Spotlight Review: A Fortune of Sand, by Ruta Sepetys
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Why A Fortune of Sand is a Must-Read Historical Mystery
By Kim Childress
A Fortune of Sand by bestselling and award-winning author, Ruta Sepetys, is a book that pulls you so fully into its world that you emerge feeling as though you’ve traveled through time.
As both a writer and editor, I deeply appreciate the power of a compelling opening—those critical first words that establish tone, tension, and promise. Sepetys delivers immediately, pulling readers into a world where elegance and decay coexist, where fortunes are made and lost, and where appearances rarely tell the full story.
From the very first line, I was hooked.
Set against the dazzling yet dangerous backdrop of 1920s Detroit, A Fortune of Sand is a richly layered historical novel filled with ambition, mystery, family loyalty, societal expectations, and the seismic transformation of a city on the brink of reinvention. Though Ruta Sepetys is beloved for her acclaimed young adult novels—works that have long resonated with adult readers as well—A Fortune of Sand marks her first novel written specifically for adults, and it is yet another excellent literary addition to her collected works.
Detroit: The Paris of the Midwest Meets Motor City
The setting is a character itself.
A Detroit, Michigan native, Sepetys vividly captures Detroit during a period of extraordinary transformation, when the city was evolving from the glamorous “Paris of the Midwest” into the booming industrial force that would define a generation. The contrast between glittering society events and the harsher realities beneath them makes the story even more powerful. Even the author’s note is a journey in itself. Sepetys spent a decade researching this novel, visiting Michigan locations, uncovering historical details, and immersing herself in the stories that shaped the book. As someone who didn’t grow up in Michigan, I found myself wanting to embark on my own A Fortune of Sand discovery tour by the time I reached the final page. That depth of research shows.
Characters That Stay With You
A core aspect of all her books, Sepetys creates characters that stay with you. I particularly connected with main-character Marjorie, Ivy, Lilah, and all of the women and their unique personalities, philosophies, and humor, as they navigate the era in which they live. Some of the dialogue and social interactions in the early chapters had me laughing out loud—making the emotional turns later in the novel hit all the harder, especially Marjorie as she navigates shifting expectations, harsh realities, and her own loss of innocence (powerful). All of the characters were vivid, distinct, and combined to make the story wholly unforgettable.
There were characters who emerged from discoveries related to fraud and theft. And, of course, those dubious characters were so fun to write! ~ Ruta Sepetys
A Mystery Worth Savoring ~ Without spoilers
The final reveal is perfect. The ending is immensely satisfying.The kind of ending that makes you want to immediately flip back to chapter one and reread everything with fresh eyes. (For the record: all of my predictions were wrong, and I consider myself a pretty savvy mystery reader.)
The Power of Historical Fiction
One of Ruta Sepetys’s greatest gifts as a storyteller is her ability to illuminate overlooked moments in history through deeply personal narratives. Historical fiction at its best doesn’t merely teach—it connects. It reminds us that the struggles, hopes, injustices, and transformations of the past still echo today. Sepetys continues to do that masterfully.
A Fortune of Sand explores themes of societal expectations, media influence, newspaper power structures, wealth disparity, reinvention, ambition, women’s autonomy, and survival. The book is a literary success and bound to be a future classic. Beautifully researched, filled with mystery, heartbreak, resilience, and revelation, A Fortune of Sand captures a city and era in extraordinary transition.
✔ Enter our FINAL WEEK giveaway-3 copies of A Fortune of Sand, sponsored by Ballantine Books.
Related Reads & Features
✔ Read our exclusive interview with Ruta Sepetys
✔ Browse all her books on our featured Bookshop list, Featured Author | Ruta Sepetys
✔ Thrillers for the Decades: Historical Fiction Reading List ~ Adult Readers
✔ Codebreakers, Dreamers, and Survivors: Historical Fiction to Inspire Young Readers ~ Juvenile & YA
Ruta Sepetys is an internationally acclaimed, #1 New York Times bestselling author of historical fiction published in over sixty countries and forty languages. Winner of the Carnegie Medal and honored by the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Ruta gives voice to underrepresented history and those who experienced it. She has been invited to present at NATO, European Parliament, the U.S. Capitol, the Library of Congress, and embassies worldwide. Ruta alternates her time between the hills of Tennessee and the flats of Florida.
Author Residence: Nashville, TN
Author Hometown: Detroit, MI
Author Website: www.rutasepetys.com/
Author Social Media: IG: @rutasepytysauthor
A Fortune of Sand, Ballantine Books, May 26, 2026, $30 Hardcover, 9798217093243;
BISAC: Fiction / Historical / 20th Century; Fiction / Women; Fiction / Mystery & Detective
Kim Childress | Book Editor, Girls’ Life | Founder, Childress Ink & Ink-a-Dink Bookstore
Champion of Great Books for Readers