The Black Pearls

The Black Pearls
A Historical Novel
The immigration of Sarah Mateer Bowen Hinkle from Glasgow, Scotland, to Salt Lake City, Utah, 1864
Author: Carol Freeman Braby
ISBN: 978-1-937720-88-9

As a child, Sarah works soaking flax in the River Bann, in the cottage industry of linen making in 1840’s Ireland. Working in the river, Sarah finds two black pearls, which she collects and secretly saves in a small bag carried beneath her clothing. Throughout her life she keeps the secret of her pearls, which serve as a source of security and confidence as she faces the challenges in her life.
Her family moves to Glasgow, Scotland, to take jobs in the linen mills at the beginning of the industrial revolution, Sarah is given the job of a reeler. Even with Sarah, her father, and brothers working in the linen mills, the family is barely able to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads.
As a teen, Sarah listens to a Latter Day Saint preacher and is intrigued with their new gospel message. Sarah joins this church and dreams of moving to America to be part of God’s kingdom in Salt Lake City, Utah. After her marriage to an Irish man, James Bowen, a bookbinder, she continues to dream of a life where she and her family can live safely in God’s kingdom in America. She is granted travel to Utah through the Church of the Latter Day Saints.
This novel is based on Sarah’s life as she faces the challenges of living in 1800’s Ireland, Scotland, and America. It is the story of a woman who courageously acts to find a better life for herself and her family,     
and faces the clash between her dreams and reality.