Love Letters in the Sand

This compelling novel portrays a woman’s personal odyssey to self-fulfillment. Lindsay Lawrence, a society portrait painter and recent widow, longs to heal memories of her marriage and focus on her career. She lives a comfortable, insular life in the stately brick townhouse she shared with her husband and daughter on Boston’s historic Beacon Hill—until an unexpected encounter with Les, an attractive drifter, changes everything.

At first, Les conceals his rage at where life has taken him. After wandering from one odd job to another, especially in the Middle East, he now wants to settle down.

Knowing he can neither emulate nor support her lifestyle, Les spirits Lindsay away from Boston and, in the process, opens her eyes to the world. In Abu Dhabi, she learns about the lives of Arabian women. Living with him in a village on Cyprus and interacting with local women, Lindsay discovers her life’s purpose.

Lindsay’s gratitude to Les for leading her to become someone she never anticipated, unfortunately, comes with ambivalence. Will his erratic behavior preclude his being part of the new life she is creating on an island in the Mediterranean? Can their passionate relationship endure? Or will it vanish, fleetingly, like love letters written in the sand?

-- Marcia Chellis