Verses in the Sand (The United Irishmen)
1799 – 1815. When a convict ship on its way to Australia goes down in the Indian Ocean, two survivors wash up on a lonely beach: William, a British officer, and Sean, one of the Irish rebel convicts. While the scars of oppression run deep for Sean, survival means allying himself with William. Months pass, the New Year comes and goes. To occupy their time, William teaches Sean to read and write. One day, they see sails on the horizon. But what at first appears to be salvation turns into terror as the sailors are actually pirates with an English lady as their hostage. William and Sean won’t allow this woman to remain a captive, but on this small island, facing a pirate crew and stealing a jolly boat will require a daring strategy if all three of them are to escape alive.
At times, the prose could have used some slight polishing. It’s wholly expositional. While this “telling” style portrays the experiences, it doesn’t always allow relatability to them. Thus, I didn’t feel as emotionally pulled in. There’s a lot of repetition in word choices or emotional reactions. Elizabeth’s always flushing with embarrassment, the men are always “handsome,” characters repeat thoughts in dialogue, and abundant exclamation points are used. Also, eye rolling at this time would have been a flirtatious gesture and not one of annoyance.
The men’s growing friendship and conflicts, particularly surrounding Elizabeth, drive the story. They’re forced to overcome their own biases and learn to survive together. Early on, William catches himself thinking he’s Sean’s superior. William has wealth and a higher education, yet Sean begins writing exquisite poetry and soon catches Elizabeth’s eye, which rouses William’s jealousy. Character development is stirring, and the culmination of these relationships is extremely compelling. This is a well-researched, high-stakes castaway adventure.
