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Sand
The desert works its magic on a wounded heart.
"Come and see my shining palace built upon the sand."
Andrew Parks has come to Syria to escape potential disgrace in Edwardian England, burying past heartache and scandal among the tombs. Charles Cusiter has travelled here more reluctantly, as chaperone to a friend whose fondness for the opposite sex gets him into too much trouble at home. Out in the desert there aren't any women to turn Bernard's head -- just the ubiquitous sand.
The desert works its magic on Charles, softening his heart. Not even a potentially fatal scorpion sting can overcome the power this strange land exerts
"Come and see my shining palace built upon the sand."
Andrew Parks has come to Syria to escape potential disgrace in Edwardian England, burying past heartache and scandal among the tombs. Charles Cusiter has travelled here more reluctantly, as chaperone to a friend whose fondness for the opposite sex gets him into too much trouble at home. Out in the desert there aren't any women to turn Bernard's head -- just the ubiquitous sand.
The desert works its magic on Charles, softening his heart. Not even a potentially fatal scorpion sting can overcome the power this strange land exerts
- GenresHistorical
ebook
First published May 23, 2010
1 person is currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
Charlie Cochrane
86 books373 followersBecause Charlie Cochrane couldn't be trusted to do any of her jobs of choice—like managing a rugby team—she writes. Her mystery novels include the Edwardian era Cambridge Fellows series, series, and the contemporary Best Corpse for the Job. Multi-published, she has titles with Carina, Samhain, Riptide and Bold Strokes, among others.
A member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, Mystery People and International Thriller Writers Inc, Charlie regularly appears at literary festivals and at reader and author conferences with The Deadly Dames.
A member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, Mystery People and International Thriller Writers Inc, Charlie regularly appears at literary festivals and at reader and author conferences with The Deadly Dames.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 2, 2014
Such a sweet story. This harks back to the days where an indicretion could be covered up by a period of absence, instead of being splashed all over the gutter press, and indiscretions included being seen with the wrong class of girl!
Young Bernard Mottram has been a silly boy so his mother sends him abroad under the care of aspiring writer Charles Cusiter - possibly because Mrs Mottram senses that Charles' interest in girls is purely platonic and he'll be guaranteed to keep her boy out of the bordellos.
Charles' wry, witty and acerbic voice describes their journey east to the archaeological digs of Egypt and his utter hatred of the desert, camels and, above all, sand. But on seeing the director of one dig, Charles undergoes a change of heart.
A short but satisfying read. I would love to see more about these characters but the story is good as it is.
Young Bernard Mottram has been a silly boy so his mother sends him abroad under the care of aspiring writer Charles Cusiter - possibly because Mrs Mottram senses that Charles' interest in girls is purely platonic and he'll be guaranteed to keep her boy out of the bordellos.
Charles' wry, witty and acerbic voice describes their journey east to the archaeological digs of Egypt and his utter hatred of the desert, camels and, above all, sand. But on seeing the director of one dig, Charles undergoes a change of heart.
A short but satisfying read. I would love to see more about these characters but the story is good as it is.
August 22, 2014
Those of you familiar with Charlie Cochrane’s backlist will undoubtedly perk up when I mention her Cambridge Fellows Mystery series. Smart, elegant, witty, and quintessentially British, those books have always been my personal benchmark when it comes to historical gay fiction / romance. I haven’t read anything else from her since Lessons for Suspicious Minds and am only now trying to make up for lost time with Sand – and it appears I’m way behind on her catalogue.
Sand is a novelette, written in a style that’s quite different from what I’m used to seeing in Cochrane’s Cambridge Fellows series. At around 13,000 words long, the story is more about beginnings than anything else. Not that it’s a bad thing, mind you, but if you’re expecting a rich exploration of gay relationships in a different era from ours, you won’t find it here. That said, Sand is still a beautifully written and surprisingly melancholy story about two men who find love in the most unexpected place.
Don’t let “melancholy” put you off. That’s really more in reference to the loneliness our two heroes feel – the usual isolation from the rest of society, made all the more potent when Charles’ need for love is juxtaposed with Bernard’s out-and-out clueless, reckless, and never-ending attachments to women. While the former is painfully suppressed to avoid prosecution (and persecution), the latter is not only tolerated and accepted, but also cynically used for monetary gain and several steps up the social ladder.
The growing closeness between Andrew and Charles is subtly handled, and there are quite a number of unspoken moments throughout the story. In typical Charlie Cochrane manner, those unspoken moments enrich the plot because they allow the reader to make those connections him/herself, which only add to a deeper appreciation of the story. The turning point of their closeness, however, is a bit of a cliché in the sense that a life-or-death situation is what inevitably forces them to confront truths more quickly and move forward with what they now have. I wish, I admit, that a different catalyst were used instead because this particular trope diminishes the quality of the story somewhat. Not much, but it still does.
