The Pearl

In a small Mexican fishing village, Kino and his family's lives are irrevocably changed when he discovers a pearl of immense size and beauty. This seemingly miraculous find brings with it not fortune, but a darkness that preys on the greed of others. Kino must confront the corrupting influence of wealth and the desperate measures people will take to possess it.

A short, parable-like novella drawing on a Mexican folk tale, The Pearl is Steinbeck at his most stripped-down: a story about the false promise of sudden wealth and the price a poor family pays for daring to want more than the world allows them.