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Casting the First Stone
Angel wants only one thing - the very thing Marita has already given Jim. Worst of all, Angel fears that Jim's sudden desire to be a full-time father to Charli means he's given up hope of starting a family with her.
Marita has no intention of losing custody to Jim, the man who initially abandoned them. But in the battle for Charli, Marita is almost certain she will lose. Limited resources and a questionable reputation threaten her standing as the best parent to raise her daughter.
Both women are determined to keep their families together...but at what cost?
Marita has no intention of losing custody to Jim, the man who initially abandoned them. But in the battle for Charli, Marita is almost certain she will lose. Limited resources and a questionable reputation threaten her standing as the best parent to raise her daughter.
Both women are determined to keep their families together...but at what cost?
244 pages, Paperback
First published January 22, 2014
32 people are currently reading
257 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Hess
8Ìýbooks9ÌýfollowersLisa is a transplanted Jersey girl who has lived in Pennsylvania most of her adult life. After obtaining a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in education, Lisa worked for 27 years as an elementary school counselor. Now retired from elementary education, Lisa works as an adjunct professor of psychology at York College of Pennsylvania. When she's not teaching, she works on blogs, articles and books.
Lisa is the author of three nonfiction books and three novels, and a contributor to The Catholic Mom's Prayer Companion. She blogs at the Porch Swing Chronicles (), Organizing by STYLE () and CatholicMom.com.
Lisa is the author of three nonfiction books and three novels, and a contributor to The Catholic Mom's Prayer Companion. She blogs at the Porch Swing Chronicles (), Organizing by STYLE () and CatholicMom.com.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
November 7, 2016
I won this is in a Facebook giveaway, and while it is not something I would necessarily choose to read, I thoroughly enjoyed Casting the First Stone.
It's a bit uncomfortable in the beginning, because the reader is a fly on the wall during a custody mediation that doesn't go well, and those kinds of confrontations always distress me. But the story is so compelling and well written that I was hooked. Usually I like lots of action and suspense in my reads, but despite this being "tame" by my "usual" standards, I was held in suspense wondering how it was all going to work out.
The characters were well drawn and believable, and the conflict so well depicted, I felt fully invested in seeing things work out for these two disparate women, and for Charli, the "prize" they all were fighting for. I found Angel to be sweet and brave, and Marita to be charming. Charli was perfect as the 'tween just starting to stretch her wings of rebellion. I though Jim was a jerk, and I hoped fervently that he would figure things out without hurting those around him too much.
Finally, I'm not a big fan of being preached at in books, and while the theme of church and faith was strong, it was deftly handled so that I never once felt like this was a lecture disguised as a novel. Very well done.
If you enjoy a clean, character driven read with just the right amount of angst and interpersonal struggle, you'll enjoy Casting the First Stone.
It's a bit uncomfortable in the beginning, because the reader is a fly on the wall during a custody mediation that doesn't go well, and those kinds of confrontations always distress me. But the story is so compelling and well written that I was hooked. Usually I like lots of action and suspense in my reads, but despite this being "tame" by my "usual" standards, I was held in suspense wondering how it was all going to work out.
The characters were well drawn and believable, and the conflict so well depicted, I felt fully invested in seeing things work out for these two disparate women, and for Charli, the "prize" they all were fighting for. I found Angel to be sweet and brave, and Marita to be charming. Charli was perfect as the 'tween just starting to stretch her wings of rebellion. I though Jim was a jerk, and I hoped fervently that he would figure things out without hurting those around him too much.
Finally, I'm not a big fan of being preached at in books, and while the theme of church and faith was strong, it was deftly handled so that I never once felt like this was a lecture disguised as a novel. Very well done.
If you enjoy a clean, character driven read with just the right amount of angst and interpersonal struggle, you'll enjoy Casting the First Stone.
February 16, 2014
The author's background as a counselor shows--she has a way of getting inside the heads of the two main female characters, Marita and Angel, as they deal with a custody battle for a teenage girl.
May 19, 2014
I really enjoyed reading this book! It's not one that I would ordinarily have picked up - I don't usually read Christian literature (not that I dislike it; it's just not usually what I seek out to read) and I find it hard to relate to books about custody battles, as my parents have a great marriage and, at this point in my life, I do not have any children. But when my former guidance counselor asked me to review this for her, I was super excited about it, and I'm even more excited now because I can honestly say that I liked it!
