Abstract
In The Eight of Swords, a novel, Meredith Sutton finds herself a single mother with no job and no place to live after her husband pleads guilty to several types of theft, leaving her to return to the bank their mobile home and the land on which it rests. Her mother-in-law is Sister Pearl, a well known tarot card reader and psychic in the town, generally regarded as “The Dragon Lady.” Nevertheless, Sister Pearl takes in Meredith and her four-year-old son. Meredith’s old friendships from high school have fallen apart, but she makes new friends when she finds a job in a beauty salon. Sister Pearl then decides to quit her psychic counseling business, leaving the town bereft of her services. Meredith overcomes her superstitious fear of the cards and, in search of answers to her own questions, learns to read them herself, eventually taking over her mother-in-law’s former business, housing it in the back room of the salon rather than in Pearl’s old office in the enclosed garage of her home. Meredith soon grows uncomfortable in her new role as advisor and uncomfortable with the pressure her clients put on her to be psychic rather than just interpret the cards they draw. Predictable community criticism and a bit of backlash occur. Meanwhile, Sister Pearl seems to regain her powers and begins to resume some degree of involvement in counseling again. Meredith begins to consider more solid options for her future through education and technical training. She reconciles with her husband when he finally can admit to her what he had done and attempt to explain why.
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