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Sand in My Eyes

by Christine Lemmon (Goodreads Author)

3.62 of 5 stars 3.62 · rating details · 61 ratings · 22 reviews

Twenty years ago, Anna Hott thought she could control everything -- her crumbling marriage, her demanding children, her hectic life -- by quitting her high-placed 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 hus...more

Paperback, 353 pages

Published July 1st 2010 by Penmark Publishing (first published January 15th 2001)

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Sep 30, 2010 Nicole Henke rated it 5 of 5 stars

Sand in My Eyes is a story about difficulties and stress of motherhood, and how personal dreams get placed on hold when children come into a marriage. I love how the author interweaved the meanings of flowers into stories of everyday life. I will never look at an orchid the same: " there are more varities of orchids than any other flower in the world., and you've got to know what type of variety you are dealing with in order to care for it properly..and like orchids,one must be aware of whom she...more

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Jul 28, 2010 Kristi (Books and Needlepoint) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs

Fairly early in Anna's marriage, she discovers that her husband has had an affair. Believing that a change of scenery, and getting her husband away from his co-worker with whom he cheated, she quits her high power publishing job and moves her family to Florida, to a house on stilts. She has always wanted to write a novel and figures now is a good time to start.

New to the stay-at-home-scene she is overwhelmed by the demands of twin boys and a little girl. Feeling like all she does is clean the h...more Fairly early in Anna's marriage, she discovers that her husband has had an affair. Believing that a change of scenery, and getting her husband away from his co-worker with whom he cheated, she quits her high power publishing job and moves her family to Florida, to a house on stilts. She has always wanted to write a novel and figures now is a good time to start.

New to the stay-at-home-scene she is overwhelmed by the demands of twin boys and a little girl. Feeling like all she does is clean the house, feed, or change the kids, or grab some much needed sleep, her novel isn't a priority.

"All I wanted was to finish an act from start to finish without interruption, so I set the egg I wanted to fry on the counter and steadily walked to the sink, trying hard to block out the noise hitting me from every direction. To an ordinary person, washing a pan is simple. But for a mother, who is also like a ringmaster in a three-ring circus, doing dishes is more hair-raisingly difficult than swallowing fire." ...

"You can do it," I chanted under my breath, trying hard to be the little engine that could. "You can make it through this day." At least I thought I could, thought I could, thought I could. There was nothing I wanted more this very moment than to become an escape artist and disappear, but then I saw from the corner of my eye the egg I was going to make for my children's breakfast, the only egg in the house, the extra large one sitting on the counter, roll to the edge and take a great fall. I dropped to my knees, trying to save old Humpty, but hard as I might, he slipped through my fingers." (Sand in My Eyes, p44)

I think that gives you a good picture as to Anna's state of mind. I know that I have been at this point before. It is actually this scene that sort of sets up the rest of the book. Anna's husband is leaving on a business trip, so he arranges for his parents to come and pick up the kids for a week. He doesn't really get why Anna can't get everything done with the kids there, but I think he doesn't really trust her to leave the kids alone with her.

Anna decides that this is the week to start her novel. So she does. She gets a lot of inspiration from her next door neighbor, Fedelina Aurelio, a geriatric gardener who shares with her much wisdom about life as it relates to flowers. She also meeds Fedelina's professor-son Liam and we learn about yearning and love lost. But I am leaving out an important part. We are learning all of this 20 years later, as she has gone to visit Fedelina in a nursing home, to share with her the novel that she has actually spent the last 20 years writing. The one she started the week she was home alone.

So you see, it is actually a story within a story. We learn all about Anna and Fedelina and the relationship that developed between them 20 years ago. But we also see the stage of life they are now in, and how their relationship has changed. Fedelina had shared with Anna letters from her mother Cora which she had written to her daughter over the years. As Anna lost her mother when she was in college, I believe that both Fedelina and Cora's letters served as a surrogate to her. They made it into her book, so they were definitely an inspiration to her.

I loved the way that whenever she felt stressed she would throw in children's rhymes (like the little engine that could, or Humpty Dumpty from the quote above). It gave the story a little whimsy. I enjoyed this book very much as I could relate to Anna so well (quitting a management job to stay home with the kids - it was quite a shock to the system!) There was so much inspirational, but not sappy, stuff in the book that I wanted to write down so I would remember it. The ending was a complete surprise and I never saw it coming, but it did wrap it up nicely. I would highly recommend this book to any mother at whatever stage of mothering she happens to be at!

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Jul 21, 2010 Cinnamon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review

If there's one thing that is guaranteed to brighten my day, it's curling up on the sofa with a soft blanket and a good book. SAND IN MY EYES by Christine Lemmon happened to be the latest book to join me on the reading couch and I have to say that it definitely earned the honor.

