This was an absolutely wonderful book, you could almost feel the sand and the heat, not to mention the terrible conditions the main character lived in for many years. Ali Hassan's grandson, Alex, has decided to take off to join ISIS to fight the infidels. Ali decides to share with Alex through email, his story from when he lived in Eqypt and worked for Cecile B De Mille while he was filming the Ten Commandants. Each chapter is a section of Ali's story, at the end of each chapter there is an exchange of emails from Alex and Ali, sometimes Alex is supportive of what his grandfather had been doing, other times not so much. Also around the time of the movie being filmed was political turmoil in Egypt. There is a large cast of characters, though I did not find it difficult to keep track of them all. The author incorporates a lot of real history, aside from DeMille, there is also Charlton Heston and Yul Brynner to name just a couple, plus the cast of thousands. This is a really good book and I would highly recommend it. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Minotaur Books for the ARC.

The book is set in 1950s Egypt against the backdrop of political upheaval - King Farouk was overthrown by a group of army officers led by Mohamed Naguib and Gamal Abdel Nasser, subsequently followed by the power struggle between Mohamed Naguib and Gamal Abdel Nasser. The story is told from the point of view of 85-year old Ali Hassan in the present day. His grandson Alex Hassan has left his family in the U.S. to join the fight in the “holy war.” By sharing his story during Egypt’s political turmoil in the 1950s via e-mails with his grandson, Ali hopes to persuade Alex to return. That time period coincided with the filming of the movie The Ten Commandments. The book was not the “sweeping intergenerational saga” as described in the book summary. It was about a grandfather and grandson’s lives, the latter a very small sliver though. The majority was on Ali’s early adult life. It was hardly “sweeping.” It was focused on a narrower space in time, and around the filming of the movie and just after. The book didn’t have that steeped in sense of place and time that one finds in historical fiction done well. It was limited here. Alas, the characters felt flat and I was not wowed by the writing - it was too simplistic and plain. For me, the elegance, flow, complexity, and seduction of the language is as important as the storyline and character development in a book. Overall, the book felt like it skimmed the surface, rather than digging deep into the culture and history of a country so rich in both. I appreciate that the author spent years working on this book. However, I was disappointed. Not to take anything away from the obvious labor of love, but this book was not for me. I hope others enjoy this book more than I did. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Picture in the Sand by Peter Blauner was the first book I read by this author, and I was swayed to read it by the unique premise. A grandfather is sharing his history through a journal with his grandson, who has left his suburban American life to join the holy war in the Middle East.

Alex Hassan's family is distraught when their son disappears from his Ivy League college, so the grandfather Ali writes to him offering to tell about his troubled history, a story that he has previously not shared with any family members. The book is told through the point of view of Ali in 1950's Egypt and present day emails from Alex to his grandfather.

The pacing of the book was compelling, as it had me on the edge of my seat. Alex's letters from the Middle East were disturbing, but his point of view gave insight into how easily a person can become disillusioned by politics.

The grandfather's story was even more intriguing, as he told about his childhood obsession with movies, which led to his involvement with the filming of movie epic The Ten Commandments, parts of which were actually filmed in Egypt. Ali gets to work with director Cecil B. DeMille as he learns more about the film industry as well as his country's political upheaval. I was fascinated at the details about the making of the movie, at the amount of money they spent, and the number of Egyptians who were used for labor and movie extras, most of whom were not treated or compensated fairly.

Some parts of the book were hard to read, especially the prison scenes of torture. I skimmed over some parts that were too brutal for me. Overall, the book was written very well and told a compelling story with a lot of heart. This story helps a person to understand different political views and what can drive a person to do unimaginable things.

I will recommend this book to readers who like historical fiction, especially that which is set in the Middle East.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Picture in the Sand tells the story of a Grandfather with a hidden past in Egypt and a Grandson who becomes a radicalized Muslim who leaves his home in the US. They communicate through changing emails as the grandfather tells the story of his past in Egypt to try to get his grandson to realize the mistake he is making in his newly chosen life. Add in the grandfather’s interest in movies, the filming of Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments in Egypt and Picture in the Sand held my interest throughout.

When Ali Hassan's eighteen-year-old grandson Alex skips out on going to college to go to the Middle East to join the holy war, the only one he will communicate with his grandfather...and only if his grandfather tells him the story of his life.

So, Ali Hassan tells his story of growing up in Egypt. He was a poor boy who fell in love with movies. When he had a chance to work for the legendary Cecil B. DeMille on the set of The Ten Commandments, he was overjoyed. But the 1950s was a time of great turmoil in Egypt. The king had been forced to abdicate. The military government was in flux with the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood waxing and waning by the day. Ali's own cousin Sherif was getting more and more militant. And soon, Ali finds himself caught up in politics and espionage and shifting governments.

