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The PearlJohn Steinbeck

Classic fiction

The Pearl

by John Steinbeck

Poor pearl diver Kino and his wife Juana seek medical help after a scorpion stings their infant son, only to be rejected because they cannot pay. Kino then discovers an enormous pearl and imagines it will purchase treatment, education, and freedom from poverty. News of the treasure attracts dealers, thieves, and authority figures determined to exploit him, while his hope hardens into dangerous obsession. Brief and devastating, this parable suits readers who appreciate Mexican coastal settings, symbolic classics, critiques of greed and colonial inequality, and stories in which sudden wealth exposes rather than solves systemic injustice.

Paired for this story

Wild Plum Shrub + Stormy Chapter

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At a glance

Know what you're getting into

Spice0 of 5
Suspense4 of 5
Creepy1 of 5
What do these symbols mean? →

No surprises at chapter twelve

Content notes

Violence and murder; repeated robbery attacks; gun and knife violence; child death; severe injury; poverty and exploitation; grief.

Alcohol-Free Pour

Wild Plum Shrub

Plum shrub gives sparkling water a tart, fruit-forward twist.

What you'll need

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How to mix it

  1. Fill a glass with ice. Add plum shrub, top with sparkling water, and stir gently.
  2. Garnish: Plum slice, optional.
  3. Glassware: Highball glass.
21+

Cocktail Pour · 21+

Stormy Chapter

For adults of legal drinking age. Please drink responsibly.

A bold, warming pour suits an unhurried afternoon between the pages.

What you'll need

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How to mix it

  1. Fill a highball glass with ice. Add rum and lime juice, top with ginger beer, and stir gently.
  2. Garnish: Lime wedge.
  3. Glassware: Highball glass.

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