Winner of the HarperCollins Canada-UBC Prize for Best New Fiction

Steeped in rural folklore and superstition, and full of remarkable characters, Pearly Everlasting is an enchanting woodland Gothic about the triumph of good over evil, the beauty of the natural world, and a bond of love that cannot be broken.

New Brunswick, 1934: A cook in a logging camp rescues an orphaned baby bear and brings it home to his wife. She names the cub Bruno and raises him alongside their newborn daughter, Pearly Everlasting.

Living in the forest amid severe poverty during the Great Depression, Pearly’s family and the lumberjacks form a close-knit commu­nity that accepts and embraces the tame young bear in their camp. But when a new camp supervisor—a profiteer who endangers the lives of the loggers—arrives, he is less accepting of Bruno.

When the supervisor is later found dead, Bruno is blamed, and then kidnapped and sold to an animal trader. Determined to rescue the only brother she has ever known, Pearly, now a teenager, sets off on a hazardous solo journey—her first trip to the Outside—to find him.

To make her way home again, Pearly will tramp through miles of ice and snow, elude malevolent spirits, and confront the cruelty of local villagers. But over the course of her harrowing journey, she will also discover new worlds, the kindness of strangers, and a strength she never knew she possessed.

Tammy Armstrong grew up in St. Stephen, New Brunswick and lived in Vancouver, BC for several years, where she earned a BA and an MFA from the University of British Columbia. She currently lives in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Armstrong has two books of poetry published with Anvil Press: Unravel and Bogman's Music (a Governor General's Literary Award nominee). Her poems have appeared in the following publications: The Antigonish Review, Event, The Fiddlehead, Grain, The Malahat Review, Pottersfield Portfolio, Prairie Fire, Room of One's Own, subTerrain, TickleAce, and Zygote. “A Proper Burial for Song Birds” placed third in the League of Canadian Poets' National Poetry Contest, Vintage 2000. “If In a Marriage to a Car Salesman” and “Clam Bake 1974” were performed on International Women's Day 2000 at the National Art Gallery.

Tammy Armstrong's profile page

“With descriptions so vivid, they transfer you to a different time and place. . . . Armstrong weaves an unforgettable tale of unconditional love and the powerful bond of siblings. A remarkable story, sparkling with brilliance."
— Amanda Peters, author of The Berry Pickers

“This is a poet’s novel, beautifully drawn and yet as succinct and addictive as any adventure story.” — Zoe Whittall, author of Wild Failure and The Fake

“Pearly Everlasting wraps you in a blanket, lights the fire beside you, and regales you with tall tales, one marvel after another. A bewitching story of life in the New Brunswick woods.” — Gail Anderson-Dargatz, author of The Almost Widow

"Armstrong...tells [this] tale in lyrically striking prose and makes its fairy tale elements work by grounding them in the grim realities and stunning beauties of life in a Depression-era logging camp." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Poet and novelist Armstrong paints a vivid picture of the rough life in lumber camps of the time, deftly capturing the nature of life in the forest and the love of a girl for her family. VERDICT: A charming and highly recommended story about family ties, the embrace of the natural world, and love.” — Library Journal (starred review)

“A spirited teenage girl sets off through the woods of 1934 New Brunswick, Canada, to rescue the bear she considers her brother in this enchanting U.S. debut from Canadian poet Armstrong (Take Us Quietly)… The adventure brims with folklore and superstition, as Pearly musters the courage to overcome her fears, and there are many lighthearted moments, such as when Pearly convinces Bruno to climb into the backseat of a car. This gentle story is sure to win Armstrong new fans.” — Publishers Weekly

“Armstrong’s prose is shot through with Pearly’s unique vernacular, and readers will feel the bone-cold winter and taste the blood of many blows that befall almost everyone. Meeting Pearly will change readers’ minds about who is civilized and who is not.” — Booklist

“Armstrong describes camp life and deep-woods adventures with a gritty cadence evoking a world before the Acadian forest became endangered.” — Washington Post

“In this magical read, Armstrong charms readers while drawing from rural folklore, superstitious beliefs and adventure in a suspenseful coming-of-age novel.” — Los Angeles Times

"Pearly Everlasting is at times hauntingly beautiful, at times sad, yet also laugh-out-loud funny in other moments. There’s a dose of fairy-tale magic in the wood­land setting… This tender tale of hope and the redeeming nature of human kindness is also about com­ing home, literally and figuratively.” — Historical Novel Review