I think my favorite part of the book was the characters. Obviously, custody battles are incredibly difficult for everyone involved. Hess did a great job of showing that in most cases, there are no bad guys - just parents trying to do what's best for their kids, but sometimes, the tension makes it difficult to keep that in mind. I really liked being able to see both Marita and Angel's points of view. Marita's tough and fiesty, and she definitely has a chip on her shoulder. She thinks everyone's out to get her, understandably so, as she's had a hard time as a single mother. Her relationship with her parents actually reminded me a lot of Gilmore Girls, which was totally fine with me since I love that show. Marita views her daughter's stepmother, Angel, as a prissy young girl who bows her husband's every whim - and, because of the shifting POVs, we get to see that this is definitely not the case. Though Angel is young and is very dedicated to being a good Christian, she has plenty of challenges of her own - including her husband. Jim was the only main character in the book who I did not like at ALL. He does sort of turn himself around by the end, but for the majority of the book, he's a bully. I felt so bad for Angel for having to deal with him all the time. I would NOT have her patience if I were in the same situation!
I did feel that there were some details that were kind of superfluous, such as Marita's date with Gregory and her relationship with Lukas, which was never really finalized by the end of the book. They weren't bad, they just seemed like extra details that weren't really necessary to the book. Lukas' role was more significant than Gregory's, as it showed Marita's efforts to try to demonstrate her ability to be a good parent as well as her change of heart toward religion, but I still wish that her relationship with Lukas had been defined by the end of the book, since it was included. Without there being a more significant purpose to it and a more definite conclusion, it came across as filler information.
I really enjoyed this book and I think that it's a good one for parents to read, and not only parents who may be having custody problems. Again, since I'm not a parent myself I couldn't always relate to everything that was going on, but I felt that this book did a good job of portraying the disagreements that many parents have and showing, in the end, good ways of coming to a compromise.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author to review, but in no way did this influence my review.
Review originally posted at
I think my favorite part of the book was the characters. Obviously, custody battles are incredibly difficult for everyone involved. Hess did a great job of showing that in most cases, there are no bad guys - just parents trying to do what's best for their kids, but sometimes, the tension makes it difficult to keep that in mind. I really liked being able to see both Marita and Angel's points of view. Marita's tough and fiesty, and she definitely has a chip on her shoulder. She thinks everyone's out to get her, understandably so, as she's had a hard time as a single mother. Her relationship with her parents actually reminded me a lot of Gilmore Girls, which was totally fine with me since I love that show. Marita views her daughter's stepmother, Angel, as a prissy young girl who bows her husband's every whim - and, because of the shifting POVs, we get to see that this is definitely not the case. Though Angel is young and is very dedicated to being a good Christian, she has plenty of challenges of her own - including her husband. Jim was the only main character in the book who I did not like at ALL. He does sort of turn himself around by the end, but for the majority of the book, he's a bully. I felt so bad for Angel for having to deal with him all the time. I would NOT have her patience if I were in the same situation!
I did feel that there were some details that were kind of superfluous, such as Marita's date with Gregory and her relationship with Lukas, which was never really finalized by the end of the book. They weren't bad, they just seemed like extra details that weren't really necessary to the book. Lukas' role was more significant than Gregory's, as it showed Marita's efforts to try to demonstrate her ability to be a good parent as well as her change of heart toward religion, but I still wish that her relationship with Lukas had been defined by the end of the book, since it was included. Without there being a more significant purpose to it and a more definite conclusion, it came across as filler information.
I really enjoyed this book and I think that it's a good one for parents to read, and not only parents who may be having custody problems. Again, since I'm not a parent myself I couldn't always relate to everything that was going on, but I felt that this book did a good job of portraying the disagreements that many parents have and showing, in the end, good ways of coming to a compromise.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author to review, but in no way did this influence my review.
Review originally posted at
February 23, 2014
In her first novel, CASTING THE FIRST STONE, author Lisa Lawmaster Hess did not marginalize the struggles both Christians and non-Christians bring into relationships. Neither of the two main characters, Marita and Angel, are cardboard characters. They fight, complain, manipulate, and love their way through their insecurities to do the right thing for their child. And they make mistakes and wrong choices along the way. I found myself talking to them: “Not a wise move, Marita.� Why do you care what they think, Angel?� “Did you have to say that?� or “Stand up for yourself!� More than once, I reminded myself that these characters were not real people. I didn’t put the book down until they settled things. That’s when I realized that Hess’s characters Marita and Angel ARE real people, like so many of us. Read CASTING THE FIRST STONE. It'll give you a better understanding of a mother's heart.