Finally, there’s a certain elegiac undercurrent to Sand – it might just be me, and I’m waxing philosophical here, but because of the truncated length, the yearning and loneliness, as well as the quiet hope for a happy future together, seem to be magnified. There’s no easy, clever banter going back and forth a la Jonty and Orlando; there are only quiet admissions and growing love expressed in fleeting touches. And because this novelette is about beginnings, it does leave me wishing for more. Then again, I suppose Jonty and Orlando have spoiled me rotten – though I’m not complaining.
A quick, recommended read.
Sand is a novelette, written in a style that’s quite different from what I’m used to seeing in Cochrane’s Cambridge Fellows series. At around 13,000 words long, the story is more about beginnings than anything else. Not that it’s a bad thing, mind you, but if you’re expecting a rich exploration of gay relationships in a different era from ours, you won’t find it here. That said, Sand is still a beautifully written and surprisingly melancholy story about two men who find love in the most unexpected place.
Don’t let “melancholy” put you off. That’s really more in reference to the loneliness our two heroes feel – the usual isolation from the rest of society, made all the more potent when Charles’ need for love is juxtaposed with Bernard’s out-and-out clueless, reckless, and never-ending attachments to women. While the former is painfully suppressed to avoid prosecution (and persecution), the latter is not only tolerated and accepted, but also cynically used for monetary gain and several steps up the social ladder.
The growing closeness between Andrew and Charles is subtly handled, and there are quite a number of unspoken moments throughout the story. In typical Charlie Cochrane manner, those unspoken moments enrich the plot because they allow the reader to make those connections him/herself, which only add to a deeper appreciation of the story. The turning point of their closeness, however, is a bit of a cliché in the sense that a life-or-death situation is what inevitably forces them to confront truths more quickly and move forward with what they now have. I wish, I admit, that a different catalyst were used instead because this particular trope diminishes the quality of the story somewhat. Not much, but it still does.
Finally, there’s a certain elegiac undercurrent to Sand – it might just be me, and I’m waxing philosophical here, but because of the truncated length, the yearning and loneliness, as well as the quiet hope for a happy future together, seem to be magnified. There’s no easy, clever banter going back and forth a la Jonty and Orlando; there are only quiet admissions and growing love expressed in fleeting touches. And because this novelette is about beginnings, it does leave me wishing for more. Then again, I suppose Jonty and Orlando have spoiled me rotten – though I’m not complaining.
A quick, recommended read.
September 4, 2014
Charles Cusiter is an aspiring author in need of a paying job to cover the bills. When the opportunity presents itself for him to chaperone an overzealous young man to Egypt at his mother’s behest, for which he will be paid quite nicely, Charles hesitantly agrees. In a small settlement that is lacking the female persuasion, much too young Bernard’s chagrin, there is one man in particular that catches Charles’s eye.
Andrew Parks is an archaeologist that left England to avoid a scandal back home because he prefers the company of men, to that of women. He and Charles are quite smitten with each other from the start, but it’s not until Charles falls victim to the possibly deadly sting of a scorpion that the two act on their mutual attraction. The old adage about Sand working its way into every crevice, takes on an entirely new meaning in this short story!
This was just a fast, fun read full of old world prim and proper verbiage. The dialogue is all about elegance and the backdrop is the sand dune desert of Egypt. Charles would rather be anywhere but here. He hates the desert, the camels and especially the sand. But he does enjoy Andrew, and hopes that their simple stares and quiet touches will lead to something more.
This isn’t one of those short, steamy stories as the two are just getting to know each other at the end. But enough of a story was told to wet my appetite, and I hope to see more for Charlie and Andrew in the future.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Andrew Parks is an archaeologist that left England to avoid a scandal back home because he prefers the company of men, to that of women. He and Charles are quite smitten with each other from the start, but it’s not until Charles falls victim to the possibly deadly sting of a scorpion that the two act on their mutual attraction. The old adage about Sand working its way into every crevice, takes on an entirely new meaning in this short story!
This was just a fast, fun read full of old world prim and proper verbiage. The dialogue is all about elegance and the backdrop is the sand dune desert of Egypt. Charles would rather be anywhere but here. He hates the desert, the camels and especially the sand. But he does enjoy Andrew, and hopes that their simple stares and quiet touches will lead to something more.
This isn’t one of those short, steamy stories as the two are just getting to know each other at the end. But enough of a story was told to wet my appetite, and I hope to see more for Charlie and Andrew in the future.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
August 30, 2014
My only problem with this book is: Why is it so short a story!? I love Charles and Andrew, there should be some more of their courtship.
Given how Charles dislike the smell of Camel and baffled at the way sand got even to his most covered limb (honestly, Charles, you were staying in a desert country, whaddya expect!
Given how Charles dislike the smell of Camel and baffled at the way sand got even to his most covered limb (honestly, Charles, you were staying in a desert country, whaddya expect!
July 29, 2014
A lovely story, review coming soon
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews