The Sand Game

In the novel The Sand Game by Karen Schiff, sand or something more is where the story of siblings Laine, Michael and Rachel begins and ends. Every year, on the first Sunday in July, Laine and Michael will bury themselves in the sand to their necks until one is declared the winner by the judge, their younger sister, Rachel, as who can last the longest. No one but Laine and Michael knows what goes on during the game, however year after year, the tradition continues. Upon the passing of their father, the siblings are all they have left to lean on having lost their mother earlier to cancer. Now, Laine is a successful lawyer in New York City, Michael is a software engineer in California, and Rachel is a doctor and the only one of the three who have married and is expecting twins. Laine and Michael always seem to be end up unlucky in love until a chance meeting for Laine and possible future plans for Michael come into play. The rules are set, and they part ways. When no one claims the winning point in their game Laine becomes more than frustrated for herself, as well as her brother. It is when Laine begins to notice signs around her that she begins to wonder if the game she’s been playing all her life might not have just been the sand game but something else. Her next move may be the most important she makes for herself and perhaps others, too.

The Sand Game is an adaptation of Schiff’s play of the same name and is a delightful story to read leading one only to believe the play would be the same. The characters are well written and easy for readers to relate to. The afterword that Schiff adds to the book that explains the reasoning behind pieces of the story, such as Laine wondering if a sibling’s or her own potential suitor is Jewish, the mentioning of dark energy due to something she read by Einstein and more. Overall, Schiff leaves readers with a story that is about the most common things in life: family, love, and faith. A solid 5 stars for bringing stage to page!