The image of my eight-year-old Austin sleeping with his snow leopard under one arm and his Bible under the other.
My little EJ telling me that he slept great because, “I just remembered all my Bible verses and God gave me sleep.”
My precious Sean coming up to me, all smiles, after his champion soccer team lost badly in the first round of the state playoffs. “Did you see me, Mom?”
“Yes, Sean,” I told him. “You played very hard. I’m proud of you.”
“No, not that.” He pointed to the empty midfield. “Before the game I got everyone in a circle so we could pray.”
The examples in my own life are without limit.
Big, strong Josh, taking half an hour to gather five packs of his own gum and write his sister and brothers each a note with a little cross on it. Josh taping the notes to the packs of gum, and secretly delivering one to the foot of each of his siblings’ beds.
“I felt like God wanted me to share.”
There’s Tyler at thirteen years old, stringing a sign up on his bedroom door that reads, “I believe!” and telling me, “I just want everyone who comes here to know where I stand.”
And finally Kelsey, who at sixteen is in the middle of strong peer pressure, finding her dad and me and saying, “You know what makes my day absolutely perfect? When I start out by reading my Bible.”
Our kids come up with things like this, and my husband and I find ourselves wanting to memorize Scripture and strengthen our faith and wake up early enough to start our day right, too.
Like Dandelion Dust
raises interesting questions, questions about what makes someone a mother, and what it means to truly love a child. You’ll find more of these questions in the Reading Group Guide at the end of this book.
I realize that there are many true-life stories that start out like the Campbells’. But sadly, many do not have miracle endings—at least not the endings adoptive parents are praying for. In those cases, my heart and prayers are with you. I can only believe that we—like children—are in the backseat however long the journey lasts. God is driving, and we must trust that in the end, if we stay with Him, He’ll get us safely home.
As always, I’d love to hear from you. You can contact me by visiting my Web site at www.KarenKingsbury.com. The site has a new look and many more reader features, including a running blog of my life as a wife, mom, and author, a section for book clubs, and a place where you can connect with other readers.
If you are part of a book club, take a minute and register your group. That way you can connect with another reader group—perhaps in your state or across the country. You can agree to read the same book, and swap e-mails in the process. It’s a great way to make new friends!
I pray this finds you filled with joy and peace. May God always be at the center of your families, and may you learn from the children He has placed in your lives. Remember—we have much to gain by watching the faith of our children.
In His light and love. Until next time,
Karen Kingsbury
1. Have you ever known someone who adopted a child and then had that child taken away because the adoption fell through? Describe that situation. How did the adoptive parents handle the loss?
2. What did you think of Molly and Jack’s decision to leave the country?
3. Is there any way to justify the decision Molly and Jack made?
4. Read the story of Mary and Joseph’s escape to Egypt in Matthew, chapter 2. Did this give moral precedent for Molly and Jack to take Joey and flee the country? Why or why not?
5. What Molly and Jack wanted to do was illegal, no question about it. If you were Beth, would you have turned them in? Why or why not?
6. Molly and Beth shared a special relationship. What were some of the reasons they were close?
7. Describe a close relationship you have with a sister or a friend. What makes that relationship close?
8. Have there been times when you have had to make a difficult decision—like the one Beth made—for the good of someone you love? Describe that situation. What was the outcome?
9. How might God have blessed Molly and Jack if they hadn’t tried to defy the law?
10. Why was Jack so closed to the possibility of God’s help while he looked for a way to keep custody of Joey? Explain your answer.
11. What did Beth mean when she said that God’s will is always accomplished if you ask Him? Can you give an example of this in your life?
12. Wendy Porter was a woman caught up in abuse. Do you know anyone in a similar situation? Why do people stay in harmful relationships?
13. Read 1 Kings, chapter 3. How does the story of the two mothers relate to the sacrifice Wendy made on behalf of her son? How is the Bible story different?
14. Who was your favorite character in
Like Dandelion Dust
? Why?
15. Which character are you most like? How?
16. Do you think Molly and Jack would’ve gotten away with their plan? Why or why not?
17. Do you think they would’ve been happy in their new life in the Cayman Islands? Why or why not?
18. What would you do if a judge ordered that one of your children had to be taken away?
19. If you could make any change to the adoption laws in this country, what change would you make? Do you think the current system protects children most of the time, some of the time, or all of the time?
20. What did you learn from reading this novel?