The Sands of Time
by Sidney Sheldon
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Four nuns, suddenly severd from the security of convent life by the turbulence of Spanish political unrest, find themselves fighting their enemies and their own desires and struggling to sustain their friendship and their lives.Tags
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No one really ever wrote a more entertaining romantic potboiler than Sidney Sheldon, and The Sands of Time is one of his best. It has loads of color and atmosphere, and characters you root for. Each divergent story-line is as interesting as the last, Sheldon's tremendous gift for storytelling on grand display here.
You won't forget nuns -- though not all are actually nuns -- Lucia, Teresa, Graciela or Megan, nor will you forget the wonderfully colorful portrait of Spain and its conflicts of the period when this was written. Like a lot of Sheldon's work, it is soapy but not so much so that we lose interest. In fact, that's actually part of its charm.
Anyone who remembers watching The Other Side of Midnight, then grabbing a copy of the show more book, knows how much fun it can be to read the master of melodrama. Sheldon's never going to make anyone forget Remarque's Three Comrades, but for sheer entertainment, you can't beat The Sands of Time. If you've got a few days at the beach, you won't be sorry you took this with you. show less
You won't forget nuns -- though not all are actually nuns -- Lucia, Teresa, Graciela or Megan, nor will you forget the wonderfully colorful portrait of Spain and its conflicts of the period when this was written. Like a lot of Sheldon's work, it is soapy but not so much so that we lose interest. In fact, that's actually part of its charm.
Anyone who remembers watching The Other Side of Midnight, then grabbing a copy of the show more book, knows how much fun it can be to read the master of melodrama. Sheldon's never going to make anyone forget Remarque's Three Comrades, but for sheer entertainment, you can't beat The Sands of Time. If you've got a few days at the beach, you won't be sorry you took this with you. show less
Set in 1970s Spain, this novel explores the fate of four nuns caught in the ongoing Basque guerrilla war to recover the autonomy they had gained under the Republic and lost under Franco. When Jaime Miro, a renowned Basque leader and revolutionary figure, is rumored to be hiding in the Cistercian Convent, Colonel Acoca from the military police orders a raid. Finding that Miro was not there, Acoca unleashes his anger on the nuns, resulting in some being raped and murdered, while the others are taken hostage. Fortunately, four nuns—Lucia, Teresa, Graciela, and Megan—manage to escape. Lost and frightened in the remote countryside, they eventually join Jaime and his small band of revolutionaries.
The narrative shifts between past and show more present, revealing each nun’s backstory as they are thrust into a world from which they have long been protected, forcing them to confront their new reality: fleeing from the police for a cause they scarcely understand. However, not all are entirely innocent. Lucia is revealed to be the ruthless daughter of a powerful mafia boss hiding in the convent after committing murder. Graciela, who entered the convent at fourteen, becomes intrigued by the danger and begins to question her faith. Megan, a nun for fifteen years, discovers a flair for drama and faces a past she cannot escape. Teresa, the oldest of the group, struggles to cope with the chaos and suffers a tragic fate.
Engaging and well-crafted, the story features a tense cat-and-mouse game between Jaime’s group and the police. Meanwhile, the evolving relationships within the revolutionary group and among the nuns add depth. The author also offers a brief history of Spain and its ongoing revolution, which persists today, intertwined with themes of faith and a touch of romance—making for a highly entertaining read. show less
The narrative shifts between past and show more present, revealing each nun’s backstory as they are thrust into a world from which they have long been protected, forcing them to confront their new reality: fleeing from the police for a cause they scarcely understand. However, not all are entirely innocent. Lucia is revealed to be the ruthless daughter of a powerful mafia boss hiding in the convent after committing murder. Graciela, who entered the convent at fourteen, becomes intrigued by the danger and begins to question her faith. Megan, a nun for fifteen years, discovers a flair for drama and faces a past she cannot escape. Teresa, the oldest of the group, struggles to cope with the chaos and suffers a tragic fate.
Engaging and well-crafted, the story features a tense cat-and-mouse game between Jaime’s group and the police. Meanwhile, the evolving relationships within the revolutionary group and among the nuns add depth. The author also offers a brief history of Spain and its ongoing revolution, which persists today, intertwined with themes of faith and a touch of romance—making for a highly entertaining read. show less
"The Sands of Time" by Sidney Sheldon delivers an action-packed, original story. The plot was well written and the characters were interesting. The story involves the lives of four cloistered nuns who are forced to flee their Spanish convent. For the most part, Megan, Lucia, Graciela and Teresa have come to appreciate their secure and predictable surroundings in the convent. Some of them have not stepped into the "real" world in 30 years. Each has their own background and story to tell. Who should they trust, Jaime Miro the head of the outlawed Basque underground movement, or Colonel Ramon Acoca, the commander of the Spanish army?
This novel was definitely a page-turner. The only reason for 4 starts instead of 5, was due to the graphic show more violence. Would I recommend this novel? Definitely! show less
This novel was definitely a page-turner. The only reason for 4 starts instead of 5, was due to the graphic show more violence. Would I recommend this novel? Definitely! show less
"The Sands of Time" by Sidney Sheldon delivers an action-packed, original story. The plot was well written and the characters were interesting. The story involves the lives of four cloistered nuns who are forced to flee their Spanish convent. For the most part, Megan, Lucia, Graciela and Teresa have come to appreciate their secure and predictable surroundings in the convent. Some of them have not stepped into the "real" world in 30 years. Each has their own background and story to tell. Who should they trust, Jaime Miro the head of the outlawed Basque underground movement, or Colonel Ramon Acoca, the commander of the Spanish army?
