Book excerpt: Annika Williams left teaching to help raise her teenagers, Jarren and Lexi, and she hasn't regretted it. Along with her loving, sensitive husband, Annika and her family are living the good life in a Lincoln, Nebraska suburb. But life has more in store for Annika when her husband, the Reverend Zebediah Williams, introduces her to Carl, a homeless eleven-year-old boy with a sketchy past. Moved by his love of children and a desire to save the boy from the streets Pastor Williams convinces a reluctant Annika to adopt Carl. Perhaps motivated by a good heart or some agency quota, Carl's caseworker, Rose, tells Annika that children like Carl come with something a little extra and would bring another dimension to their family. Unfortunately, it doesn't take long before Annika figures out what Rose meant. Not only is Carl emotionally unstable, but his altercations with the police and his knack for pitting her against her family exhaust Annika and make it incredibly difficult for her to maintain her sanity. Yet Annika knows God is carrying her through all the grief. Now, if He'll just give her the patience and strength to hold on to this little boy who has completely captured her heart A heartwarming, touching tale, The Boarder shows the amazing healing power of love.