Castles in the Sand

Drake Starr is the pastor of a mega San Diego church. His only daughter, Kenzie, comes home from a trip and tells her parents that she is pregnant and that her and her boyfriend have no plans to marry. Now that is enough to have the bottom drop from out beneath you. What do you do? Well Pastor Drake and his wife Susan cut their ties with their only child until she "comes to her senses". Susan, trying to be submissive, has no contact with her daughter, until one day she finds herself at the familiar beach house, calling the boyfriends house and talking to his mother. Things get a little complicated for each family, but in the end forgiveness is found and God's love and mercy is experienced.

Both sets of parents come from totally show more different views on how to handle this situation. As Mom Susan said in the book, "It's not just we're hurting because our dauther has got herself in trouble. It's more like 'Help!' What did we do wrong? What do we do now? How do we communicate love and forgiveness and not condone living outside God's order?" This was a huge problem for this author to tackle. And although at times I felt like folks were a little too condoning and loving, without letting this couple know that they would have to answer to God about the choices they were making, I felt that she brought it all together at the end in a very emtional but realistic way, and appreciated how she handled this sensitive and very real situation. There were things that needed to be dealt with in the parents life, as well as in their childrens, but God can and will work all things out, if we are willing to listen to Him and not to our wants and desires when it goes against His Word. A very thought provoking story for me.

This is book 2 in the Beach House Series, but you can very easily read this as a stand alone book, or out of order in the series, as the main tie in to both books is the house on the beach and the different people who "get away" there. show less

The author did such a good job describing the uncomfortable mother in this book that I almost couldn't bear it but just in time things started changing. The relationships between the ladies in this book were wonderful and varied. I absolutely loved it. My only hesitation in recommending would be that it could come across too preachy to some. I had no problem with the prayers and scripture...it seemed a natural part of the characters. (Also, I LOVE the BEACH!)

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11868421