Against the Tide: Book 1 of the Caines Island Stories

Caines Island sits just beyond the mouth of the Charleston River in South Carolina. Even in the 1970's the island remains a rural oasis, overlooked by developers and the burgeoning city of Charleston. Residents of the island form a tightknit community and Alma, Max and Lousie embrace Callie and her daughter as family. Through all her challenges, Callie returns to the ocean and its wildlife as a place for renewal and peace.

She faces challenges from society, her mother, and the weather as she works to make a living on the small island by selling seafood on the pier. Callie's mother, Lydia, wrestles with her own troubled past and strongly opposes her daughter's decision to remain on Caines Island. After Callie has an argument with her mother, her brother Bobby, a doctor, gives her a box of old letters and pictures during a visit to their parents. Frustrated by her mother's behavior, Callie puts them on a shelf and forgets about them.

Things are looking up for her until a hurricane destroys the pier. Callie, along with her daughter, retreats briefly to her parents' home in Columbia. After prompting from Alma and Max, Callie gets a business loan to purchase a store on the island. She, Alma, and Max enter a partnership to purchase the store, which they name: Caines Seaside Emporium.

Although Callie is successful in business, she becomes restless and wonders if something is missing in her life. Before going to Columbia for Thanksgiving, Callie meets Luke, an artist, and wants to develop a relationship with him. When Callie returns home, she and Luke date and eventually marry. As they discuss Kimberly graduating high school and renovating the island house, another hurricane strikes the island.