga before. I am looking for another now.

What about Deidre Rubenstein’s performance did you like?

Deidre is perhaps my all time favourite narrator. I fell in love with her storytelling with this book and have sought out other titles narrated by her. I find she brings a depth and a reality to the characters without overplaying them.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When poor toddler Jenny was assaulted. Just so awful. I felt for her.

Any additional comments?

I'm reviewing this after finishing the last book of the series. I am about to start them all from scratch. They have become like a comfortable old friend.

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • mergra
  • 04-01-11

Engaging listening, sad story

I have given this book 3 stars based on my PERSONAL response to the book - other readers/listeners may be less idealistic than myself. I found it a little too black - I was hoping to see Jenny rise above the many adversities she encounters - perhaps she does, but this is left entirely to the reader's imagination. For me, a description of her adventures away from the town of her birth - even as a summary in an epilogue - would have been sufficient to satisfy my urge for justice. Perhaps Ms Dettman will outline this in a sequel? If so, I'll definitely be listening to that one :)

The other reason I gave 3 stars is due to Jenny's sudden catapult into a different reality near the end of the book. I felt somewhat disoriented by the dizzying turn of events and was left wondering whether outside pressure forced Ms Dettman to close the story in this way. Conversely, it could just be that I found the altered tense (a rapid transition from present to retrospective) too harsh for my liking. Nonetheless, this is a brilliant tale and a sober depiction of the domestic, social and cultural mores surrounding a disadvantaged individual living between the wars in a remote Australian town.