Under a Maui Moon

Robin Jones Gunn. New York: Howard Books, 2010. 288 pp. (Paperback).

Robin Jones Gunn wrote children’s books when her children were small, then books for adolescents when they were older. Now — you guessed it — her children are grown, and she has turned to writing for adults. Gunn is perhaps best known for her inspirational Christy Miller and Katie Weldon series for teenage readers. Her more recent work for adults includes the Sisterchicks series and “Under a Maui Moon.”

“Under a Maui Moon” is the story of Carissa, a woman who experiences some turbulence in her life that threatens her marriage and her faith. The unexpected loan of a house in Maui offers Carissa an opportunity to reflect on her life, which has not gone as she had planned, and to consider what a new life could be like.

With well-developed characters and an enchanting setting, the book draws the reader in and refuses to let go, as Carissa faces some hard facts about herself and her relationship with her husband, which leads her to an examination of her relationship with God.