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A review by theliterati_list
Picture in the Sand by Peter Blauner
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This historical fiction novel begins in present day with an email from teen, Alex, telling his family he will not be fulfilling their American dream for him by attending college, but instead has run off to the middle east, land of his ancestry, where he believes his "soul of a warrior" truly belongs. It is clear Alex, who now wants to be called Abu Suror, has become mixed up with Jihadists. In an attempt to reconnect, his grandfather, Ali, begins a series of email exchanges, telling Alex the tale of his own youth in Egypt, where he too started off on a path with a bright future before getting mixed up with religious fundamentalists decades earlier.
We follow the story of Ali in the 1950s, who is a movie buff and finds employment on the set of "The Ten Commandments" when Cecil B. DeMille arrives in Egypt to film. The grandeur of the production is contrasted by the darkness of the political upheaval happening in the country at that time, and Ali finds himself caught in the middle. As tensions escalate he is torn between his love of film and his dreams of a future in the West and his loyalty to his family and religion. A love interest further complicates things.
As Grandfather Ali shares his story through emails we see Alex begin to have some of the same shadows of misgivings in current day that his grandfather had during his time in Egypt. Their stories, though playing out decades apart, mirror each other in many ways. Both young men were passionate about their cause, but were haunted by the a deep moral fortitude to do the right thing and not see innocent people hurt.
I was lucky enough to get to speak with author Peter Blauner when he visited St. Louis in January. The historical subject matter in this book was extensively researched by him for years, and it shows in the novel. Fans of historical fiction will be greatly rewarded by the detailed account of the spectacle that Cecil B. DeMille brought to Egypt while filming "The Ten Commandments", as well as an intimate look at both sides of the political battle that was happening in the country at that time. The ability of this book to completely immerse you in another place and time is absolutely its strength.
With a story centered around such a strong political/historical event I did feel like the character development was a bit eclipsed. I just never felt the depth there and much of the interactions between the characters felt mechanical. I was particularly disappointed in the love interest between Ali and Mona. Ali's passion and longing for Mona never really read as very deep or genuine, whether he was pining after her or being spurned by her, it just fell flat. It seemed that the relationship between the two acted mainly as a catalyst to provoke him into making radical decisions to serve the plot, without much other substance there.
Altogether, I would say lackluster characters, but good plot and interesting historical subject that hasn't already been exhaustively covered in the genre. I would definitely recommend for all fans of historical fiction.
We follow the story of Ali in the 1950s, who is a movie buff and finds employment on the set of "The Ten Commandments" when Cecil B. DeMille arrives in Egypt to film. The grandeur of the production is contrasted by the darkness of the political upheaval happening in the country at that time, and Ali finds himself caught in the middle. As tensions escalate he is torn between his love of film and his dreams of a future in the West and his loyalty to his family and religion. A love interest further complicates things.
As Grandfather Ali shares his story through emails we see Alex begin to have some of the same shadows of misgivings in current day that his grandfather had during his time in Egypt. Their stories, though playing out decades apart, mirror each other in many ways. Both young men were passionate about their cause, but were haunted by the a deep moral fortitude to do the right thing and not see innocent people hurt.
I was lucky enough to get to speak with author Peter Blauner when he visited St. Louis in January. The historical subject matter in this book was extensively researched by him for years, and it shows in the novel. Fans of historical fiction will be greatly rewarded by the detailed account of the spectacle that Cecil B. DeMille brought to Egypt while filming "The Ten Commandments", as well as an intimate look at both sides of the political battle that was happening in the country at that time. The ability of this book to completely immerse you in another place and time is absolutely its strength.
With a story centered around such a strong political/historical event I did feel like the character development was a bit eclipsed. I just never felt the depth there and much of the interactions between the characters felt mechanical. I was particularly disappointed in the love interest between Ali and Mona. Ali's passion and longing for Mona never really read as very deep or genuine, whether he was pining after her or being spurned by her, it just fell flat. It seemed that the relationship between the two acted mainly as a catalyst to provoke him into making radical decisions to serve the plot, without much other substance there.
Altogether, I would say lackluster characters, but good plot and interesting historical subject that hasn't already been exhaustively covered in the genre. I would definitely recommend for all fans of historical fiction.