Linda SicklesPearl faced family tragedy and lost love with the strength and courage that would have been expected of a turn-of-the-century homesteader of the upper Great Plains. The Pearl that Linda Sickles reveals, her maternal grandmother, is mirrored down intothe generations, and what began as a work of family story mixed with historical fiction became a moving process of self-discovery and spiritual healing. Linda grew up learning that Grandma Pearl had been stolen as a baby, given another name and raised on a North Dakota homestead; that she married a Metís from Canada named Jean Baptiste Ouellette and gave him two daughters, the second of whom was Linda's mother Violet. The rest of this story was pieced together from research in genealogy and history, from interviews with relatives and by studying troves of letters and photos. For many years Linda taught in public elementary schools, and especially enjoyed introducing the pleasures of reading and writing to young children. Now retired, she lives in the Pacific Northwest. Her children and grandchildren are near and dear. Linda and husband Robert are also authors and illustrators of the children's picture book Honey Girl & Bella: A Hero's Journey. Read More Read Less