His emails to his grandson and his grandson's return emails show a caring man determined that his grandson does not make the same mistakes that he had made in his own past. And the emails show a grandson who is gradually becoming more and more disillusioned with the choice he made.

The story was wonderful. The writing vivid and descriptive as though seen through a cinematographer's eye. The people were all well-developed and intriguing in their choices and actions. From Raymond Garfield who is making a documentary about the changes in Egypt and who is also likely a Jewish spy to Mona Salem who is the French-Egyptian love of Ali's life and who is informing on the actions of those rebelling against Nasser's new rule in Egypt, all of the characters have a variety of sides which are presented sympathetically.

Read this one! It is filled with unforgettable characters in a turbulent time and place in world history.

Picture in the Sand is about a relationship through emails between a grandfather and his grandson. The grandfather tells his story growing up in Egypt in the 1950's and then emigrating to the US. He never shared this with his family. The grandson becomes radicalized and leaves the family for the middle east.

I enjoy reading historical fiction though I have not ready any that takes place in Middle East. The relationship between grandparent and grandchild tends to be a different type and love than between parent and child. The grandfather's guidance is from a loving and knowledgeable place in the heart.

I am happy that I learned about this book and would definitely recommend it.

Thank you, NetGalley, publisher, and author for an advanced copy.

I enjoyed this historical fiction set mostly in Egypt in the 1950s. The story is told by way of a series of letters between a grandfather and his grandson. The grandson, a recently radicalized Muslim, thinks he knows his grandfather: a boring, mainstream immigrant businessman. However, the letters show his grandfather's life to be much different and to be relevant to the grandson's own journey.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free e-ARC of this book.

DNF - Ultimately, I don't think this was the best fit for me & my reading tendencies though I hope it makes its way into the hands of readers who will be able to appreciate it.

Picture in the Sand is a historical fiction novel with a modern story thread woven through the background. I found myself much more interested in the modern story, which was unfortunate because it was only a small portion of the book. I always find it interesting to read historical fiction written in a setting or time period I'm less familiar with and this book definitely fit that bill. It was also fun to see behind the scenes in the making of such a famous movie. I found it hard to connect with the characters, though, and understand or believe their motivations. Ultimately this made the story fall flat for me, but others may find more to relate to in the characters!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sending me the ARC of this book!

This is a meat and potatoes book! It took a long time to digest this one and formulate my thoughts. Knowing that the author took 20 years to write this book meant that I slowed down and gave it the attention it deserved. I felt like I had a masterpiece in my hands.

It’s about a young Egyptian movie fan, Ali Hassan, who dreams of coming to the States, changing his name to Al Harrison and living out the American Dream. He’s so close to reaching his dreams when Ali gets caught up in the unimaginable and gets his dream of freedom taken from him. When he’s given the chance to refocus and try again, he works towards reimagining it. And it works, sort of. Ali’s life comes full circle when he’s given the opportunity to guide his grandson who has thrown away his privilege to embark on a dark journey. This cautionary tale is unique because it’s a historical fiction book framed around a contemporary story.

Things to know before reading:
✔️intergenerational saga
✔️deals with political rebellion in Egypt in 1950s
✔️suspenseful
✔️based on true events
✔️written over 20 year period
✔️research took the author to Egypt 6 times

The author does an exemplary job of exploring the events of 1954 Egypt and showing that they were crucial to the development of modern terrorism. In pulling together the threads of hope, faith and terror, Blauner has penned a story that transcends time and has universal appeal. Seventy years later, the message still moved me. We are all yearning for freedom and there’s a little of Ali in all of us.

They say hindsight is 20/20. After finishing this book, I agree.

I was gifted this copy by St. Martin's Press and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

I really loved Picture in the Sand, told as messages between a grandfather and his radicalized grandson. I enjoyed the grandfather's history a lot, as being a worker on the Ten Commandments film. I got a great sense of place and the writing swept me away.

Picture in the Sand is a very intriguing novel told through emails between a grandson and his grandfather. The grandson has left his home in the United States to fight for an unnamed middle eastern country and communicates only with his elderly grandfather. The grandfather, in turn, relates his early life in Egypt — which includes his struggles finding employment, a woman, political situations, murder, imprisonment and, most importantly, the making of the movie The Ten Commandments.

The novel is well written and the reader becomes mesmerized with the details involved in the making of a movie on location in the desert and the political ramifications. This book is highly recommended for those who enjoy good stories with a plethora of excitement. I thank NetGalley and the publisher, Minotaur, for the opportunity to read and review this book prior to its publication.

#PicturesintheSand
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Pub. Date: Jan. 3, 2023

“Pictures in the Sand” is an intergenerational family saga fused with an in-depth examination of the roots of radical Islam. The novel connects surprising dots, such as those between modern-day Egyptian terrorism and the making of Cecil B. DeMille's “The Ten Commandments,” a film I’ve been watching for sixty years. Only upon reading this novel did I learn how DeMille’s telling of the Exodus helped deteriorate the relationship between Western and Islamic cultures. Multilayered throughout, the story punctuates moments of familiar comfort with graphic violence.

