The Sands of Time

by Sidney Sheldon

Book Overview

Spain. A land of eternal passion and unceasing bloodshed. From the vengeance of a pitiless tyrant, four women flee the sacred, once-safe walls of a convent: LUCIA, the proud survivor harboring a murderous secret from the savage clan wars of Sicily...GRACIELLA, the beauty still unpurged of guilt from one reckless, youthful sin...MEGAN, the orphan seeking perilous refuge in the arms of a defiant Basque rebel...and TERESA, the believer haunted by a faith...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0688065716
• ISBN13: 9780688065713
• Release Date: November 1988
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 412 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.4" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

A Wonderful Tale of Self-Discovery

Set in a time of political unrest in Spain, four nuns find themselves running for their lives from a ruthless tyrant who holds a lot of political power. All four women have secrets that help complicate matters as they flee their once safe haven, and they all learn very important lessons about who they were, and who they will soon become. This is a wonderful novel that I would recommend to anyone. It has action, adventure, romance, intrigue and of course style which is something Sindey Sheldon's books never lack.

A Turgid Potboiler

Sidney Sheldon's potboiler dwells on a compelling subject matter: the turmoil of a nation embroiled in a bloody civil war. Set against the timeless and haunting landscape of Spain, Sheldon weaves intricate strands of Spanish history and politics into a tangled tapestry of adventure and romance. By depicting the enigmatic and rugged Spanish terrain with broad but deft strokes of colours, Spain comes across as a colourful juxtaposition of the past and present, a land of eternal passion and unceasing bloodshed. He is adept at capturing a historical ambience and the nuances of affinities between people thrown together by circumstances....The Sands of Time has a dramatic poignancy that demonstrates Sheldon's measured writing style, which through sheer imagination succeeds in creating a drama of political intrigue. There was no dearth of dramatic punctuation and the narrative was not bloated with extraneous dialogue; his dialogue is irrefragably excellent for the revelation of characters and his command of the idioms of ordinary speech permits him to achieve a fine naturalness.The Sands of Time deals with the tragedy of a land torn by strife, unfolded with an insight into the characters that people the vast Spanish landscape. It pricks and provokes...a people and their ideals, beliefs and freedom, and at the same time delves into the subtle territory of forbidden love. Much of the novel is a joy to read and it may linger in our minds long after other easily assimilated pulp of the same genre have passed beyond our memory. This is also Sheldon's last well-written novel; his more recent flaccid potboilers have somehow become a reviewer's nightmare.

The sands of time are filled with greatness

THE SANDS OF TIME is a great book that has something for everyone. It is filled with action, intrigue,danger, and a hint of romance. This is the story of four nuns in Spain who are driven from their convent (they are Trappists one of the strictest orders of nuns)and forced to make a long journey to another convent for safety. Taking the only thing of value (a gold cross) with them, they set out on this journey, and face a world that will bring back memories for each. This journey is the focus of this grand novel. This book is vividly described and takes us around the world. Sheldon does a great job providing a wonderful story in war-torn Spain. If you love Sidney Sheldon's works or just a fantastic novel, Sheldon's THE SANDS OF TIME is a book you should read. It's well worth the money, so buy it today.

All the emotions packed in a book!

Wonderfully written, this book portraits you to a world unlike any other. That was the first book by Sidney Sheldon I read, a long time ago, and it's still my all time favorite. The story, full of twists make you seat on the edge of the chair the whole time. You suffer, laugh, run and have fun with the characters. It's the kind of book that Mr. Sheldon seem to have forgotten how to write. The adorable scenarios in Spain are only a little thing of the whole that the book shows. Believe me, reading this book it's like watching a movie, like the ones we watch and never forget and want everyone we know to watch it too. That's the way I feel about that book and I guarantee you that's the way you will feel after taking this piece with you to bed.Marco Aurelio.

Romance, adventure, excitement, betrayal. This book has it!

I have read almost all of Sheldon's books, and this one is one of my favorites. Sheldon creates 4 exciting, vivid and very different heroines and sends them on an adventure of romance, excitement, murder and betrayal set in the lush valleys, little villages and picteresque buildings of the Spanish countryside. Fun all the way! Definitely a must-read if you enjoy sweet'n'sexy all rolled into one! Appropriately named, this novel focuses on 4 nuns who are riden out of their safe and very strict convent in a little town in Spain due to an attack brought on by the Spanish Army who are searching for Basque leaders and believers; who in their eyes are terrorists. The 4 nuns set out to deliver a sacred cross to another convent, but on the way meet Jaime Miro, the charismatic Basque leader and his men. Along their journey they became friends, remember their pasts, and fall in love with the men they are forbidden to love. An excellent and exciting book!