April 14, 2014
This was one of my "read for the fun of reading" books and I was not disappointed. Lisa writes about a familiar situation - single mom raising her child with an ensuing custody battle when the father reappears - with sensitivity and a view of God in the midst of difficult situations.
July 20, 2017
This is a well written book about the choices people make and the impact they have on others. It is not a typical "teenage mother raises daughter on her own" book. This book deals very well with forgiveness and grace. If you want to read a book that will give you back some hope for humanity, then read this one. The ending is not all perfect, but it has a good start of something good. This book shows how we can "read" someone wrong, and make the wrong assumptions about someone. Before you decide what a person is like or what they think, take the time to talk with them and really get to know them before you make any rash conclusions. This book can show that it is possible and even to everyone's advantage.
March 28, 2018
This story about the unplanned pregnancy of a sixteen year old girl whose boyfriend denied his child. She has raised her daughter on her own. Now years later he wants his child because he and his wife have had problems conceiving one of their own. Even though he signed away all parental rights he takes his baby moma to court. This is a trying story line. The emotions run up and down. You get a glimpse of the wife as well as the parents of the child. I was not happy with lots of the the father was. Money means power. This has Christian based thoughts but not much more.
July 9, 2017
Casting the First Stone
This subject of custody of children is a heavy one, but I liked the way it was handled by the author. It had some humor in it, and it seemed to have lightened things up, at least for me. I recommend this book for those who like a good, Christian drama.
This subject of custody of children is a heavy one, but I liked the way it was handled by the author. It had some humor in it, and it seemed to have lightened things up, at least for me. I recommend this book for those who like a good, Christian drama.
Read
July 10, 2017read audio version but would prefer to read print version but passed away time on the treadmill Angel is much too sickly sweet
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 26, 2017
A story of bitterness and resentment and unfulfilled dreams replaced by cooperation, forgiveness, and answered prayer.
September 12, 2018
Good read
Enjoyed this book and would recommend to others. Enjoyed seeing the surprise of the current wife and ex aligning togetrger for the common good
Enjoyed this book and would recommend to others. Enjoyed seeing the surprise of the current wife and ex aligning togetrger for the common good
July 3, 2016
Casting the First stone is the tale of a custody battle that has the split couple at each other's throats and looking for blood. Both sides are pulling out all of the stops to ensure that the other doesn't get custody of their daughter.
The father and his new wife want to take the daughter to complete their picture perfect family after many failed attempts to have their own children. The mother wants to keep her daughter safe from the life of her workaholic father and step mom that is trying to claim her daughter as her own to replace her empty womb.
Things get interesting when the two women finally meet and talk and manage to work out a plan that will benefit them both, but can they get the man they have both loved to go along with it, or will he feel betrayed as the two women work against him?
This was a fun read and I really enjoyed it. 4 out of 5 Stars
The father and his new wife want to take the daughter to complete their picture perfect family after many failed attempts to have their own children. The mother wants to keep her daughter safe from the life of her workaholic father and step mom that is trying to claim her daughter as her own to replace her empty womb.
Things get interesting when the two women finally meet and talk and manage to work out a plan that will benefit them both, but can they get the man they have both loved to go along with it, or will he feel betrayed as the two women work against him?
This was a fun read and I really enjoyed it. 4 out of 5 Stars
April 4, 2016
This is a good heartwarming story with Christian values. The characters aren't perfect, but the relationships between the characters are heartfelt. I like how the author wove Christian beliefs into their everyday lives and showed that Christians aren't perfect, but flawed. I look forward to listening to other books by Lisa Lawmaster Hess.
I received this audio book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
I received this audio book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
August 3, 2014
I liked the this book. It deals with the struggle of parenting, relationships, custody battles and a relationship with God.
I felt the addition of Gregory and Lukas into Maritas life left something to be desired. All in all a very good first book for Lisa Hess.
I felt the addition of Gregory and Lukas into Maritas life left something to be desired. All in all a very good first book for Lisa Hess.
July 25, 2016
I like this book. The characters are generally believable and relatable. I appreciate that the author did not feel the need to avoid the tough topics or try to wrap things up in a tidy little package. Life is messy. That's the very reason we need Jesus.
June 10, 2014
I enjoyed this book. It was very different from what I normally read. The real situation and the solution made me smile.
April 13, 2017
Good Read
Wow this one had me worried for a while.I didn't know who to route for.Whether to laugh or cry.Good story.
Wow this one had me worried for a while.I didn't know who to route for.Whether to laugh or cry.Good story.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
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