An Egyptian immigrant, Ali Hassan, rejoices when he receives the news that his American-born grandson, Alex Hassan, has been accepted to an Ivy League university. Instead of attending college, however, Alex sends his family an email telling them he is changing his name to Abu and leaving to fight a holy war in the Middle East. The details of Abu’s radicalization, which I found myself wanting, are left to our imagination.

In Egypt, Abu only communicates with his grandfather. We learn that in the 1950s, under his cousin’s influence, Ali transformed from a movie fan working as one of Cecil B. DeMille's assistants to a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. Through the young Ali, the author shows how such organizations can corrupt a young person’s mind. Impressed by Ali’s past, Abu’s commanders allow for the correspondence. But impressing terrorists was never Ali’s goal. In his letters to Abu, the author shines, nimbly portraying Ali’s attempts to dissuade him.

As an old movie buff, I enjoyed reading about the makings of the film. Now I need to research whether DeMille was as unlikable as portrayed here. Detailed descriptions of the pyramids, the Sphinx, and the massive Egyptian set where Charlton Heston slips in and out of character while dressed as Moses reveal the author's eye for detail. As a typical American, I think in terms bad guys versus good guys, just like in DeMille’s movie. So I sometimes struggled to follow the intricacies of inter-Egyptian turmoil after the end of British rule.

“Pictures” is entertaining and educational, which is everything a historical novel should be. All but the conclusion felt genuine, which is my only issue. Explaining would be a spoiler. It leaves much to discuss regardless. I still highly recommend reading the novel. If you read this book, please share how you felt about the ending with me.

Remarkable!

Amazing piece of writing that brings together a radicalised young Muslim from the US post 911 and the story of his Egyptian Muslim grandfather in Egypt in the 1950’s during Nasser’s rise to power, coinciding with Cecil B. DeMille’s filming of the Ten Commandments.
Alix’s grandfather, Ali Hassan writes to Alix (now Abu Suror meaning ‘father of joy’) about his fate, his journey during those years. How he regained a faith he’d lost, not through radicalisation, but through circumstances that lead from a step away from repudiation of his religion to an acceptance of things. The miracle of love during this time comes slowly. His grandfather had been writing about his life over the years and he was now sharing it with Alix.
A family drama that has legs and captures a vast array of reasons why people do things, people who are in the wrong place at the wrong time, the power of belief and commitment, the disappointment of being given a cause only to find the empty truths, political expediency, money—all are described.
Grandfather’s time in prison is diabolical and yet must be endured. The coming together of a Jew and Muslim, when what’s demanded by your torturers is a step too far. The scenes with Raymond Garfield in prison, a Jew, were harsh and poignant.
Gripping in its intensity, I was drawn in. I literally felt the sand and heat of Egypt in my nostrils, and shook my head over the making of the movie, the Ten Commandments at a time when the political situation in Egypt was on a knife’s edge.
And Alix? His grandfather’s writings speak to his heart.

A St. Martin's Press ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.

This was a very, very good book! I enjoyed reading the story of Ali Hassan as he shares his 1950's adventure in Egypt (the movie set of The 10 Commandments! political unrest! young love!) with his grandson Alex who has left his family in the States to participate in a holy war. The tale is thrilling and heartbreaking, and I'm so glad I took a chance on this book that Stephen King calls "a book that reminds me of why I fell in love with storytelling."

I did not know what to expect of this book and am so glad I checked it out! The grandfather’s story of his experience in 1950’s Egypt juxtaposed with brief explanations of his grandson’s current experiences in a radicalized group illustrate the complexity of religion, politics, race, capitalism and power and show clearly how history continues to repeat.

Disappointed!

I was very happy to be given the opportunity to read Peter Blauner’s new book, as he’s been one of my favorite authors for years. Unfortunately, without getting into summarizing its plot, Picture In The Sand, despite its interesting premise, was a major disappointment to me. This disappointment stems from it being extremely slow moving with almost no excitement or surprises moving during the 45% of the book I read before deciding to give up on it.. Further, while I’ve always been a big fan of Blauner’s character development skills, I found the characters in Picture Of The Sand to be two-dimensional and not particularly interesting.

As a result of my disappointment, Blauner’s latest is not a book I’d recommend, However, I’ would highly recommend any of his previous books.

#Picture In The Sand. #Net Galley

Alex gets accepted into university and his parents are proud. But that that ends when he has run off to the join a holy war in the Middle East. His grandfather, Ali, who has a past no family member knows of tries to convince him to return home and tells him his story which no family member knows of. Ali got caught up in politics, espionage and other life events that changed the course of history. He tells his story to Alex hoping he does not do the wrong thing like he did. Kind of an interesting story but I think very slow moving; in fact, one of the few books I put down and did not want to return to. That doesn’t happen often. I would give this a 2.5, maybe a 3.

