Story of the Sand

Story of the Sand
Mark Pickering
iUniverse, Inc.
ISBN: 978-0595472055
Fiction, Contemporary
Reviewed by Muhammed Hassanali

After serving time in Iraq, Sampson returns home a changed man. He has experienced the brutality of war, seen mangled and burnt bodies, and witnessed his friends get blown up and die before his eyes. His psychological wounds are deeper than anyone (including Sam) realizes.
Now a civilian burdened with mental, relationship, and other problems, the life he once knew begins to unravel. After his wife leaves him he retreats into the woods where he lives a primitive life stealing when he can, and living as best as he can. Here a ghost of his friend (who he has known since childhood and a fellow soldier) appears. This ghost enables Sam to elevate himself to a more human aspect of himself, giving him the courage to face his fears and the strength to realize his hopes.
The story is not about politics (while there is some of that), it is a personal story, a story of human emotions, feelings, hopes and tragedies. Pickering describes sordid moments as well as tender ones. While the reader may not be fond of Sam, the narrative does weave a tale that evokes empathy for him. The deeper questions that this novel asks are how we as a society value our veterans, the price they paid for their country, and the cost (emotional and otherwise) that their loved ones and those close to them shoulder when they return home- decorated or not.