Copyright © 2007 - Clark and Lora Gray

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Characters in the Quest Theater juvenile book series–

Pearl Quest and her younger brothers Bernie and Oscar have recently moved to Edenton, Oregon with their parents. They feel lonely and isolated in the small, dreary town where their father grew up. For the next year their mother will be spending most of her time in another city, finishing her nursing degree while their father works a new job for the local lumber company. For the Quest kids, this change means that they’ll have to spend every afternoon with their mysterious grandfather in the run-down theater that he is struggling to maintain. Alone and miserable since their Grandma disappeared over ten years ago, Grandpa seems cold and uninterested in the kids.

While at the Quest Theater, the kids accidentally stumble onto one of the greatest secrets they could possibly imagine. Will they ever be able to tell their Grandfather that they know what he’s hiding? And will this secret help them find their missing Grandmother?

Pearl is the oldest child in the Quest family. She is quite mature for a eighth grader, yet still a kid at heart. Her younger twin brothers, while often bothersome, keep her focused on staying calm in perilous situations and she often finds herself taking responsibility for their well-being. Her creative spirit is her driving force. Pearl is an artist. She enjoys creating something at all times, whether dreaming up a story in her head, making up a song or sketching a street scene. Her level head and clear thinking lead the children out of danger and into situations that allow them to explore the many dilemmas that often confront them as they travel through history.

Bernie's mischievous and spontaneous manner often leads his siblings into situations that are less than comfortable. His childish innocence often wins out over sensibility, putting not only himself but others at risk. Bernie is not dumb. Rather, he is driven by the desire for knowledge, even to the extent of endangering his life. If Bernie can survive his many wild mishaps throughout childhood, he'll surely find a way to channel his lack of fear into a career that requires such a unique trait.

Oscar is the complete opposite of his twin brother. He is not a leader. In fact, he is a reluctant follower. While Oscar may not be brave, he is capable of coming up with ingenious ways to get himself and his siblings out of dangerous situations. Whether fashioning a tool out of a rusted piece of iron or figuring out how to tap a phone line, Oscar uses his head and his hands to contribute to the solutions the children must contrive in order to reach their goals in the pursuit of history. Grandpa Quest seems like a miserable old man but in reality he is a very passionate and creative person. He is also in mourning for his wife who disappeared over ten years ago. While he knows what happened to her, he does not know her whereabouts. After so many years of searching for her, he has little hope left. He is haunted by the fact that he cannot tell a soul his secret or he will surely be institutionalized and will lose his beloved theater and any future chance of finding his dear wife alive.

Grandma Quest must have been wonderful! Or at least, that's what Pearl imagines when she sees Grandma's photograph for the first time. The Quest kids have learned not to ask questions about where Grandma went over ten years ago. It seems that either no one really knows what happened or they're just not willing to talk about it. Either way, Pearl and her brothers are determined to find out if Grandpa had anything to do with her disappearance.

"There is that smaller world which is the stage, and that larger stage which is the world."

- Isaac Goldberg