This novel was definitely a page-turner. The only reason for 4 starts instead of 5, was due to the graphic show more violence. Would I recommend this novel? Definitely! show less
This novel was definitely a page-turner. The only reason for 4 starts instead of 5, was due to the graphic show more violence. Would I recommend this novel? Definitely! show less
This book has a very original plot and is well written. At some points it is a true page turner and I enjoyed the complexity. Unfortunately, the same complexity called for some improbably situations that I found annoying. After the long and detailed descriptions in the book, I was surprised that the ending was so hurried - as if the author had had enough and wanted out. That was a pity. My other surprise was the large number of typos in the Kindle edition - but that is obviously not the author's fault. Overall, and enjoyable read.
One of the best from Sidney Sheldon. It's a historical fiction piece, told by four nuns in a convent that is in Basque country that inadvertingly get caught up with a revolutionary freedom fighter nationalist named Jaime Miro.
Megan is the American orphan that hasn't discovered her true origins.
Lucia is the Italian femme fatale, a daughter of a slain mafioso chief who is on the run for killing the man responsible for his death.
Teresa, a die hard nun driven to the convent due to her own insecurities of her beauty and a betrayal from her sister.
Graciela, another die hard nun that embraces the convent because she was abused by her mother for being more beautiful than her, and eventually sleeping with one of her mother's men.
Rubio, Jaime's show more right hand man that falls madly in love for Lucia.
Acoca, a die hard military nutjob that gets his rocks off torturing any and everybody trying to find Jaime.
It's a twist and turn tale that never runs out of steam. show less
Megan is the American orphan that hasn't discovered her true origins.
Lucia is the Italian femme fatale, a daughter of a slain mafioso chief who is on the run for killing the man responsible for his death.
Teresa, a die hard nun driven to the convent due to her own insecurities of her beauty and a betrayal from her sister.
Graciela, another die hard nun that embraces the convent because she was abused by her mother for being more beautiful than her, and eventually sleeping with one of her mother's men.
Rubio, Jaime's show more right hand man that falls madly in love for Lucia.
Acoca, a die hard military nutjob that gets his rocks off torturing any and everybody trying to find Jaime.
It's a twist and turn tale that never runs out of steam. show less
Very entertainig and made me travel to Spain and the Vasque country in a very chaotic time. Also, I myself find spiritual relief in religion so I understand how these troubled women give up this world and go to the convent, then when faced with the world again but with other people and situations they decide to leave the convent and live in this world and love. Pasionate, spiritual, raw.
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Born in Chicago on February 11, 1917, Sidney Sheldon entered Northwestern University on a scholarship in 1935, but was soon forced to drop out due to the Depression. He went to Manhattan in hopes of becoming a songwriter, but decided to try the west coast where he was hired as a script reader by Universal Studios. He had managed to break into show more screenwriting on a modest basis when World War II broke out. After he was discharged from the Air Force for medical reasons, he began to write musicals and comedies for the New York stage. At the age of 25, he had three musicals playing on Broadway-- Merry Widow, Jackpot, and Dream with Music. He went on to win a Tony Award for the musical Redhead. Sheldon eventually returned to Hollywood and spent 12 years as a successful screenwriter at both MGM Studios and Paramount Pictures. His acclaim as a screenwriter was capped by the Oscar he won for the screenplay of The Bachelor and the Bobbysoxer (1947). He wrote 25 films during his lifetime including Jumbo and Anything Goes. He won a Screen Writers Guild Award for best musical of the year for Easter Parade in 1948 and for Annie Get Your Gun in 1950. He also wrote and produced several successful television series, including The Patty Duke Show, I Dream of Jeannie, and Hart to Hart. One of the world's best-selling writers, Sheldon decided to try writing a novel when he got an idea that he could not adapt to a play or a screenplay. His first novel, The Naked Face, won an Edgar for the best mystery novel of 1970. He wrote numerous novels during his lifetime including The Other Side of Midnight, Bloodline, Rage of Angels, If Tomorrow Comes, Windmills of the Gods, and Tell Me Your Dreams. He died on January 30, 2007. His title Sidney Sheldon's Angel of the Dark made The New York Times Best Seller List for 2012. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Goldmann (42887)
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title*
- Die Mühlen Gottes
- Original title
- The Sands of Time
- Original publication date
- 1988
- People/Characters
- Colonel Ramón Acoca; Jaime Miró; Lucia; Rubio Arzano; Graciella; Ricardo (show all 8); Megan; Teresa
- Important places
- Spain; Basque Country, Spain
- Related movies
- The Sands of Time (1992 | IMDb)
- Epigraph
- Lives of great men all remind us/We can make our lives sublime,/And, departing, leave behind us/Footprints on the Sands of Time. - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
The dead do not need to rise. They are part of the ... (show all)earth now and the earth can never be conquered for the earth endures forever, it will outlive all systems of tyranny. Those who have entered it honourably, and no men entered earth more honourably than those who died in Spain, have already achieved immortality. - Ernest Hemingway - Dedication
- To Frances Gordon, with love.
- First words
- If the plan goes wrong, we will all die.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)It was accepted as a miracle.
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
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