Blackberry: Frank, Pearl and the Traveling Salesman

Pearl Lingsley is unforgettable, her experiences mirror a part of every woman's quest for love. She couldn't believe that love came in colors and that mixing. Black and White would ultimately turn to blood red. Pearl's own mother denied her motherly love and hated her because her skin was blackberry dark. The Big 5 wonder if that's what causes her to seek the love of White men. Pearl fell in love with Frank Boudine the millionaire from New Orleans, Louisiana, who was "assumed to be White." Frank loved Pearl and promised that they could be together for life. Pearl, on the other hand misinterprets his meaning, "be together for life." Through situational denial, she refused to acknowledge the miscegenation law, and was relentless in her demand for Frank to marry her. Frank Boudine's mother Dr. Darlin Boudine, who was "passing," hated Pearl because she was Negro and her son dared to love her. Without Frank's genuine approval, Dr. Darlin Boudine arranged his marriage to a wealthy White socialite.