ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sidney Sheldon was an American author, director and producer, best known for his exciting potboiler novels like The Other Side of Midnight, A Stranger in the Mirror, Rage of Angels, and Master of the Game. A majority of his novels were adapted as movies and TV series.
Before he became an author, Sidney Sheldon was an award-winning Broadway and movie screenplay writer. He won many prestigious awards such as the Tony Award for Broadway and the Academy award. He authored eighteen novels, which were translated into fifty-one languages and sold over three hundred million copies.
SYNOPSIS
The central characters of The Sands of Time are the four nuns Megan, Lucia, Teresa, and Graciela, who are suddenly thrown into the hostile world they renounced to join the sacred convent. They get involved in the war between the leader of an outlawed organization, Jaime Miro, and the ruthless colonel of the Spanish army, Ramon Acoca.
The plot is set in the times of the Spanish Civil War. Jamie Miro is a Basque nationalist leader, who is involved in a vicious fight against the Spanish government for the rights of his people. The Spanish army attacks a convent as they believe that the Church is helping the rebels. Four nuns escape the walls of the church and make it to the Basque countries with Jaime’s army.
Each nun has a past filled with struggles prior to committing themselves to the service of the Lord. During their tryst with the world, they have to face the secrets of their past and learn the truth about themselves. How their destinies get intertwined is the crux of the story. Do they survive the ordeal or face the inevitable end? Are the nuns’ able to complete the secret mission assigned to them? What fate awaits each of them?
WHAT WE LIKED ABOUT THE SANDS OF TIME
The Sands of Time is a fast-paced thriller. Every character is well etched and contributes to the plot. The intricately-written backstories aid in character development and help the readers relate to the characters. The mysterious past of the nuns adds further value to the story and keeps the readers hooked to the very end.
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER ABOUT THE SANDS OF TIME
For all its positives, The Sands of Time has way too many characters. As if this was not confusing enough, every character has a flashback that reveals their backstory. As the story goes on, it becomes quite a challenge to remember each character and their history. This somewhat disconcerts the readers and makes the plot far more complicated than it should have been. In fact, some flashbacks could have easily been avoided considering how little they contribute to the plot.
CONCLUSION
The Sands of Time is an engrossing read that takes you on a roller-coaster ride of emotions, passions, and treachery. Despite its historic background, the story is interesting and keeps the readers guessing from start to finish. The melodrama and the twists and turns à la Sidney Sheldon make this an engrossing read. Above all, fans of action-packed romantic adventures will not be disappointed in this book.
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