![The Daughter of the Sea and the Sky by [Litwack, David]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51RecmABXKL._SY346_.jpg)
Nine-year-old Kailani is rescued from a small boat that shipwrecks near some cliffs where two young people, Jason and Helena are enjoying the beach. Kailani is from the Blessed Lands where society is based solely on their religious beliefs and she has landed on the shores of The Republic whose society is based only on science and reasoning (no religion).
Jason and Helena have just rekindled an old childhood friendship after a several-year parting of ways when she went away to school. Helena had returned to nurse her father in his final days before succumbing to terminal illness.
Kailani is taken away by an officer of the Department of Separation for entering the country illegally and Jason and Helena, having been touched by the sweetness of the young child are concerned about her being imprisoned in such a place see what they can do to help her.
Daughter of the Sea and Sky was a very captivating story. It was a story with many dimensions. It was a love story. It was a story of endings and beginnings. And it was a story about spiritual beliefs and the right to have that belief.
Kailani was a very mysterious child. She would not tell anyone who her parents were beyond that she was the child of the sea and the sky. They knew she was from the Blessed Lands because of the things that she said. Anyone in the Republic would be put in prison for talking about spiritual things.
I enjoyed how Kailani's presence affected the relationships of the people around her. Without Kailani's presence, it's probably doubtful that Helena and her mother would have reconciled, and quite possible that they might never have seen one another again. Kailani shows how important spiritual beliefs are to people.
The love story in The Daughter of the Sea and the Sky is not just between Jason and Helena, but it is about the love of parents for their children, and what they will do to find them when they are lost. This was the most touching part of this book.
This was an emotional story, discussing a theme that many people have distinct and varying opinions on. I thought David Litwack’s did an excellent job of showing that there is room for both science and faith.
The Daughter of the Sea and the Sky is a memorable story. I definitely wanted to know who she was and why she was there. I got so lost in the story that I had to be careful when I was reading it because I would literally tune out everything around me and not hear my name being called (nearly missed an appointment!) while I was reading.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Daughter of the Sea and the Sky and would happily read it again. I gave it 5 stars out of 5.
Thank you to the author for providing a copy in exchange for a fair and honest review. A positive opinion was not required. All thoughts are my own.
This review was published on my blog Shelf Full of Books [...]
Product Description
A thought-provoking look at the line between faith and fantasy, fanatics and followers, and religion and reason.
WINNER: Pinnacle Book Achievement Award, Fall 2014 - Best Fantasy
WINNER: Awesome Indies Seal of Excellence
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” ~ Albert Einstein
Children of the Republic, Helena and Jason were inseparable in their youth, until fate sent them down different paths. Grief and duty sidetracked Helena's plans, and Jason came to detest the hollowness of his ambitions.
These two damaged souls are reunited when a tiny boat from the Blessed Lands crashes onto the rocks near Helena's home after an impossible journey across the forbidden ocean. On board is a single passenger, a nine-year-old girl named Kailani, who calls herself The Daughter of the Sea and the Sky. A new and perilous purpose binds Jason and Helena together again, as they vow to protect the lost innocent from the wrath of the authorities, no matter the risk to their future and freedom.
But is the mysterious child simply a troubled little girl longing to return home? Or is she a powerful prophet sent to unravel the fabric of a godless Republic, as the outlaw leader of an illegal religious sect would have them believe? Whatever the answer, it will change them all forever... and perhaps their world as well.
"...a fully imagined, gripping read...." ~ Kirkus Reviews
"Author David Litwack gracefully weaves together his message with alternating threads of the fantastic and the realistic.... The reader will find wisdom and grace in this beautifully written story." ~ San Francisco Book Review
Evolved Publishing presents the literary saga of a young girl plucked from the sea under mysterious circumstances, from the award-winning author of The Seekers series and Along the Watchtower. [DRM-Free]
Books by David Litwack:
- The Children of Darkness (The Seekers - Book 1)
- The Stuff of Stars (The Seekers - Book 2)
- The Light of Reason (The Seekers - Book 3)
- The Daughter of the Sea and the Sky
- Along the Watchtower
More Great Literary Fiction from Evolved Publishing:
- The Atheist and the Parrotfish by Richard Barager
- Hannah's Voice by Robb Grindstaff
- Enfold Me by Steven Greenberg
