Items related to Jewel

Lott, Bret Jewel ISBN 13: 9780671740382

Jewel - Hardcover

  • 3.68 out of 5 stars
    38,101 ratings by Goodreads
 
9780671740382: Jewel

Synopsis

A mother fights for the dignity of her youngest daughter against the backdrop of a pure and simple way of life in the backwoods of Mississippi in 1943

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

Review

The year is 1943 and life is good for Jewel Hilburn, her husband, Leston, and their five children. Although there's a war on, the Mississippi economy is booming, providing plenty of business for the hardworking family. And even the news that eldest son James has enlisted is mitigated by the fact that Jewel, now pushing 40, is pregnant with one last child. Her joy is slightly clouded, however, when her childhood friend Cathedral arrives at the door with a troubling prophecy: "I say unto you that the baby you be carrying be yo' hardship, be yo' test in this world. This be my prophesying unto you, Miss Jewel."

When the child is finally born, it seems that Cathedral's prediction was empty: the baby appears normal in every way. As the months go by, however, Jewel becomes increasingly afraid that something is wrong with little Brenda Kay--she doesn't cry, she doesn't roll over, she's hardly ever awake. Eventually husband and wife take the baby to the doctor and are informed that she is a "Mongolian Idiot," not expected to live past the age of 2. Jewel angrily rebuffs the doctor's suggestion that they institutionalize Brenda Kay. Instead the Hilburns shoulder the burdens--and discover the unexpected joys--of living with a Down's syndrome child.

Bret Lott has written a novel that spans decades, follows the lives of several characters, and cuts back and forth between Mississippi and California. Given these challenges, a lesser writer might lose focus. Lott, however, has wisely chosen to keep his eye trained on Jewel--a narrator who is smart, perceptive, and above all, honest. He has also bucked the trend toward political correctness by allowing his characters to think, feel, and talk the way white Mississippians of that era would have. ("Mongolian Idiot," "nigger," "cracker," and "buck" are just a few of the epithets sprinkled throughout the text.) The language may be discomforting to some readers. Few will deny, however, that Bret Lott has crafted a clan that is all heart in this bittersweet paean to the enduring strength of familial love. --Margaret Prior

From the Publisher

Bret Lott has a gift for making the ordinary seem luminous. In Jewel, he applies his art to a broad canvas and produces what may stand as his masterpiece....Lott matches the honest strength of his characters with that of his prose. His Jewel is a force of nature, her story rising out of a perfect, seamless union of teller and tale.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

  • PublisherAtria
  • Publication date1991
  • ISBN 10 0671740385
  • ISBN 13 9780671740382
  • BindingHardcover
  • LanguageEnglish
  • Edition number1
  • Number of pages368
  • Rating
    • 3.68 out of 5 stars
      38,101 ratings by Goodreads

Buy Used

Condition: Good
Some wear to the dust jacket. Learn more about this copy

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.

Destination, rates & speeds

Add to basket

Top Search Results from the AbeBooks Marketplace

Stock Image

Lott, Bret
Published by Atria, 1991
ISBN 10: 0671740385 ISBN 13: 9780671740382
Used Hardcover

Seller: zeebooks, Foley, AL, U.S.A.

Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars 5-star rating, Learn more about seller ratings

Hardcover. Condition: Good. Some wear to the dust jacket. Seller Inventory # 220729024

Contact seller

Buy Used

US$ 7.48
Convert currency
Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds

Quantity: 1 available

Add to basket

Stock Image

Lott, Bret; Cooke
Published by Atria Books, 1991
ISBN 10: 0671740385 ISBN 13: 9780671740382
Used Hardcover

Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.

Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars 5-star rating, Learn more about seller ratings

Hardcover. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 1.65. Seller Inventory # G0671740385I3N00

Contact seller

Buy Used

US$ 8.97
Convert currency
Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds

Quantity: 1 available

Add to basket

Stock Image

Lott, Bret; Cooke
Published by Atria Books, 1991
ISBN 10: 0671740385 ISBN 13: 9780671740382
Used Hardcover

Seller: ThriftBooks-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, U.S.A.

Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars 5-star rating, Learn more about seller ratings

Hardcover. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 1.65. Seller Inventory # G0671740385I3N00

Contact seller

Buy Used

US$ 8.97
Convert currency
Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds

Quantity: 1 available

Add to basket

Stock Image

Lott, Bret; Cooke
Published by Atria Books, 1991
ISBN 10: 0671740385 ISBN 13: 9780671740382
Used Hardcover

Seller: ThriftBooks-Reno, Reno, NV, U.S.A.

Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars 5-star rating, Learn more about seller ratings

Hardcover. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 1.65. Seller Inventory # G0671740385I3N00

Contact seller

Buy Used

US$ 8.97
Convert currency
Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds

Quantity: 1 available

Add to basket

Stock Image

Lott, Bret; Cooke
Published by Atria Books, 1991
ISBN 10: 0671740385 ISBN 13: 9780671740382
Used Hardcover

Seller: ThriftBooks-Dallas, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.

Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars 5-star rating, Learn more about seller ratings

Hardcover. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 1.65. Seller Inventory # G0671740385I3N00

Contact seller

Buy Used

US$ 8.97
Convert currency
Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds

Quantity: 2 available

Add to basket

Stock Image

Lott, Bret, and Cooke
Published by Atria Books, 1991
ISBN 10: 0671740385 ISBN 13: 9780671740382
Used Hardcover

Seller: 2Vbooks, Derwood, MD, U.S.A.

Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars 5-star rating, Learn more about seller ratings

Hard cover. Condition: Fine in fine dust jacket. Sewn binding. Paper over boards. 368 p. Audience: General/trade. No previous owner's name; clean tight pages, no bent corners; HC 89. Seller Inventory # Alibris.0010166

Contact seller

Buy Used

US$ 5.85
Convert currency
Shipping: US$ 4.99
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds

Quantity: 1 available

Add to basket

Stock Image

Lott, Bret
Published by Pocket Books, New York, 1991
ISBN 10: 0671740385 ISBN 13: 9780671740382
Used Hardcover First Edition

Seller: Abacus Bookshop, Pittsford, NY, U.S.A.

Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars 5-star rating, Learn more about seller ratings

hardcover. Condition: Fine copy in fine dust jacket. 1st edition. 8vo, 358 pp. Seller Inventory # 075943

Contact seller

Buy Used

US$ 7.50
Convert currency
Shipping: US$ 4.00
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds

Quantity: 1 available

Add to basket

Seller Image

Lott, Bret
Published by Pocket Books, 1991
ISBN 10: 0671740385 ISBN 13: 9780671740382
Used Hardcover First Edition

Seller: Book Nook, Cadillac, MI, U.S.A.

Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars 5-star rating, Learn more about seller ratings

Hardcover. Condition: Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Good. First Edition. Usual Ex-Library Markings. Dj Had Been In A Taped-In Wrap, Tape Was Cut, Wrap Removed, But Tape Pieces Remain On Covers. Dj Has Light Edgewear With One Small, Taped Tear. Lightly Bumped Corners. Very Light Soiling. Seller Inventory # 034324

Contact seller

Buy Used

US$ 6.50
Convert currency
Shipping: US$ 5.95
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds

Quantity: 1 available

Add to basket

Stock Image

Bret Lott
Published by Pocket Books, 1991
ISBN 10: 0671740385 ISBN 13: 9780671740382
Used Hardcover

Seller: Library House Internet Sales, Grand Rapids, OH, U.S.A.

Seller rating 4 out of 5 stars 4-star rating, Learn more about seller ratings

Hardcover. Condition: Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Fair. A mother fights for the dignity of her youngest daughter against the backdrop of a pure and simple way of life in the backwoods of Mississippi in 1943 Due to age and/or environmental conditions, the pages of this book have darkened. Ex-Libris and is stamped as such. Moderate edgewear on the boards. Please note the image in this listing is a stock photo and may not match the covers of the actual item. Book. Seller Inventory # 123641963

Contact seller

Buy Used

US$ 7.00
Convert currency
Shipping: US$ 6.99
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds

Quantity: 1 available

Add to basket

Stock Image

Bret Lott
Published by Pocket Books, 1991
ISBN 10: 0671740385 ISBN 13: 9780671740382
Used Paperback First Edition

Seller: Mark Henderson, Olathe, KS, U.S.A.

Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars 5-star rating, Learn more about seller ratings

Paperback. Condition: Fine. 1st Edition. Advanced Reading Copy (ARC). Book. Seller Inventory # 023822

Contact seller

Buy Used

US$ 8.12
Convert currency
Shipping: US$ 5.95
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds

Quantity: 1 available

Add to basket

There are 9 more copies of this book

View all search results for this book