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A review by theliterateleprechaun
Sands of Sirocco by Annabelle McCormack
5.0
“If this war has taught me anything, it’s that any semblance of control I have is just an illusion.”
This book was everything I was hoping it would be and more!
Have you ever anticipated a book release so excitedly only to discover that it didn’t measure up to your expectations? This one was MORE than I anticipated. Worthy of MORE than 5 stars. Author Annabelle McCormack took my love of Egypt, my unquenchable desire for historical fiction, my need to learn as I read, and my excitement of following a mystery and the pulsating thrill of a chase, mixed it all together with a dollop of romance and produced one of my best reads of the summer!
Set against the backdrop of the Middle Eastern front of WW1, McCormack gently pulls back the curtain to reveal one of the ulterior motives driving the Great War ~ energy security. As the Great Powers competed for possession of this lifeblood of their armies, an oil monopoly was created and its politics continue to shape our history today. McCormack reveals how big a factor oil domination really was during the First World War.
McCormack also highlights the dawn of the Modern Era and reveals the urge many of the privileged women possessed to fight against societal constraints. Her protagonist strikes out on her own and takes her future into her own hands. It wasn’t easy for Ginger Whitman, nor were the results what she’d planned. Attaining her dreams hadn’t been without sacrifice, yet she chose to disregard what was expected of her and what was an easier option. I loved reading about Ginger’s adventure!
Egypt is my favourite place to vacation and McCormack brought it alive for me. She dazzled me with all my cherished memories: the aroma of the exotic spices, the call of the muezzin, the rustling of the galabeyas, the slow glide of the feluccas in the Nile, the adamant pleas to remember ‘backsheesh’, the feel of my toes in the sands of the Sahara, and the wonder of experiencing all my favourite tourist destinations. Her book had me revisiting Cairo, Aswan, Saqqara, the Khan-el-Khalili and Tahrir Square, museums, pyramids, temples, and the Serapeum. I was giddy with excitement.
Author Annabelle McCormack gives voice to the often overlooked nurses who volunteered for active service on the Middle Eastern front of World War One and to the many frustrated women who decided to break free from societal norms and take a chance on experiencing what made them come alive! For those who love romance, wartime fiction and learning as they read, this one’s for you.
I loved Noah Benson and Ginger Whitman and can’t wait to see what McCormack has in store for them in book 3!
As-salaam alykum!
I was generously gifted this advance copy by the author and was under no obligation to provide a review.
This book was everything I was hoping it would be and more!
Have you ever anticipated a book release so excitedly only to discover that it didn’t measure up to your expectations? This one was MORE than I anticipated. Worthy of MORE than 5 stars. Author Annabelle McCormack took my love of Egypt, my unquenchable desire for historical fiction, my need to learn as I read, and my excitement of following a mystery and the pulsating thrill of a chase, mixed it all together with a dollop of romance and produced one of my best reads of the summer!
Set against the backdrop of the Middle Eastern front of WW1, McCormack gently pulls back the curtain to reveal one of the ulterior motives driving the Great War ~ energy security. As the Great Powers competed for possession of this lifeblood of their armies, an oil monopoly was created and its politics continue to shape our history today. McCormack reveals how big a factor oil domination really was during the First World War.
McCormack also highlights the dawn of the Modern Era and reveals the urge many of the privileged women possessed to fight against societal constraints. Her protagonist strikes out on her own and takes her future into her own hands. It wasn’t easy for Ginger Whitman, nor were the results what she’d planned. Attaining her dreams hadn’t been without sacrifice, yet she chose to disregard what was expected of her and what was an easier option. I loved reading about Ginger’s adventure!
Egypt is my favourite place to vacation and McCormack brought it alive for me. She dazzled me with all my cherished memories: the aroma of the exotic spices, the call of the muezzin, the rustling of the galabeyas, the slow glide of the feluccas in the Nile, the adamant pleas to remember ‘backsheesh’, the feel of my toes in the sands of the Sahara, and the wonder of experiencing all my favourite tourist destinations. Her book had me revisiting Cairo, Aswan, Saqqara, the Khan-el-Khalili and Tahrir Square, museums, pyramids, temples, and the Serapeum. I was giddy with excitement.
Author Annabelle McCormack gives voice to the often overlooked nurses who volunteered for active service on the Middle Eastern front of World War One and to the many frustrated women who decided to break free from societal norms and take a chance on experiencing what made them come alive! For those who love romance, wartime fiction and learning as they read, this one’s for you.
I loved Noah Benson and Ginger Whitman and can’t wait to see what McCormack has in store for them in book 3!
As-salaam alykum!
I was generously gifted this advance copy by the author and was under no obligation to provide a review.