Today is the eighteenth birthday of Anna Richard's
granddaughter. Anna wishes they could all celebrate it with
Sarah. Sarah ran away two years ago and no one has seen nor
heard from her since. As Anna is pondering this sad
scenario, a boat approaches the dock of Inn at Shinning
Waters, Anna's inn, and the homestead of her ancestors, the
Siuslaw Indians. She recognizes the young boy driving the
boat, but not his passenger. As they come closer, Anna
realizes it is Sarah, thin and pale, but her beloved
granddaughter has returned.
Anna and her husband Clark, along with Anna's daughter,
Lauren (Sarah's mother) are all delighted to see her. But
Sarah is not delighted to see Lauren. There are bad feelings
between the two of them. Lauren was not much of a mother to
Sarah and Sarah doesn't want to have anything to do with
her. This hurts Lauren, but she understands what a mess she
made of her own life. She's just glad to have Sarah back
safely.
Things seem to be progressing, getting Sarah acclimated and
helping out at the inn, as long as she and Lauren steer
clear of each other. Sarah had been living in a commune, but
a change of leadership at the commune caused some to break
away. That's why Sarah left and returned home. But while
Anna is gone one day, Sarah and Lauren have words with each
other in the dining hall. The next morning, Anna discovers
that Sarah has run away again. Her search for Sarah leads
her to the skiff Sarah took, tied up at a neighbor's dock,
with a note saying she would not be returning again and how
sorry she was that things turned out this way. But Anna is
determined to find her.
RIVER'S END is the last of The Inn at Shining Waters
series
by Melody Carlson. The trilogy spans the years from when
Anna returned to her family's home on the river, some fifty
years ago, to the present day. It's a beautiful picture of
how people's lives are influenced by those who have come
before them and the importance of family and belonging.
RIVER'S END is a story of strong sustainable love, of
forgiveness and change. Each of the characters learns that
they have to let go and let their loved ones "paddle their
own canoes," because you can't fix someone else's problems.
This is truly an inspirational, historical tale that will
thrill your heart and teach you many valuable life lessons.
Don't miss this story or the whole series.
In the final story of The Inn at Shining Waters, Anna
Larson's granddaughter Sarah is beginning to find her
independence. But her relationship with her parents suffer
as a result and she travels away from all that is familiar.
While the solace of the river calls Sarah back, surprises
await upon her return. Three generations of family
heartbreak and disappointments converge at Shining Waters as
Sarah finds God right in the center of it all.