Sandstorm by Joyce Yarrow

Publication Date: July 6, 2021

Pages: 262

Review

“Sandstorm is entertaining every step of the way.” – Independent Book Review

“Readers seeking solid urban fiction settings and the spunky but struggling character of a young adult who changes immensely through her experiences and choices will find Sandstorm the worthy and intriguing journey” – D. Donaovan, Midwest Book Review

“Sandie Donovan is a charming and damaged character, and I rooted for her from the get-go.” – Jenny Shortridge, The New York Times bestselling author of Love Water Memory

“Sandstorm is a unique and compelling coming-of-age story with an ultimate triumph-even against the greatest of odds.” – Donna Koros Stramella, author: Coffee Killed my Mother.

“A pitch-perfect, heartfelt and enthralling story of survival, coming-of-age and redemption.” – Penny Haw, author: The Wilderness Between Us.

I almost cannot contain my joy in writing this review. Sometimes you discover an author who so resonates with you, that you become a better person just for their presence in your life, via their writing. Joyce Yarrow is such an author for me.

After falling head-over-heels for her novel Zahara and the Lost Books of Light, I could not wait (no, really) to read Sandstorm. I knew without any shadow of a doubt that I would absolutely love it. What I didn’t count on, was how much Sandie’s story would become a part of me.

Sandie was raised by a flighty mother and an absent father, spending her childhood essentially an orphan. As a teenager, when life becomes more than she can handle, she embarks on a journey cross-country to track down her father and to hopefully begin a new life. What she finds is a father who basically hasn’t changed a whit, abandoning her once again. After getting past the initial shock, Sandie rolls up her shirt sleeves, and steps into a forced adulthood.

It is apparent as the story progresses, that who Sandie is, is at war with how Sandie was raised. She wants her freedom, she wants to be responsible, she wants to have a clearer head and a better future. But she grapples with the fickle tendencies learned from her parents, and begins to make less-than-wise decisions. She soon discovers that she is quick on her feet, and has a knack for transforming herself into whomever or whatever the current situation calls for. As time passes, however, we see that Sandie is made of tougher stuff than her parents before her. Where one parent was unstable, Sandie is steady. Where the other parent was never around, Sandie discovers that she is her own security. While Sandstorm is a coming-of-age novel, it is much more profound than that. It is an alluringly woven tale about a young woman’s quest to overcome her past and to discover her heart and her strength. I loved every. single. word and cannot possibly recommend this novel enough.

About the Author

Joyce Yarrow was raised in the Southeast Bronx, but escaped to Manhattan, where she wrote poetry while riding the bus through the Lower East Side. The Bus Poems were published and her writing career was launched. In addition to five published novels, Joyce’s short stories and essays have appeared in numerous national publications. Yarrow is a member of the Authors Guild and the Sisters in Crime organization.

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