Secret of the Sands

by Sara Sheridan

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.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Romance, Historical, Fiction, Middle East, Historical Romance, Adventure

448 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Born in Edinburgh. I'm a complete swot - love books always have! Currently obsessed with late Georgian/ early Victorian culture, the subject of several of my novels, and with 1950s Britain for my Mirabelle Bevan murder mystery series set across the UK - and even one in Paris. Occasionally write tie-in books for historical dramas on TV, children's picture books and short stories, mostly for charitable causes.

Reviews

[HÜLYA]

Başlarda çok duragandi hikayeye bir türlü giremedim ama sonra büyük bir zevk ile okudum...

[Gayle Beveridge-Marien]

This random selection was quite a surprise. The tale is set in the early 1800's, grounded in actual events and around actual people. The author spins and interesting and exotic tale in the Arabain desert. The central hero, a British naval officer is suppoted by a cast of interesting and sometimes colourful characters. The ecclectic mix of adventure, exploration, slave trading, heroism, commerce, and of course a love interst make this book hard to put down. The central character Lieutenant James Wellstead, focussed on finding fame and fortune, sets out on a journey to rescue fellow shipmates kidnapped and held in the deseert. His reluctant guides are slave traders, apppointed to him by the sultan. His travelling companion, a beautiful Abyssinian slave girl who captures his heart.

I did not realise until I finished the book, which I thoroughly enjoyed, that I had read this author before. As was the case with this book, I had chosen the Secret Mandarin quite randomly. Both Secret of the Sands and The Secret Mandarin are riveting reading, they transport the reader to a distant time and place. This is escapism at its best.

[Cats 274]

Prava je umjetnost ispričati takvu potencijalno zanimljivu i uzbudljivu priču na tako dosadan i plitak način. Šteta.

[Juliet Wilson]

I was delighted to attend the recent launch of Sara Sheridan's new novel Secret of the Sands, as I had so enjoyed her earlier novel The Secret Mandarin.

Secret of the Sands is set in 1833. Lieutenant James Wellstead is travelling into the interior of the Arabian peninsula to find two of his shipmates who went missing on a surveillance trip.

In parallel the novel also follows the story of Zena, an Abyssinian slave girl bought by a desperate father to tempt his gay son into some semblance of heterosexuality. Zena and her master find a way to fooh his father and the household into thinking they are having a romantic relationship. Later, her master loses her in a gamble and she finds herself owned by Wellstead.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. The setting is evoked beautifully and vividly and the characters and their relationships are well drawn. The issues of slavery and human rights are woven seamlessly into the story, so the reader is made to think about them without feeling as though we're being preached at. The characters of Wellstead and Zena are based on historical characters but the novel is a fictionalisation around the known historical facts. This is something that can annoy me if its not done well, but here (and in The Secret Mandarin) the historical facts feel to be respected within the telling of the story.

[dancewbooks]

U ovoj knjizi priča više ljudi svoju priču. Po opisu mi je zvučalo jako zanimljivo, ali zapravo mi je većinom bilo dosadno. Zanimljiva su mi bila jedino poglavlja kad je Zena pričala svoju priču i možda neko poglavlje gdje je Wellsted pričao. Drago mi je što je Wellsted oslobodio Zenu i što su na kraju zajedno. Na kraju je bilješka o povijesti, nije previše bitna za pročitati, ali saznamo da je većina likova stvarno postojala kao i većina događaja, samo što ih je autorica malo promijenila. Ima dosta nepoznatih riječi koja su vjerojatno na arapskom, nisam sigurna, uglavnom bilo bi dobro da su napravili riječnik na kraju gdje bi objasnili te riječi, ali ga nema. Većinom sam sama shvatila značenje tih nekih riječi koje nisu preveli, ali za neke nisam shvatila.
Sve u svemu, mislim da ova knjiga nije ništa posebno. Vjerujem da ima sličnih knjiga koje su zanimljivije. Mislim da neću preporučiti, ali vi možete pročitati ako želite!

