The Destiny of Sunshine Ranch is the story of ten children, ignored, abused, handed off to others to raise, and lost from their respective parents. They all end up placed in a foster home called Sunshine Ranch, owned by a Catholic couple, Martha and David Credence. Mr. Jones, lovingly called “Bones,” helps out the family and the farm.
The author describes each character with such love and truth that the reader comes to know them and love each of them. Benedict is the first of the children introduced, and the story follows his troubles from one home to another, and how he is able to deal with the pain of being rejected by his mother. Benedict doesn’t trust and he doesn’t believe in things getting better. He shows feelings of abandonment:
And on the wall above his head, hung a picture of the Virgin Mary cradling her baby Jesus. Benedict sat up and turned to get a better look at that picture. He wondered if his own mother, whoever she was, ever held him the same way. Yeah, right, he thought. A mother who held her baby that way would never let go.
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