In short, SAND IN MY EYES is a story of self-discovery. When struggles and pains seem momentous, sometimes it's the little things in life, either memories or actions, that change our perspective and make life just a bit br...more If there's one thing that is guaranteed to brighten my day, it's curling up on the sofa with a soft blanket and a good book. SAND IN MY EYES by Christine Lemmon happened to be the latest book to join me on the reading couch and I have to say that it definitely earned the honor.

In short, SAND IN MY EYES is a story of self-discovery. When struggles and pains seem momentous, sometimes it's the little things in life, either memories or actions, that change our perspective and make life just a bit brighter. For Anna, that little change comes in the form of Fedelina, an older neighbor who shares her wisdom with the struggling younger woman.

Marriage troubles and worries over her daughter plague Anna and keeps her from finding the happiness that she has been working so hard for. Fedelina, in more ways than one, brings a spark of light into Anna's life and we get to travel with Anna as she learns to understand who she is and where her life should be headed.

I have to say that I really loved Ms. Lemmon's writing. Her characters were robust and helped add to the layers of complexity within the story. Anna's story in and of itself was fantastic. Ms. Lemmon made her very easy to relate to and as a mother and wife I can understand some of the struggles that she faces.

Aside from realistic characters, the other aspect of SAND IN MY EYES that pulls the reader in is Ms. Lemmon's ability to add layer after layer to the story, hooking the reader and keeping them addicted from page one through to the end. SAND IN MY EYES is set up as a story within a story as Anna completes her manuscript. This added a depth to the story that we don't always get and left me with the feeling that there was always something to be interested in.

Story aside, I found Ms. Lemmon's actual writing style to flow smoothly; the words on the page easy to read and follow. Some stories, when they get to the level of complexity that this one went for, can get bogged down. The writing here, however, kept the feeling light and readable even when emotions were running intense.

I would recommend this to any fans of women's fiction. Anyone looking for a good book about a woman trying to make sense of her life and the lives around her will find what they're looking for within the pages of SAND IN MY EYES. Now the only question is, which of Ms. Lemmon's books do I pick up next?(less)

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Jul 20, 2010 Angelc added it

This book wasn't really for me because I think I'm not the target audience. I'm not a mother and I'm not in the stages of life that these women were in. I think if I were, maybe I would have gotten more out of this book. The tone of the book was too melancholy for me. I understand that being a mom and a wife are something you work at, but this book paints too depressing a picture.

The end was shocking and I liked the new twist, one that you wouldn't normally see. I definitely didn't see it coming...more

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Jul 25, 2010 Jennifer (Crazy-for-Books.com) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: general-fiction, read-in-2010, received-for-review, received-in-2010

This book is kind of hard to describe. It is a "story within a story". Anna Hott is a woman in her mid-fifties who is reflecting back on her life twenty years prior, of the week she had all to herself, where she began writing her novel. When life intruded upon her again, the novel got tossed in a drawer, never to be seen again. At the opening of this book, Anna is on her way to see her old neighbor, Fedelina, who inspired Anna to write that story so many years ago. Anna is looking for an ending...more This book is kind of hard to describe. It is a "story within a story". Anna Hott is a woman in her mid-fifties who is reflecting back on her life twenty years prior, of the week she had all to herself, where she began writing her novel. When life intruded upon her again, the novel got tossed in a drawer, never to be seen again. At the opening of this book, Anna is on her way to see her old neighbor, Fedelina, who inspired Anna to write that story so many years ago. Anna is looking for an ending to her story, and to reconnect with the woman who changed her life.

Fedelina is living in a nursing home in Indiana and when the two women reconnect, Anna begins reading her story to Fedelina, looking for approval from the woman on whom this story is based. The reader is taken back in time, twenty years earlier, to when Anna is an overwhelmed mother of three, caring for her three young children, taking care of a household, and stumbling through the after-effects of her husband's affair. She is on the verge of a complete breakdown when her husband heads out of town on a business trip and sends the children to stay with his parents for a week, giving Anna some much needed time and space to confront her emotions and figure out who she is and who she wants to be.

With a quiet house, Anna begins pursuing one of her lifelong dreams - writing a novel. When she meets her elderly neighbor, Fedelina, Anna's outlook on life changes completely. Fedelina gives Anna sage wisdom on life from raising her own seven children, with gardening metaphors that carry throughout the novel.