[Ivona]

Zanimljiva neobična povijesna novela o Jamesu Wallstedu (Britanac, geodet koji radi za Britansku ratnu mornaricu) i Zeni (ropkinja). Vrlo su detaljni opisi pejzaža i arapskih običaja. Opisuju se događaji iz 1833. godine kada je bila borba između Velike Britanije i Francuske za Arapski poluotok.
Svidjelo mi se kako su prikazane dvije žene: Zena kao iznimno jaka žena koja je sama usred pustinje pobjegla od "svojih vlasnika" i Farida.
U epilogu se otkriva da su neki likovi bili stvarne osobe te je Sara Sheridan na kraju objasnila otkud ideja za likove i tada se u potpunosti vidi smisao djela.
4* budući da se radnja odvija presporo

[Dijana Čop Nešić]

Sara Šeridan-Stihovi u pesku

Ova knjiga vodi nas na putovanje kroz misteriozni i egzotični svet Arapskog poluostrva u 19. veku, gde se isprepliću istorija, avantura i složeni ljudski odnosi. Kako izgleda život u vremenu i mestu gde sloboda ima drugačije značenje, a sudbine su često u rukama drugih?
Knjiga postavlja pitanja o pravdi, identitetu i hrabrosti – može li jedna veza promeniti tok života u svetu punom prepreka i neizvesnosti?

Iako nije previše dinamična, priča uspeva da dočara bogatstvo kulture i atmosfere tog doba, sa zanimljivim likovima čije su priče isprepletene na neočekivane načine. A tu su i zaista intrigantni šapati koje pesak skriva.

Solidna i pažljivo istražena, ova knjiga može biti pravi izbor za one koji vole istorijsku fikciju sa primesama romantike i društvenih tema. Za one koji traže avanturu u dalekim krajevima i slojevite likove, knjiga nudi ti priliku za lagano putovanje kroz vreme.
Stihovi u pesku je roman koji nas uvodi u tihe slojeve istorije, tamo gde pustinja ne skriva samo tragove stopa, već i ljudske tajne, čežnje i izbore. Ova priča pulsira između istine i iluzije, slobode i pripadnosti, dužnosti i srca.

U ovom svetu, gde se sve meri čašću, zakonima koje pišu drugi i tišinom noći, likovi se oblikuju u borbi sa sobom i okolnostima. Tajne peska ne žure - one se otkrivaju polako, kroz odnose, poglede, reči koje se ne izgovaraju.
Roman postavlja pitanja: Šta znači biti slobodan? Gde je granica između prilagođavanja i izdaje sebe? Da li je moguće pronaći istinu u svetu gde je sve obavijeno slojevima interesa, običaja i očekivanja?

Za ljubitelje istorijske fikcije koji vole kada ih knjiga vodi izvan poznatih okvira, i kada priča ostavlja trag ne u brzini dešavanja, već u atmosferi i osećaju, Tajne peska su tih, ali postojan poziv da se zakorači u jedan drugačiji svet – i da se tamo, možda, pronađe deo sebe.
A sigurna sam da ovo leto baš fali jedna ovakva avantura puna intriga, spletki, ali i ljubavi koja dolazi iznenadno, da upotpuni doživljaj . Lično sam veliki ljubitelj arapskih predela, opsia, istorije i jezika pa sam se tako i stopila sa ovom knjigom koja se jako brzo čita jer je vrlo pitko i interesantno napisana, i vuče vas kroz dobru priču.

[Calum]

If you like reading historical fiction, then ‘Secret of the Sands’ by Sara Sheridan is a book well worth seeking out. Set in the 1800’s, what makes this book some what different and attractive, is that this historical adventure and romance, is actually set in the geographical region of the Arabian Peninsula.

The historical elements within this book have been very well researched by the author. The story provides the reader with a clear and vividly descriptive picture of the Arabian Peninsula during this period in history, the work of a Royal Navy survey ship in this area, the relationships found within the ship's crew, and the brutality of slavery which had been abolished, but which was still rife within this region.

It is within this very rich context, that the story of a harsh adventure and a probable socially and professionally forbidden type of romance for that period in time, is told. As a reader you can almost imagine yourself in the desert with the main characters of this story as it unfolds. The scenes are described so well within this book, that you can actually feel the atmosphere that has been created within this fascinating tale, as well as almost smell the goods that are for sale in the oriental markets of Muscat!

‘Secret of the Sands’ is a very enjoyable and historically accurate book that really 'drew me in', as the story developed. I think that this book may well be a possible strong contender for a historical romance book award this year. We shall have to wait and see!

