Matched Pearls

I inherited my mother's matched pearl necklace, and it is gorgeous. More important than the pearls is the woman who wore them. I'd rather have Mama than the pearls anyday.

Constance is a young college girl whose main focus is having fun and looking good. To that end, she does what she has to do to get her grandmother's matched pearls--she joins the church. There is nothing behind her commitment to the church, no faith, no relationship, nothing, just a desire for pearls for an upcoming dance.

The pearls lose some of their lustre when Constance learns the cost of commitment. Graham Seagrave, a rather shabby-looking young man has become taken with Constance but when he finds she doesn't share his trust in Christ, knows he can't pursue a relationship with her. Instead he pursues her knowledge of Christ. He wants to introduce her to his closest Friend.

Constance really doesn't want to know Christ, feels she doesn't need to know Him, and would rather run with her normal crowd. Still there is something bothering her, niggling at the back of her mind, something compelling about Seagrave and his knowledge of Christ. Until her roommate Doris is seriously and severely injured in an auto accident, Constance doesn't see that she needs the peace that only Jesus can give.

Grace Livingston Hill wrote many, many lovely stories during her time. This one's theme is the peace only Jesus Christ can offer and the sweet communion of sharing that peace with someone else. To see the changes Constance goes through is worth the time it takes to read it. Definitely a great book to pick up.