The Storm

A Novel.

On wealthy Plantation Island in South Florida, an old man waits. Kenzie Maxwell is a writer, a raconteur, a rascal, an altruist, a mystic - a charismatic figure who enjoys life with his rich third wife but muses daily on the sins of the past.

Two decades ago, Kenzie had to leave New York because of a scandal. He'd been a volunteer at a runaway shelter, and he'd fallen deeply in love with a seventeen-year-old girl - a girl who died while giving birth to Kenzie's daughter. His older brother, Dalton, a lawyer and board member at the shelter, decided to quell the rumors by releasing Kenzie's note of apology to the press. Kenzie's reputation - and the girl's - were destroyed. He has never forgiven his brother.

Now it's the eve of Kenzie's seventieth birthday, and a storm is brewing. His beloved daughter, Bree - the child of the scandal - is coming down from New York for his birthday party. But his brother Dalton is coming down, too, to do some legal work for the island's ill-tempered matriarch. Aided and abetted by Dalton's happy-go-lucky stepson, a loutish gardener, a New Age windsurfer, a bumbling bishop and a bona fide tempest, Kenzie must somehow contrive to reconcile with his brother - and make peace with his past.

Infused with humanity and informed by faith, this captivating novel is richly satisfying contemporary story of fragmented families and love's many mysteries that will move you, make you laugh and fill you with wonder.