Moonlight and the Pearler's Daughter

Written with sensitivity and heart, we defy you not to fall in love with this feisty, headstrong heroine

Woman & Home

Lizzie Pook's plot rattles along, but the real draw is her description of the bay, a place where pearlers risk their lives diving for that elusive, perfect pearl that will set them up for life . . . It is an unfamiliar, unforgiving world and Eliza is an engaging guide

The Times

With prose as beautiful as its pearlescent cover, this is an absolute gem

Woman's Weekly

A compelling, atmospheric mystery set in western Australia in the late 19th century. Brilliantly manages to recognise the details of the time, including the injustices of colonialism and the pearling industry, alongside a rollicking adventure. A sure fire hit

Kate Sawyer, Costa shortlisted author of The Stranding

I loved it: a gritty plot, exquisite prose, and a vivid evocation of a dangerous time and place. Wonderfully researched and realised

Rosie Andrews, author of The Leviathan

A stunning debut. From the very first line, this novel drew me fully into its gritty yet captivating world . . . I will never look at a string of pearls in quite the same way

Charmaine Wilkerson, author of Black Cake

Gritty, lyrical, breathtaking. I couldn’t put it down, drawn in by its vivid characters and wealth of historical detail

Fiona Valpy, author of The Dressmaker's Gift

This story of a daughter searching for her father in 19th century Bannin Bay is exquisite. You can feel the swell of the sea and smell the fish guts. Teeming with atmosphere and a drama that keeps you turning the pages . . . I loved it

Julie Owen Moylan, author of That Green Eyed Girl

The exquisite prose tugged me in and held me in the eye of the storm, my fingers tightly crossed for Eliza. It’s not just good, it’s important. Lizzie shines a light on a dark part of British history with grace, skill, sensitivity and honesty. I LOVED IT

Nikki May, author of Wahala

This story is a voyage I won't forget readily. Days after reading, I still feel the thrum of the ocean beneath my feet. Phenomenal

Saara El-Arifi, author of The Final Strife

I devoured Moonlight and the Pearler's Daughter . . . Gorgeous, lyrical writing that brings the stifling heat and brutal landscape of North-Western Australia to life, with a courageous heroine in Eliza whose quest I was thoroughly invested in. Incredible!

Amy McCulloch, author of Breathless

Eerie and atmospheric with a steadily building sense of mystery and intrigue. I loved all the strands and how they connected in an unexpected and glorious way as the story crescendoed to the climax. Superb storytelling

Melissa Fu, author of Peach Blossom Spring

A stunning debut. Lizzie's gloriously descriptive and vivid prose envelops us in 19th century Western Australia as if it were yesterday. A moving debut with a truly relatable protagonist

Laura Price, author of Single Bald Female

A luscious, mysterious, adventure novel set in the halcyon days of Australia's lucrative pearl industry in the late 1800's . . . Pook spins an expert tale of corruption, fate and family in this dazzling debut

Adriana Trigiani, bestselling author of The Good Left Undone

Moonlight and the Pearler’s Daughter is a gift for anyone who likes their historical fiction impeccably researched, beautifully written and with an amazing sense of place.

Lianne Dillsworth, author of The Theatre of Marvels

A transporting and thought provoking novel. The story is as lustrous as a pearl, but just like a pearl, there is real grit at its heart

Polly Crosby, author of The Unravelling

Atmospheric, fascinating, and beautiful, a fantastic story with unexpected twists and turns, and vivid characters that seared their way into my heart like a noon sun on a blisteringly hot day . . . Magnificent

Liz Hyder, author of The Gifts

A journey of discovery

Sunday Express

A perilous, richly-imagined story . . . a thrilling read

The Express

A powerful debut, and brilliantly escapist

Best Magazine