The story is broken out in sections. "Belvedere" is the present in which Anna and Fedelina are in the nursing home; most of the story is the reading of Anna's manuscript to Fedelina; and there are several sections from the early 1900s with Cora, Fedelina's mother, sharing her life's wisdom with her own daughter (these are also part of Anna's manuscript).

These characters are rich, complex, and deeply formed. You can feel their emotions leaping off the page. I was instantly drawn into their story, taking meaning from their lives and applying it to my own. There is much to think about in reading this novel and it can easily be transferred to your own life. Are you doing what makes you truly happy?

A few things that bothered me: although this book is 355 pages, I felt that the ending wrapped up too quickly and I didn't like it! I kind of felt cheated as a reader. Also, the story seemed to move very slowly at times and I had to force myself to keep reading, because I just wanted to get through it. Finally, there were so many editing errors that it drove me a bit crazy! (i.e. lashlight instead of flashlight; loose instead of lose). I hate finding errors like these in a book because it really detracts from my enjoyment of it. There were also many hyphenated words that I didn't get - i.e. sup-posed. I'm not sure if the completed novel just didn't translate correctly into a printed, bound copy, but this was all through the novel and really bugged me.

Overall, this is a wonderful story and gave me lots to think about. The characters are rich and deep and I'm sure many of you could find a little bit of yourself in Anna.

Jennifer
http://www.crazy-for-books.com (less)

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Jul 08, 2010 Darcia Helle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads-giveaways, general-fiction, fiction

This is the story of a woman losing herself amidst the chaos of her life as a mother of 3 young children, then finding a new version of herself that she is comfortable with. Her journey is taken in part through conversations with her elderly neighbor, who compares a woman's life to flowers and the nurturing of a garden. I was captivated from beginning to end. I loved the flower analogies, the relaxed writing style, and the characters. The tidbits of knowledge sprinkled within the pages had me no...more

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Oct 25, 2010 Alins rated it 5 of 5 stars

Christine Lemmon is the author of a series of superbly written novels with the theme of women struggling to realize their true potential. "Sanibel Scribbles" is the story of Vicki Brightman, her best friend Rebecca, a six-month journey to another country, a roster of colorful characters, and the unexpected demands that compel equally unexpected changes in one's life. Set in 1953 era Florida, "Portion Of The Sea", is the complex story of 15-year-old Lydia Isleworth, who meets Marlena DiPluma, an...more

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Aug 04, 2010 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: forreview

Sand in My Eyes is a poignant story about an overwhelmed mother, Anna, who is bitter and stressed because her life wasn't turning out the way she had hoped it would. She meets a neighbor who is an elderly woman and learns a lot from her, which Anna decides to write into a novel. This story is women's fiction and has some twists in it that are sometimes disappointing, and other times quite gratifying. It is hard to write a review without giving away a spoiler or two so I'll do my best without bei...more Sand in My Eyes is a poignant story about an overwhelmed mother, Anna, who is bitter and stressed because her life wasn't turning out the way she had hoped it would. She meets a neighbor who is an elderly woman and learns a lot from her, which Anna decides to write into a novel. This story is women's fiction and has some twists in it that are sometimes disappointing, and other times quite gratifying. It is hard to write a review without giving away a spoiler or two so I'll do my best without being too vague. I'll start with how I felt while reading the story.

It started out with rather slow pacing, and the writing was not the best. By that I mean that the prose was sort of flowery and meandering. However, once I was caught up into the story itself, I barely noticed that. Plus, I think as the story picked up pace the writing was cleaner. The formatting was bad, though. Sometimes middle sections of paragraphs were indented and words were hyphenated in the middle of a page. It seemed like someone had changed the spacing so the words were no longer where they were supposed to be. That was a bit distracting.

Regarding her anger towards her husband, part of me understood it and part of me was like, "Come on, honey, if you want him to love you back then you can't ignore him and keep him on the couch every night." I admired that he stayed with her all that time. At the same time I understood her lack of trust, having gone through something similar myself many years ago. Yet when the chance to be happy came along, she said no, even though she wanted to say yes. This emotional back and forth was the thing that I found the most powerful in this story. I really felt like I understood her. I also identified with her longings and fears as a writer, because I am an author myself.

What surprised me most was that she didn't see that she was in some ways the same as her husband. Neglect in marriage and contempt toward one's spouse breeds pain that often attracts married couples to people outside of their union. I was hoping she'd see the connection and at least empathize with her husband. At the same time, the dog went back to his vomit even when a sincere effort on her end finally took place. While not surprised, I felt bad for her. Did she have regrets for trying to make things work? She never said (that I can recall anyway.) Nevertheless, the ending was satisfying. People who enjoy reading stories about personal and emotional growth and different stages in a woman's life will enjoy this book. Once I got into the story, I had a hard time putting it down, which is why I rated it four stars.(less)

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Jul 09, 2010 P rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

It's been a really good week for me--this is the second book I've won in the past week! Good thing I'm not teaching summer school. I am lovin' the reading....

