Book excerpt: This is the love story of Michael Keddington and Faye Murrow, a love story that takes place not in seclusion but in the real world, with the challenges that all lovers must face. No relationship is an island: There are threads that bind us all and pull at our lives -- the demands of family, of friends, of work, and social obligation. And there are times that the pull of those threads becomes greater than the strength of the relationship. In these times, no matter how much two people love each other, a relationship must grow strong or be torn apart. The Carousel is about what happens when life doesn't turn out the way that we planned. Beyond a love story, it is about faith, loyalty, and sacrifice. My hope is that you, and those with whom you share this book, might find the message of this story meaningful and applicable to your own life. And that in some way you might feel changed. Sincerely, Richard Paul Evans