Publication Date: January 10, 2013
In Trails in the Sand by P.C. Zick, Caroline Carlisle is an environmental writer doing a piece about sea turtles when the BP oil spill happens. Already making people uncomfortable with her relationship with her late sister’s husband, Caroline uncovers family secrets better left in the past. Turtles andTrails in the Sand serve as a reminder that life moves forward.
Trails in the Sand is a deeply complex read. The focus shifts between each character and Zick provides us a puzzle piece with each step. We grow to know the characters, first meeting Caroline’s mother and her brother as they sit on the beach as children watching turtles lay eggs, and then the mother watching her beloved older brother disappear into the surf. The scene is powerfully written and sets a tone of difficult topics to come.
Zick’s setting and Floridian landscapes are described in stunning detail. This is clearly an author enchanted with her environment and in love with nature. While initially a bit put off by the description of a Loggerhead Turtle laying eggs, the beauty and grace with which the event was described made it something I’d truly love to see. It would seem as well that Zick presents us with her eco-crusader sensibilities. She, from her bio, is passionate about the environment and in love with Florida and it shows. She takes us behind the scenes of the BP spill and, to a lesser extent, the Upper Big Branch mine disaster in West Virginia. She warns us lightly about what big business will be allowed to do, forgetting about the little guy and the environment in which he lives.
The story of Caroline’s family is intense, sad, and sometimes funny. There are big secrets and lots of giant southern smiles and honey-laced accents keeping the secrets safe. There are a lot of players, so it might be hard for some readers to keep track. If you follow Caroline, the main character, she navigates for us and what develops is a past left behind and a new future. Zick’s plotting and narrative are tight and flawless and unfold in a way designed to entrance the reader.
Trails in the Sand is an excellent read for those who like family drama, interested in ecology or beautifully written stories. Zick has nine five-star Amazon reviews and they are well-deserved.
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