Coming December 5, 2026

A journey across the world. A secret buried in the past. A legacy waiting beneath the sea.

Fourteen-year-old Skylark Smith feels an inexplicable connection to the water. But the more she is drawn to it, the more fiercely her Japanese mother, Yumiko, tries to keep her away. As their once-close relationship begins to unravel, Skylark becomes determined to discover what her mother is so afraid of.

When a hidden message reveals a grandmother Skylark never knew existed, it sets in motion a journey that will carry mother and daughter from Georgia to a seaside village in Japan that Yumiko fled nearly twenty years ago.

There, Skylark discovers a world of extraordinary women who have spent generations diving into the depths of the sea. She begins to piece together the meaning of the four pearls her mother guards so closely and the secret that has kept three generations of women apart.

As Skylark is drawn deeper into her family's past, Yumiko must confront the very thing she has spent a lifetime trying to escape. And both must discover whether the truth that threatens to tear them apart might also be the only thing that can bring them together.

The Fifth Pearl is a captivating story of family secrets, courage, and the invisible threads connecting mothers and daughters across oceans and generations..

Preorder your book to pick up at The Pearl Girls on December 5th! We will have our launch party from 12PM to 4PM on Saturday, December 5th! If choosing this option, use code PICKUP at checkout to save on shipping!

You can also preorder to have the book shipped to you! Shipping is included in the book price!

I am so thrilled to finally put this beautiful story out in the world!! Thank you for buying a copy of my book!!

With Love,

India