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Review
Praise for Secrets of the Sands:
‘This well-paced story brings the perfumes and landscape of Arabia shimmeringly to life.’ -- The Daily Mail
‘A thoroughly enjoyable read. Recommended.’ -- bookbag.co.uk
'Secret of the Sands is distinguished from other genre offerings by the care paid to historical detail.' -- Financial Times
Sheridan's last novel, the Secret Mandarin, was our top historical romance of 2009. Meticulously researched and rich in period details, Secret of the Sands is on course to be the favourite of 2011. -- Daily Record
Praise for The Secret Mandarin:
‘A truly sumptuous, action-packed Oriental adventure that might just be our favourite historical romance of the year.’ -- Daily Record
‘An enchanting story that draws you in… perfect for whiling away the hours on a rainy day.’ -- Closer
‘If you like mystery, history, love and adventure then this book is for you!’ -- Scottish Home & Country
‘A very enjoyable voyage to the Far East.’ -- Weekly News
Product Description
She was a slave. He was her master. Both of them long to be free…
1833 – The British Navy are conducting a survey of the Arabian Peninsula where slavery is as rife as ever despite being abolition. Zena, a headstrong and determined young Abyssinian beauty has been torn from her remote village, subjected to a tortuous journey and is now being offered for sale in the market of Muscat.
Lieutenant James Wellstead is determined that his time aboard HMS Palinurus will be the conduit to fame and fortune. However, all his plans are thrown into disarray when two of his fellow officers go missing while gathering intelligence in the desert.
By an unexpected twist of fate – Zena finds herself the property of Wellstead, now on a daring rescue mission into forbidding territory. Master and slave are drawn ever closer, but as danger faces them at every turn, they must endure heartache and uncertainty – neither of them knowing what fortune awaits them as they make their hazardous way through the shifting sands.
A rich and epic novel that will appeal to fans of The Pirate's Daughter and East of the Sun.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Spellbinding stuff!,
By Bibliophile (Scotland) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Secret of the Sands (Paperback)
One of my favouite books of the year by miles. Beautifully paced and utterly captivating, you are quickly drawn into the heady and intoxicating atmosphere of the 19th century Arabian desert for an adventure of epic proportions. Sara Sheridan is a magnificent storyteller - as in The Secret Mandarin, this novel weaves painstakingly researched historical detail with sympathetic characterisation and an uncanny ability to bring far-off places and times to life on the page. I was totally engrossed in Wellsted and Zena's story, and particularly liked the feisty Farida, with her quick wit and penchant for incognito excursions into the the Muscat souks. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see this book snapped up for a movie or TV screenplay - it's certainly got the perfect ingredients for it.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent!,
This review is from: Secret of the Sands (Paperback)
Neither history nor romance are my normal choice but this historical romance novel based on slavery and the British Empire has the right balance of history and tugging of heart strings. I just had to keep turning the pages and am now so hooked that I'm looking forward to reading The Secret Mandarin and learning all about Tea and China too....
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb storytelling and adventure,
By
This review is from: Secret of the Sands (Paperback)
It is 1833. William Wilberforce has brought about the abolition of slavery within the British Empire, but elsewhere others are less fortunate. Zena, a beautiful and headstrong young Abyssinian girl, is captured by slave traders and brought from her home village to Muscat, where she becomes the property of Lieutenant James Wellstead, an ambitious British naval officer, who is there surveying the Arabian Peninsula. When he embarks on a mission to rescue two fellow officers, Zena is in the party which travels with him into the desert. It is a journey that will change both their lives.Hearing that three letters, written by James Wellstead and held in the John Murray archive at the National Library of Scotland, inspired Sara Sheridan to write Secret of the Sands, piqued my interest in this book. I wanted to see how the author handled a novel which was centred around a real person and what she knew about him from his letters and journals but which was also a fictional imagining. After reading a few pages, it became clear that James Wellstead was in extremely capable hands. Sara Sheridan is a consummate storyteller, moving from Abyssinia to London to Bombay to Muscat and into the desert or along the Arabian coast with ease. She conjures each place with its accompanying sights, sounds and smells, so that you feel as if you are right there, and then peoples it with a diverse range of characters. I admired the central characters of Wellstead and Zena, who may come from totally different backgrounds but who both find the strength to adapt to their environment and devise ways of coping with whatever trials and hardships they have to face. I practically cheered every attempt of Wellstead's to understand and learn about the country, its people and customs, which was in stark contrast to the attitude shown by his fellow British officers. I smiled and urged Zena on in her subtle shows of defiance. I also grew fond of the captive Doctor Jessop, as well as the Arabian Mr Fix-It, Mickey and his wife, Farida. Secret of the Sands is wonderful storytelling and was such a captivating read that I felt as if someone were sitting beside me, whispering the story to me, while watching it unfold in front of us.
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