1944年,斯坦贝克打算将故事写为电影脚本[3]并在《妇女居家伴侣》(Woman's Home Companion)中登为短篇小说“稀世宝珠”[4]最初,故事被叫为《拉巴斯的珍珠》[5]尔后,斯坦贝克将小说扩充,改名为《珍珠》,在1947年由维京出版社出版。[4]当他编写小说版时,他常常前往墨西哥,查看杰克·瓦格纳(J. Wagner)改编的同名电影剧本。[6][4]电影在1947年被雷电华电影录制上映。[6]
^The Pearls of La Paz (页面存档备份,存于互联网档案馆), Kristian Beadle, Pacific Standard Magazine, July 6, 2010
^ 2.02.1Simmonds, Roy S. "Steinbeck's The Pearl: A Preliminary Textual Study. ", Steinbeck Quarterly 22.01-02 (Winter/Spring 1989): 16-34.
^ 3.03.1Hayashi, Tetsumaro. A New Study Guide to Steinbeck's Major Works With Critical Explications. Scarecrow Press. 1993: 174– [30 January 2013]. ISBN 9780810826113. (原始内容于2013-10-28).
^ 4.04.14.2Railsback, Brian E.; Meyer, Michael J. A John Steinbeck Encyclopedia. Greenwood Publishing Group. 2006: 284– [30 January 2013]. ISBN 9780313296697. (原始内容于2014-01-05).
^ 5.05.1Benson, Jackson J. The Short Novels of John Steinbeck: Critical Essays With a Checklist to Steinbeck Criticism. Duke University Press. 1990: 143– [30 January 2013]. ISBN 9780822309949. (原始内容于2013-11-02).
^ 6.06.1Steinbeck Quarterly 1989, Vol. 22, No. 01-02. Ball State University. [30 January 2013].
^Schultz, Jeffrey D.; Li, Luchen. Critical companion to John Steinbeck. Infobase Publishing. 2009-01-01: 167– [30 January 2013]. ISBN 9781438108506. (原始内容于2014-06-27).