[Ruci Tukana]

Like Gina Nahai's 'Cry of the Peacock', 'Secret of the Sands' moves me. The lush description of nature, the sea, the desert, the
veiled women are so intriguing. The streets of Muscat, the people as well as the travellers are lively. (My kind of historical fiction.)The slave trade is explicitly told.
Characters:
Sheridan investigates her characters thoroughly. The use of Arabic phrases and words make them alive. The beginning was a bit boring but Xena and Wellstead keep the story rolling. An unimaginable romance- a white master and her black slave.
How I thumb on the pages of this novel is how the these two different characters unfold in the story. They both have the will. The will to love, the will to defend each other and the will to become one.
Insight:
Zena or Xena deserves her freedom. She fights for it. Wellstead joins in .
It would be marvelous to see both of them trotting the globe.!

[Shari]

It's been a while since I read a novel that evokes a romantic and yet dangerous image of the Arabian Peninsula during the 19th century. The prose of this books is wonderful, lyrical and vivid. The setting just jumps out of the pages - the souk, the desert and the harim. The story of Zena and Wellstead is romantic - slave and slave-owner falling for each other and would do everything to be together again when separated. But this romantic part is just a part of this novel. Secret of the Sands is more a historical fiction than a romance. Several stories, in fact, are narrated in the novel and each would have made an exciting read. Honestly, it is Farida's story that I found more intriguing��.

The epilogue reveals that some of the characters here were real. Wellstead's real life just made me feel sad after reading it.

[Nicola Simmons]

This book was recommended by a friend. I wasn't too sure if it would be my cup of tea because normally we have different tastes in books. But I was totally surprised I loved it from the start set in the 19th century. Sara Sheridan uses historical figures interacting with fictional ones to create this exciting and thought-provoking read.

Set in the sweeping sands of Arabia, two very different characters cross paths with tender loving and dangerous results. The two characters are Lt James Wellstead, a Naval Officer wanting to make his mark. The other is Zena, a feisty 17 year old who finds herself taken from her country and forced into slavery.

[Alison]

4.5 stars. This is my first journey in the literary world of Sara Sheridan and certainly not my last. I was pleasantly surprised by this kind of historical fiction and it took me to far away places, teaching me about places and customs I was not that accustomed to. Loved the writing, descriptive without ever verging on the boring stuff, sometimes slightly comedic but still giving out that dramatic vibe, giving the reader a wonderful glimpse into the scents and sights of Arabia. I liked most of the characters and was surprised to realise that most of them have existed in real life.

[Colin Macaulay]

I enjoyed this story very much. It has an exotic location and characters from a variety of backgrounds with different motives and objectives bound up in a fascinating adventure/romance plot which was nicely thought out. There is no real attempt to exploit the emotional depths that might have been fertile ground for a deeper work, but I would recommend it as an engrossing read that does not challenge the reader overmuch.

[Sandra Irwin]

I live in Oman and found this interesting from that perpestive. The central romance is strangely believeable as Sheridan has them as strong characters. Personally I don't like real peoples names being used in faction and maybe the names of Wellstead and Jessop should have been changed. My favorite character was Farida.

[Tea]

3.5/5
Iskreno sam mislila po reviews da ce bit meh, ali je zapravo jako zanimljiva knjiga, više mi je povijesna nego nešto romantična i uz to je prepricavanje( uz puno uzimanja slobode od strane autorice) ekspedicije stvarnih ljudi, pa je to uvijek fun jer me podsjeti da i mi sami nekad nadopunio stvari koje ne znamo nekim ludim pričama.

[Chris Stanley]

This is a good, historical, adventure romance. Quite unusual, well researched and written.

[Suzanne]

An easy to read book, based on historical facts.

[Marie-Antoinette]

Sadly this was not a book that I enjoyed. It is not my cup of tea. Others might enjoy it, but I didn't.

[Erin]

I didn’t finish it, 100 pages in and it felt like it was going nowhere, moving at a snails pace.

Just not my style of book.

