Pearl's Secret: A Black Man's Search for His White Family

by Neil Henry

Book Overview

Pearl's Secret is a remarkable autobiography and family story that combines elements of history, investigative reporting, and personal narrative in a riveting, true-to-life mystery. In it, Neil Henry--a black professor of journalism and former award-winning correspondent for the Washington Post--sets out to piece together the murky details of his family's past. His search for the white branch of his family becomes a deeply personal odyssey,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0520227301
• ISBN13: 9780520227309
• Release Date: September 2002
• Publisher: University of California Press
• Length: 322 Pages
• Weight: 1.01 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Very Touching and Powerful

I really enjoyed following Neil Henry on his search for "the other side" of his family tree. This book has a real suspenseful edge to it as well as profound, touching and painful aspects.There is so much here. History lesson,sociological study,detective story,love story ...it's all here, and very well done.

Neil Henry's Journey

This is a splendid book on many levels for the historian, genealogist, or anyone who just likes a spellbinding story. For Mr. Henry tells a fascinating story of discovery. Mr. Henrynot only reveals the various paths he trod to find his other family--but reveals many insights into black/white relations and how they change, black/black relations within and outside black neighborhoods, and, in snippets, gives hints on how we all can get our act together to make this a better country for all Americans. I was absolutely mesmerized by this book and highly recommend it.

From An Old Seattle Friend

I was shocked when Neil jumped up and angrily walked away from me saying that I was a racist. It was 1970 and Neil Henry and I were sitting with a group of friends in Franklin High School's library before the start of school. We often were together whether we were in math. class, playing chess, or basketball. Neil Henry is an old friend of mine who I haven't seen since high school, and reading his book brought back many memories. This one memory of him depicts the struggles that he must have felt about his own identity. "Pearl's Secret" tells an incredible and spiritually uplifting story of his victory to gain a hidden truth of his family that was his own identity. His life tells of a extremely capable young man who wanders through the world in search of something he isn't completely aware of himself. It is a story that many of us spend our lives dealing with in our own ways. Neil's strength and courage is his reward. That morning over thirty years ago when I felt I had hurt a good friend is now brought to light for me. I'm sorry Neil, and thank you.

A 'Secret' Worth Revealing

Neil Henry took this journey for himself and his family. That he chose to share it through 'Pearl's Secret' is a gift to us all. This work is an excellent addition to the body of literature about race relations in America. This book chronicles Henry's often exasperating research into the history of his white ancestors and their descendents. Through years of diligent, tedious searching, Henry managed to find his present-day white kin and visited with them in the hope of having his burning questions answered and sharing collective lore and memories. His writing style and candor in describing his curiosity, anger and dissapointments made for more engaging reading than I had anticiapted from a book which I had mistakenly believed was only about genealogy. The conculsion that Henry's 20th century black family raised in Seattle was far better off than his distant white relations living in the south is a testament to the home enviornment in which he was raised by loving parents who truly understood the importance of instilling pride, self worth and confidence in their children--no matter the odds stacked against them. Overall, I found the book to be uplifting and positive. I would recommend it highly.

Heart warming

I enjoyed this book very much. Mr. Henry had a Pearl, my Mother was named Pearl. Mr. Henry had a Rita, my sister was named Rita. My Granddaughter has ancestors that were slaves and she also has ancestors that owned slaves. I am gathering "her" history for her. Junie