--- title: "Book Notes: Casting the First Stone" description: "Barb Szyszkiewicz reviews a novel written by CatholicMom.com contributor Lisa Lawmaster Hess. \"Casting the First Stone\" questions whether anyone can really \"win\" in a custody battle." --- [![catholic-mom-logo-v2](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/images/catholic-mom-logo-v2.svg "catholic-mom-logo-v2")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) [![search-icon](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/search-icon.svg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2015/07/22/book-notes-casting-the-first-stone#) # Book Notes: Casting the First Stone Jul 22, 2015 9:30:31 AM  |  by [Barb Szyszkiewicz](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/barb-szyszkiewicz-ofs) [![Book Notes 720 x 340 medium blue outline and medium blue pen _ Notes light blue (2)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Book-Notes-720-x-340-medium-blue-outline-and-medium-blue-pen-_-Notes-light-blue-2-550x260-27.png?width=550&height=260&name=Book-Notes-720-x-340-medium-blue-outline-and-medium-blue-pen-_-Notes-light-blue-2-550x260-27.png)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Book-Notes-720-x-340-medium-blue-outline-and-medium-blue-pen-_-Notes-light-blue-2-90.png) Who knows what's best for 12-year-old Charli? - Is it Marita, her single mother, who was only 17 when Charli was born and who avoids the church she feels is always judging her? - Is it her grandparents, who try to control Marita's life--and Charli's too? - Is it Jim, Charli's workaholic father, who chose his frat-boy lifestyle over his baby but now wants full custody? - Is it Angel, Charli's stepmother, who fears that her inability to conceive a child of her own will ruin her marriage? [![casting the first stone cover](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/casting-the-first-stone-cover-258x400.jpg?width=258&height=400&name=casting-the-first-stone-cover-258x400.jpg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/casting-the-first-stone-cover.jpg) In a child-custody tug-of-war, is it possible for anyone to "win"? Lisa Lawmaster Hess explores this question in her novel ***[Casting the First Stone](http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B00I2F1A18/catholicmom)***. Her background as a counselor shows as she probes this complicated subject from two points of view: those of Charli's mother and her stepmother. Dual points of view don't always work in a novel, but they definitely do in this one. Maybe that's because the points of view shown are those of a mother and stepmother. There are a lot of questions regarding various characters' motivations, but it becomes clear to the reader exactly who has the child's best interest at heart. I've read this novel twice already and I look forward to the sequel, due out this fall! Catholicmom.com contributor Lisa Lawmaster Hess is not only a novelist; she is a teacher, speaker and nonfiction writer as well. [Learn more about Lisa's other work here](http://l2hess.blogspot.com/). **Be sure to check out [our Book Notes archive](http://catholicmom.com/category/book-notes/).** **When you purchase this book through the affiliate link in this post, you support the work we do at CatholicMom.com at no extra cost to you!**   *Copyright 2015 Barb Szyszkiewicz, OFS.* ### Share this article [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F07%2F22%2Fbook-notes-casting-the-first-stone%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F07%2F22%2Fbook-notes-casting-the-first-stone%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F07%2F22%2Fbook-notes-casting-the-first-stone%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=Book%20Notes%3A%20Casting%20the%20First%20Stone) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F07%2F22%2Fbook-notes-casting-the-first-stone%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F07%2F22%2Fbook-notes-casting-the-first-stone%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ** #### About the Author ![Barb Szyszkiewicz](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/BSzyszkiewicz%202022.jpg) ### [Barb Szyszkiewicz](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/barb-szyszkiewicz-ofs) Barb Szyszkiewicz, senior editor at [CatholicMom.com](http://catholicmom.com), is a wife, mom of 3 young adults, and a Secular Franciscan. Barb enjoys writing, cooking, and reading, and is a music minister at her parish. Find her blog at [FranciscanMom](http://franciscanmom.com) and her family’s favorite recipes with nutrition information at [Cook and Count](http://cookandcount.wordpress.com). Barb is the author of *[The Handy Little Guide to Prayer](https://amzn.to/2LQB2oL)* and * [The Handy Little Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours](https://amzn.to/3wbDB8k)*, available from Our Sunday Visitor. ## Related Blog Articles [ Book Notes: A Christmas-Season Sequel Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2015/12/17/book-notes-a-christmas-season-sequel) [ Meatless Fridays with CRS Rice Bowl: Rice and Lentil Mash Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2016/02/26/meatless-fridaycrs-rice-bowl) [ Book Notes: Holy Hacks Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2019/03/04/book-notes-holy-hacks/) ## Comments ## Donate now [![Support Catholic Mom](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545) [![CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png?width=1806&height=731&name=CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png "CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) ##### Subscribe to Catholic Momcast on iTunes or Spotify [![itunes-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/itunes-logo-black.svg)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-momcast/id1362352357)[![spotify-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/spotify-logo-black.svg)](https://open.spotify.com/show/15CoipHL7z61IDcYErV0b8?si=hqaQJSxDQgq7S1hxCwsoxQ) ##### CatholicMom on Social Networks [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) ##### About Catholic Mom [Who We Are](https://www.catholicmom.com/about-us) [Contact Us](https://www.catholicmom.com/contact) [Support CatholicMom.com](https://www.catholicmom.com/support-us)   ##### Associated Links [Holy Cross Family Ministries](https://www.hcfm.org/) [Family Rosary](https://www.familyrosary.org/) [Family Theater Productions](https://www.familytheater.org/) [Congregation of the Holy Cross](https://www.holycrossusa.org/) [Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C.](https://www.fatherpeyton.org/) [The Peyton Institute for Domestic Church Life](https://www.peytonfamilyinstitute.org/) ### **Stay connected!** Don’t miss a thing! 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