[Ape]

Really enjoyed this one - much recommended. It's historical fiction - a lot of history and historical figures with a storyline that never quite happened. But why let the facts get in the way of a good story? It's a great adventure story, very evocative of what I might imagine of the middle east in the early 1800s, and the great exploring age of that time kicking off.
The Brits have just abolished slavery but everyone else is still at it, and in fact the tale starts with Arabian slave traders raiding a village in Abyssinia (Ethiopia now?) which is where we pick up our first character, Zena, who is an educated girl with a bit of spirit whose very sense of self and balance is thrown out the window as she becomes a slave (as it would with any one). We also have the East India Trading Co and the British government pondering on getting from India to the UK quicker than having to sail all around Africa (the Suez canal hadn't been dug at this point) so they are sending exploration missions out into the desert of Arabia - the Empty Quarter as it's known, one of the toughest deserts in the world - which is all good and well, but a misunderstanding over a well meant gesture, sees two naval officers taken hostage, and a rescue mission needs to be set up. Lt Wellstead comes in to get the mission going, and enter into a more optimistic storyline of his own life (Although I did appreciate the historical note of reality at the end. And the fact that she included a map! I do love a map). These characters, along with others, come together to enter this mission into the desert, and live the Bedu life for some weeks. It is simply, a good old historical adventure story. I really don't think the cover, or possibly even the title do it justice, as it makes it look like it'll just be some twee gasping romance. And it's so much more.

[Ruza Minić]

читање оваквих књига је губљење времена. Прочитам препоруке са последње стране, узмем књигу...бзв

[Patricia Docker]

Black slave girl blond British soldier fall in love. Enjoyed.

[Margob99]

Thumping good read; thoroughly enjoyed it!

[Kathryn]

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.

[AvonBooksUK]

1833 – the British Navy are conducting a survey of the Arabian Peninsula – in the scramble for global dominance, every advantage to be had over the French is vital if the British are to secure their presence in the area.
Meanwhile, as slavery is coming to the end of its diabolical reign in Europe, the trade sees no sign of abating in Arabia. 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 of His Majesty’s Navy is determined that his time aboard HM 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 leading a daring rescue mission into dangerous and forbidding territory. Thrown together by chance, master and slave are drawn ever closer, but despite her growing feelings towards him, Zena yearns to be free. 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.

[Sanja]

Adventure/love book. Tells the story about James Wellsted and his black slave Zena. What fascinated me, was history and Arabic mores that were explained really well. Especially if your meeting with that kind of novel for the first time. Also liked the fact that Sara Sheridan investigated real persons and made a book about real travels and people. She made something up, for sure, but that is the point of writing. :)
Events are happening in early 19 century, when Britain fought a war with France over the Arabic territory and rights to sail, shop and sell people. As reader, you can experience the horror one must have went trough being captivated, torn from their family and than sold to serve as slave. You can see how much money has been made than and can coordinate it to today times. Human trafficking, smuggling etc.
James Wellsted was working for British royal army and traveled a lot in those period. Came across beautiful young lady Zena, that was torn from her family and sold as a slave.
In my opinion, it is a nice reading while relaxing, without any deep thinking, just flowing easily.

[Kristina]

This book is written in a manner which is very different from everything I've gotten used to,
but it is in fact the unique voice and attitude that made the reading experience extremely gratifying. I enjoyed this book so much as it contains a good mixture of narrative modes. Plus, although in some parts it gets prolix, the wording and phrasing are just so beautiful that I dare say it is elegant in its verbosity.

Secret of the Sands is definitely one great "faction" and I would recommend this to historical fiction fans.

[Michael Graeme]

I enjoyed this story very much, having been won over by the author's earlier novel "The Secret Mandarin". As with that earlier earlier story, Sara takes an historically authentic character, a Victorian explorer, and weaves in a fictional tale of love and high adventure. I thought all the characters were lovingly and brilliantly brought to life and the story compelling - a very fine adventure with a tremendous sense of place and time.

[penelopewanders]

This is an interesting piece on a time and place about which I've read relatively little fiction. Thanks to a bookcrossing spiral on slavery I had read a fair amount of non-fiction on certain aspects of this, but I very much enjoyed this somewhat different perspective. I wasn't familiar with this author at all, and greatly appreciated the book.

[Stephen]

really enjoyed this book slow to start off and sara sheridan is gradually earning herself the master of victorian/19th century historical fiction and really look forward to her next book especially in the same vein