Sand in My Eyes by Christine Lemmon

Synopsis from Goodreads:  An older woman growing flowers, a younger woman caught up in the weeds, and the seasons of life.

Twenty years ago, Anna Hott thought she could control everything – her crumbling marriage, her demanding children, her hectic life – by quitting her high-paced job in New York City and moving her family to tranquil Sanibel Island, Florida. But she brought her untamed emotions, her rage toward her cheating husband, and her yearning to write a novel with her. When her husband and children left the house for a week, Anna thought at last she would get her household, her novel, and her mind in order. Instead, her elderly neighbor Fedelina Aurelio knocked on her door bearing flowers and homespun wisdom, and when Fedelina’s recently divorced son arrived, Anna had a test of passions and a test of truth. Now, at 56 with an empty nest, Anna Holt pulls out the incomplete manuscript she started that memorable week and – to find closure for her life and a conclusion for her novel – travels to Indiana to visit Fedelina who lives in a nursing home.

A novel framed within a novel, Sand in My Eyes is both a story about the tension between motherhood and personal dreams as well as a story about women across generations inspiring one another to let beauty persist despite ugly circumstances.

My thoughts:  Have you heard the phrase about friendships that each one serves a particular purpose and that a friend comes into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.  I think the same can be said for books.  I kept thinking this phrase over and over as I was reading this book.  Fedelina and Anna needed one another at this particular point in their lives.  Fedelina was able to provide wisdom and insight to the younger woman.  Anna was able to ease the loneliness of the older woman.    There was so much that I liked about this story.  I think my absolute favorite parts were the life lessons learned in the garden.  I remembered to write down a few, but I'm sure that I missed some.  

Life Lessons learned in the Garden

1.  The Roses tell us to take time to recharge, you will bloom more if you do.

2.  The Daisies tell us to appreciate the simple things 

3.  Sunflowers remind us that spirituality is your stem.  Nurture it and you will stand tall.

4. Just like us, Orchids need kind words and love in order to bloom.

5.  (I can't remember the flower) flowers only have so many petals.  Keep your priorities to a minimum.

Another lesson that I found noteworthy had to do with what others thought of you.  In the passage, Fedelina's mother is out "playing" in the dirt.  Some might think that trying to grow roses was a waste of time, but she didn't.  "But you will know the difference between playing and toiling in that toiling brings forth changes in your life-even if that change is in your state of mind".  pg 145 

If you've read the book, did you find any life lessons in the garden that I haven't included?

This book provided me with some much needed insight and taught me lessons that I hope I don't forget.  I enjoyed the story within a story.   Unlike some, I found it easy to follow the change from past to present as they were broken out into chapters.  I was very happy with how the story turned out.  


I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good "escape to the beach and sort out life" kind of story.  It wasn't quite as light as Beachcombers by Nancy Thayer but still falls into the same category. 

Christine Lemmon is the author of three novels and one gift book.  Her other titles are Sanibel Scribbles, Portion of the Sea, and Whisper from the ocean.  I hope to pick up another one of her books soon.  Great summer reading. 

Disclosure:  I received my copy of Sand in My Eyes from Booksparks PR in order to participate in this blog tour.  This is my honest opinion of the book.