2020 and 2021 have been horrendous years for creatives – authors, musicians, actors. I can’t help the last two groups, but I offered authors the opportunity to write a post for Lesa’s Book Critiques. I hope you’ll join me in welcoming them to the blog when they write an occasional piece.
Joyce Yarrow was born in the SE Bronx, escaped to Manhattan as a teenager and now lives in Seattle with her husband and son. Along the way to becoming a full-time author, Joyce has worked as a screenwriter, singer-songwriter, multimedia performance artist and most recently, a member of the world music vocal ensemble, Abráce.
Joyce is a Pushcart nominee, whose stories and poems have been widely published. Her first Jo Epstein mystery, Ask the Dead was selected by The Poisoned Pen as a Recommended First Novel and hailed as “Bronx noir”. The second book in the series, The Last Matryoshka was praised by Library Journal and takes place in Brooklyn and Moscow. Ms. Yarrow co-authored her third book, Rivers Run Back (Vitasta 2015), with Indian writer Arindam Roy and it was launched at The American Center (US Embassy) in New Delhi.
Ms. Yarrow considers the setting of her books to be characters in their own right and teaches workshops on “The Place of Place in Mystery Writing.”
Today, though, Joyce is not going to talk about place. Instead, she’s going to introduce her protagonist from her latest book, Sandstorm. Welcome, Joyce.
From Thief to Thespian – Can a Criminal Make the Switch?
By Joyce Yarrow
In A Scandal in Bohemia, Watson admires Sherlock Holmes’ gift for transforming himself, telling us that his friend’s “very soul seemed to vary with every fresh part that he assumed.” Watson might have been describing a professional actor and this made me wonder. What if Sherlock had marshaled his extensive skills to commit, rather than solve, crimes?
Better yet, what if a talented thief and jewelry forger were to defy the odds and try to reinvent herself as an actress and make-up artist working in the legitimate theater? Could she ‘go straight’ when all she had known was a life of crime? This is the challenge faced by the character who came to life on the page for me as Sandie Donovan, a/k/a Sandie Doyle, the protagonist of Sandstorm.
Born in Yonkers, New York, Sandie is raised by a father with a skewed moral compass. After her mother dies, he literally tosses his daughter into the Arizona desert to survive the horrors of a bootcamp for delinquent teens. This betrayal hardens Sandie, and given the Teflon exterior she presents to the world, it took me—her creator—quite a while to fathom what lay beneath. Any dreams she might have had of leading a normal life were buried under years of deception and denial.
My first clue to Sandie’s potential to pick up new skills was how quickly she mastered the complex processes used to create fake jewels. She took great pleasure in studying the craft under the tutelage of her self-styled “rescuer,” mentor, and boyfriend, Russell. The second hint was how enthralled she was with the acting classes she took at a community college. As she herself says: “I learned how imaginary feelings can be the most genuine, especially for people like me who hate showing our emotions.”
Inevitably, Russell’s business falls apart, along with the mirage of his generosity, and Sandie is once again cast out on her own. This time she is armed with both criminal and lawful abilities that she puts to use in her quest to prove there is more to her life than simple survival.
Back in New York, she lands a role in an indie film and falls in love with the producer. Unfortunately Sandie’s careless tongue provides her former friends with enough information to nick a valuable Warhol painting from her lover’s high-end loft. Sandie’s decision to steal back the art from one of the most dangerous fences in the city is at the heart of her story. What she seeks to reclaim is much more than a painting. It is her right to live life without resorting to crime, to claim her true identity in the face of all the obstacles put in her path, including her own upbringing. I rooted for her to make a safe landing and I hope you will too.
Joyce Yarrow’s website is http://www.joyceyarrow.com
Sandstorm by Joyce Yarrow. D.X. Varos, Ltd., 2021. ISBN 9781955065009 (paperback). Also available on Kindle., 262p.
Lesa – thanks so much for the warm welcome and the opportunity to share Sandie’s story!
You’re welcome, Joyce! Thank you for taking the time to write a blog post.
Sandstorm is an engaging mystery filled with fascinating details about the making of jewelry and the making of disguises. But it is first and foremost a compelling character study of a young woman coming of age following a series of betrayals. When Sandie Donovan breaks with her past and decides to take charge of her own life, the reader feels Sandie’s triumph over adversity with a catch in the throat, This reader did. It’s a wonderful story.
Many thanks, Jeanne Matthews. Touching one reader at a time is so meaningful, and you being an author I respect is icing on the cake!
Sandie sounds like the kind of complex character I love to read about–not all bad, not all good. I’m rooting for her already.
Thanks, Saralyn – from me and from Sandie!
Oh, I certainly rooted for Sandie. There is, for me, a sense that she has to experience the darkness to recognise her strength. Many of her criminal activities are inevitable, given her circumstances, and yet there is something innately grounded and moral about her throughout. A fascinating character with an intriguing story. Sandie will stay with me for a long, long time.
Your thoughtful words about Sandie mean a lot to me, Penny Haw. Thank you.
Just loved this book! The settings are indelible and Sandie as a character is feisty, tender, loyal, resourceful—wonderful novel about a young woman coming into her own.
Be still my heart… Thank you, Carol!
Sandie is such a complex character. I found myself rooting for her and following her on this unstoppable journey. Great writing, Joyce.
I felt the same way about Ahana in your “Louisiana Catch,” Sweta. Thanks!
As I read this wondrful novel, I was rooting for Sandie, too. What an extraordinarily resourceful, intelligent, adaptable, moral woman Sandy is! Her faith in herself, and her determination to do the right thing paid off. A truly inspiring, memorable character!
It’s the support of readers like you, Judith, that keep this writer going! Thanks so much.
Joyce Yarrow is a wonderfully, engaging storyteller. Sandi, the protagonist of Sandstorm, lives by her wits and learns many life lessons in how to cope and land on one’s feet. The reader is immediately drawn into her story and roots for her to succeed throughout.
Thank you, Mae! There were times during the writing of this book when I wondered if either of us would land on our feet 🙂
What a fascinating story with that ironic twist–that she has to steal back the art in order to leave a life of crime. Definitely sounds like a heroine worth rooting for.
Thanks for your comment, Sheila.
Here’s another ‘ironic twist’, as described by Sandie —
It was Tiffany who suggested I apply for a gig as a cosmetics consultant in a department store. “You’ve got a lot of experience changing your own appearance. Why not share your talent with others?” She meant well but the way she put it made me cringe.
I, too, can highly recommend Sandi’s journey of survival and discovery!
Liz – many thanks for your recommendation!
You’re most welcome, Joyce!
I just love Sandie, so much! I don’t remember a character hitting me as hard as she has. She is beautifully written, which allowed me to just sit back and get to know her. I adored her humanity 💕
Stacie – that you have so much empathy for Sandie in spite of her misdeeds means the world to me. It took me several years to see behind her mask and start to reveal her true nature. Thanks!!
It was encouraging and moving to read of Sandie’s coming of age, from misunderstood and mistreated teen to criminal runaway and finally to a hard won young womanhood. Life was her college and she had to be her own professor. I am going to share this book with my granddaughter, a college sophomore. Sandie’s resilience, flexibility, brains, and, ultimately, her moral compass make her a great role model and Sandstorm a great read.
Many thanks Jane for your thoughtful comments. I would love to know your granddaughter’s thoughts about the book!
What a wonderful way to feature one of my favorite talented writers. Thank you!
Thank you, Erica.
Thanks, Erica – I so agree! Looking forward to reading more guest posts.. it’s such a blessing!