The Nine Assignments (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780692801482)

Half siblings Gina Chambers and Larry Langley were once close, but as adults they have nothing in common.

Gina and her husband, Steve, are farmers in rural Indiana, where they have a hard time paying their bills, much less realizing their dream of opening a riding and boarding stable.

Meanwhile, Larry lives a stylish life with a lucrative career in the film industry. He has a beautiful wife, a son, and a house in Malibu overlooking the Pacific Ocean. He is the picture of success, but he isn't as happy as he appears.

They are already separated by distance and lifestyles, and when Larry refuses Gina's appeal for money to save her family's farm they become completely estranged.

Then the siblings receive identical mysterious letters containing a list of assignments from their artist mother. If the two can complete the assignments together, they will receive a monetary reward. Both are reluctant, but after they do them they realize their mother has given them an important task-and an extraordinary gift.

When the family gathers at Anita's mountain cottage during the holidays to share their results, she reveals long-kept secrets that will further change all their lives.