Under A Maui Moon-Robin Jones Gunn

Under A Maui Moon
Robin Jones Gunn
Howard, Jul 2010, $14.99
ISBN: 9781416583394

In Portland, Oregon, with the kids grown up and out of the house, Carissa and Richard Lathrop look forward to the empty nest together. However, she expected to spend most of her free time with her beloved husband. Instead, Carissa is fired due to the economic downturn while Richard’s counseling work as a psychologist keeps him away from home a lot while when he is at their nest he is mentally exhausted and finally his volatile clients are coming to their house.

Clarissa is disappointed with Richard as she feels he has turned to work to spend less time with her. Since he is avoiding her, she accepts a retreat on Maui where she plans to pray to God to help her with the direction her marriage is heading, but Kai distracts from her feelings of desertion by her spouse and the Lord.

This is an interesting inspirational character study as dedicated Dr. Lathrop and his wife Carissa seem to be drifting apart with different needs at a time when they should come together. Carissa is disappointed in her husband, but also fails to understand how important his need to help is. On the other hand, Richard is superb with his unstable clients, but fails to be there while his wife deals with losing her job after the kids left home. Under the Maui Moon is a profound contemporary; as Robin Jones Gunn deftly interweaves into the enjoyable plot that God holds your hand, but you still must reach out to the Lord and to your loved ones.

Harriet Klausner