Now that I have finished the reading, I have to say that I have mixed feelings about it. I really liked the garden metaphor that carries throughout the book. The narrator annoyed me with her whiny, woe-is-me attitude. The character of Fedelina I adored. With her practical advice and her tinkering with her roses and other flowers, she remind...more

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Sep 02, 2010 My Book Views rated it 2 of 5 stars

Sand in My Eyes left me with varied thoughts primarily because I could not like the main character. I nearly laughed when I read at the end of the book, “…And in the very little selfish time that I had through the years, I wrote,” because Anna struck me as incredibly selfish.

I enjoyed the concept of Sand in My Eyes, though often felt it would work better as a movie because the act of Anna telling Fedelina her story meant that there was a lot of exactly that--telling rather than showing. I would’...more

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Jul 04, 2012 Laura Lysiak rated it 1 of 5 stars

Wow, as much as I really liked Portions of the Sea, I really disliked this book with great intensity. Every chapter, page, paragraph, sentence, was nothing but a woman complaining about her husband, children and life in general. I found nothing whatsoever positive in reading this book. And the ending, was one of the most disappointing I have ever read, it made you feel like your effort in getting to the end, was a sham and nothing but a waste of time. I always finish books, because I feel, even...more

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Sep 20, 2010 Teresa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, books-i-own, for-review

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...more 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.

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Jul 12, 2010 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

From My Blog...[return][return]An absolutely beautiful novel, Sand In My Eyes by Christine Lemmon is a story of friendship, women, and the different stages of life. As the story opens, Anna Holt, now in her 50s finds herself an empty nester worrying about her daughter Marjorie, now off on her own. Lemmon tells the story through Anna’s life about the struggles of motherhood, marriage, day-to-day living and the insight from her older neighbour Fedelina. Each woman adds a new insight into life and...more

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Jul 30, 2010 Sheree rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: general-fiction, own, read-in-2010, reviews, to-trade-australia

This was a quiet, introspective read, full of wise counsel and beautiful analogies.

We follow Anna's journey through motherhood to empty nest, overwhelmed and exhausted with the chaos that 3 young children often bring, crumbling marriage, unfaithful husband, and general discontent. The melancholy tone of the novel is lifted with the introduction of Anna's neighbour Fedelina and the evolving friendship between the two.

Christine Lemmon does a wonderful job with character development. Anna felt ver...more

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Apr 23, 2011 Susan rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: couldn-t-finish

On page 246 I've given up on this book. The main character whine incessantly about how hard it is to be a mother. She follows with overly flowery language about how much she wants to be a writer, but has no time. Flashing back and forth between a story within a story (within yet another story) has made me just plain tired of the character, her lack of emotional depth, and her absence of motivation.

This book just wasn't the right match for me.

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May 05, 2013 Barbara rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is so enjoyable bc it takes me right back to the subtropical paradise of Sanibel, from which I just returned. It references the local area and places I've been and can't wait to return to. Plans already made for my return.

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Jun 07, 2012 Roxann rated it 5 of 5 stars

Great book--You will laugh, cry and learn! Any Mom will enjoy this one-don't get to the middle and quit because the content is not your view--the ending is worth it!

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Dec 12, 2012 Vicky rated it 5 of 5 stars

Another wonderful book by Ms. Lemmon. I felt it deep in my soul at times such that I cried along with Anna. The author's words rung true for me on so many levels.

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Apr 05, 2013 Mary Jo rated it 5 of 5 stars

Great book. Surprising ending

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Mar 10, 2010 Jan rated it 2 of 5 stars

I found it took me a long time to get into this book and then when I did I was not thrilled with the ending.

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Jan 08, 2010 Bonnie rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have just started reading this on January 8th, 2010. It is my Sanibel read for 2010.

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Aug 05, 2012 Lori Frey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Love the story by a local author:)

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May 05, 2013 Karen added it

Shelves: 2013-100-book-challenge

Apr 27, 2013 Sarah is currently reading it

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Mar 26, 2013 Laurie Henry rated it 4 of 5 stars

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“There is a beginning, middle and end to every woman's life. But once a woman arrives at what she thinks might be her end, all she must do is reach deep down into her innermost depths and there she will find a new beginning. A woman is hardy as a perennial flower and deep as the sea." --Whisper from the Ocean” — 11 people liked it

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