The Language of Sand: A Novel

(Paperback)

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A magical novel that unravels one of lifes greatest mysterieshow to go on after a devastating lossthrough the power of words and their ability to heal, to transform, and to touch the heart.

Luck: an event that could be for good or ill, depending on your interpretation.

As a lexicographer, Abigail Harker has always taken refuge in the meaning of words. But when fate erases in one tragic moment what she loves the most, the very foundations of her life vanish.

Abigail retreats to Chapel Isle, a secluded island in North Carolinas Outer Banks. As caretaker of a run-down lighthouse, she hopes to redefine herself. But as a resident soon remarks, If you came to Chapel Isle for normal, you came to the wrong place.

For on Chapel Isle, no one can be neatly defined. From a scientific genius to the feuding fishermens wives, from a handsome hothead to the ghost said to be haunting the lighthouse, everyone is struggling to find meaning where meaning seems lost. And when a series of mysterious crimes strikes the island, Abigail finds that she must face down her deepest fears if she is to save herself, her neighbors, and the new life shes unexpectedly come to cherish.

Reviews

The Language of Sand has something for everyone: myths, mystery, community, humor, grief, and ultimately healing. I found myself not only rooting for Abigail but for the whole community of Chapel Isle. Block manages to hold sass and heartfelt emotion in perfect equilibrium.Brunonia Barry, New York Times bestselling author of The Lace Reader

[A] book-club-friendly read that will have readers itching for a sequel.Booklist

"In subtle, graceful prose, Ellen Block gives us a tale that is both filled with longing and hopeful."Cathy Buchanan, author of The Day the Falls Stood Still

Author Bio

Ellen Blockis the author (as Brett Ellen Block) of The Grave of Gods Daughter and the Macavity Award-nominated novel, The Lighting Rule. She lives in Los Angeles.