Alex, a teenaged Muslim boy in Brooklyn who is unhappy with the West’s treatment of young men like him, runs away to join jihadis in the Middle East. He sends his parents an email to explain what he has done, says his name is now Abu Sabor, and doesn’t answer their replies. Six weeks later, his grandfather Ali makes one last attempt to reach Alex, letting him know how his departure has devastated the family and hoping that his appeal will merit a response. Ali includes the first pages he has written of his own life as a young man in Egypt, when like Alex he embarked on a journey to defend his faith and push back against discrimination from Western influences. Alex does respond, and the reader is allowed to see not just the correspondence between the defiant, idealistic grandson and the grandfather who wants desperately to save him from repeating his own mistakes, but also the unfolding history of Ali Hassan.

We see Ali as a young man in Cairo, where his father is a golf caddy and his mother a chambermaid at the Mena House Hotel. The pyramids are just down the street from his house. His favorite thing to do is to go to the cinema and watch movies hoping one day to move to Hollywood and make movies of his own. Things get rough in his life; his mother, sisters and many others in his community die during an outbreak of typhus. His father turns to drink, his older cousin Sherif believes that becoming a more devout Muslim is the path to survival, and some say that those (like Ali’s parents) who served the Western tourists brought the plague to the local community. Ali persists with his dreams, is admitted to university in Cairo, and makes money by showing films and finally makes his own. He meets and becomes besotted with Mona, a young woman who is part Egyptian and part French, and who wants to become an actress. Ali’s big break comes when the famed American director Cecil B. De Mille comes to Egypt to film the epic “The Ten Commandments”. He is hired to act as Mr. De Mille’s driver, and does his best to impress the director. There is unrest in the streets of Cairo, however and in short order they find themselves in a car trapped within a rioting crowd. They escape, but someone is accidentally killed. That death will haunt Ali, and the American film crew, in the days and weeks ahead. Mr. De Mille is not an easy man for whom to work, and Mona is swept off her feet by some of the Western crowd. Ali becomes more disheartened and disillusioned by his treatment at the hands of the Americans; when he is fired from his job for telling Mr. De MIlle his honest opinion, it is the final straw. Sherif, his cousin, invites him into his group of rebels, and soon Ali is involved in a plot to ruin the De Mille film.

Alex reads his grandfather’s story, and first thinks that his grandfather understands and supports his radicalization. He is appalled at his grandfather’s early admiration for Western culture, but is delighted that Ali eventually sees the error of his ways and plots against the Western visitors. His grandfather tries desperately to convey a different message; he knows that Alex’s journey will not end well, and pleads with him to leave before it is too late. Alex tells his grandfather bits about his current life, and over time he too becomes disillusioned with what he is seeing and what he is asked to do.

Set against the backdrop of Cairo in the 1950s and the filming of one of cinema’s most famous epic movies, the story of Ali juxtaposed with the modern day story of Alex, is fascinating to read. With Charlton (“Chuck”) Heston, Yul Brynner, Yvonne de Carlo and of course Cecil B. De Mille himself, its an interesting behind-the-scenes peak at these iconic members of Hollywood royalty, and how they may have treated the native Egyptians who helped to bring the film to fruition (spoiler alert: not particularly well). Resentment of the haves by the have nots is, as they say, a tale as old as time. Alex’s generation is not the first to push back against those who make them feel like lesser people, but Ali’s is a cautionary tale about the costs of unchecked rebellion. I found the book to be well-paced, with interesting tidbits about a Hollywood production set during the end of British rule in Egypt and the rise of Naguib and Nasser. I recommend Picture in the Sand highly to readers who enjoy historical fiction, especially during the period in question, as well as those who like a little Hollywood glamour thrown in. Many thanks to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for sharing the advanced reader’s copy with me.

Picture in the Sand by Peter Blauner starts with Alex emailing his family that he has dropped out of school to join the jihad in the Middle East. We learn that Alex has witnessed his father being mistaken for a terrorist. Is this what motivated Alex? His grandfather Ali begins to email him about his own political rebellion during the filming of Cecil DeMille's The Ten Commandments in Egypt. Through the exchanges, Alex discovers a side of his grandfather he never knew. Gradually there is a shift in Alex's email where he is questioning his role in the terrorist group he is entangled in. The characters are well-developed and the storyline is complex and compelling. I would have liked to hear more about Alex's time when he made the personal choice to join the jihad. There must have been more going on than just his father being mistaken as a terrorist for him to make the decision he did. (Maybe I missed it in my reading) Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this fantastic historical fiction. My opinions are my own.