Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2004 12:58:50 EST From: Bwstories8@aol.com Subject: The Castaway Hotel - Book 7, Chapter 0-Background TCH BACKGROUND INFORMATION - Book 7 Seeing The Castaway Hotel has grown into a complex, multi-book series, I thought that I should add this to help you keep track of the characters. I will list the boys in the order they came into the story, give some vital statistics about them (as of the beginning of book 7), and a brief summary about how they came to be. I have also decided to include the Book and chapter number when that character was introduced as well. I will also list other characters, who have also been included in the story, at the end. I hope this helps you follow the story better. Josh Currie - A 52 year old widower (47 at the beginning of book 1) with four grown children, who decides to take in foster boys, to help make their lives better. Ricky (Richard Allen Glover Currie) - 17 yo (July 7) college freshman - 5' 9" tall, longish blond hair and gray eyes, cut, and currently dating a girl, though he doesn't mind a little fun with his brothers. Ricky came to Josh as a 7th grade hyperactive, behavioral problem, whose drug addicted mother had died, his father was unknown, and he had no other family. He just got back from being an exchange student in Australia. (Book 1, chapter 1) Danny (Daniel Edward Roma Currie) - 19 yo (May 6) college sophomore - 6' 1" tall, brown hair and brown eyes. cut, athletic build, and currently dating his best friend Brandon. Danny was Josh's second son; he was 13 at the time and kicked out of his home by his parents (mostly his father) when they discovered he was gay. Danny has since reconciled with his mother. (Book 1, chapter 3) Brandon (Brandon Patrick O'Hara) - 19 yo (March 4) college sophomore - Danny's best friend and boyfriend - 6' 2" tall, blond hair, brown eyes, and cut. He is slender, but not thin. He came to live with the Curries so he could finish school in Pennsylvania, as his father took a new job in Texas. (Book 1, chapter 6) Jay (Jay Curtis) - Ricky's best friend - 18 yo (June 10) college freshman - Jay is 5' 10" tall, has red hair and green eyes and is uncut. He was lanky (ungraceful and thin) when younger, but is filling out and his coordination is catching up to him, as he has gotten older. Jay is also dating a girl. (Book 1, chapter 8) Dustin (Dustin Mathew Kowalski Currie) - 20 yo (April 27) college junior - 6' 0" tall, black hair, green eyes, and cut. Solid build, but not fat. Dustin was thrown out of previous foster home because he was caught in a homosexual act with foster parents' son. He is bisexual, once being with Kevin, but now he's dating girls. (Book 1, chapter 13) Kevin (Kevin Michael Baxter Currie) - 18 yo (August 8) college sophomore - 5' 11" tall, longish brown hair, blue eyes, and uncut. Slender, swimmer's build. Kevin was the son of the foster parents Dustin was fooling around with. Father beat him up after he threw Dustin out and Kevin ran away. He was heartbroken when Dustin decided to date girls, but he then went with Nick, who had trouble being faithful, and then Brent, who was killed in a vehicular accident. He is now with Vinnie, a new resident in the Currie household. (Book 1, chapter 14) Cole (Cole David VanCott Currie) - 17 yo (October 22) senior - 5' 9" tall, blond hair, brown eyes and cut. Cole and his brother, Graham, were found abandoned and malnourished. They were taken from their home and placed with Josh. (Book 1, chapter 16) Graham (Graham Thomas VanCott Currie) - 16 yo (March 10) junior - 5' 5 1/2" tall, brown hair, brown eyes, and uncut. Cole's brother and also malnourished when he came to live at the Currie household. Graham also has a very special gift, in which he can foresee certain things happening, and he can communicate with the dead. (Book 1, chapter 16) Pat (Patrick Alan Murray Currie) - 18 yo (May 28) college freshman - 5' 10" tall, dirty blond hair, blue eyes, and cut. Solid build. Pat never had a stable home life, being raised by several different relatives and moving around frequently. This caused him to have problems in school. He had gotten into a minor scrape with the law, and Judge Shay asked Josh to take him in. Pat was attached to Carlos for a while, but now he's dating a girl. He is bi. Lost his eyesight in an accident at school, but can now see out of one eye. (Book 2, chapter 1) Trey (Alexander Michael Daniels III Currie) - 17 yo (February 16) senior - 5' 9 1/2" tall, brown hair, brown eyes, and uncut. He's slender, shy, a bit effeminate, and an avid reader. Trey was an orphan, as his parents and sister were killed in an explosion at his house while he was away. Trey and Dion are now boyfriends. Trey has also won some writing awards in high school. (Book 2, chapter 4) Frankie (Franklin Albert Hopkins) - 19 yo (July 30) (graduated college with a 2-year degree in criminal justice) - 5' 11" tall, black hair, brown eyes, and cut. He has broad shoulders and a solid build. Frankie came as a result of getting into trouble and at the request of Judge Shay. There were several problems and Frankie was taken away, but he came back and was given a second chance by the Curries. Frankie is straight and dating a girl. (Book 2, chapter 9 and Book 3, chapter 20) Sammy (Tsukimo Yamada Currie) - 15 yo (June 1) sophomore - 5' 3" tall, black hair, black eyes, and uncut. He is small for his age. Sammy and his brother, Andrew, came to live with the Curries after the family read that his Japanese father had shot his American wife and then killed himself. The boys only had their Japanese grandparents, who decided they were better off with the Curries. (Book 2, chapter 14) Andrew (Furuhata Yamada Currie) - 12 yo (September 12) 8th grader- 4' 8" tall, black hair, black eyes, and uncut. He is also small for his age. Sammy's brother, and came to the Curries after the murder/suicide of their parents. Andrew is developing some artistic abilities and has won prizes for his drawings. (Book 2, chapter 14) Dion (Dion Jamal Jackson Currie) - 15 yo (November 27) junior - 5' 11", black hair, brown eyes, cut. Dion has toffee colored skin, is a loner and non-athlete. Dion was born to teenage parents and raised by his grandmother. His motheer took off and his father, a fireman, was killed in a fire. When his grandmother died, Sally became his guardian but thought he'd do better with the Curries. Dion and Trey are boyfriends, but Dion is bi and just chooses to be with Trey. Dion has received recognition for his fine singing voice. (Book 2, chapter 16) Carlos (Carlos Miguel Garcia) - 17 yo (January 15) senior - 5' 8 1/2" tall, black hair, brown eyes, and uncut. Carlos is stocky, but not obese. Carlos and his mother (an illegal Mexican immigrant) moved from California to Philadelphia with her boyfriend. The boyfriend physically abused Carlos and Carlos ran away. Josh was able to keep Carlos and his mother together, by helping to arrange for her to be in the country legally and by helping her to find a job and place to live. (Book 2, chapter 20) Nick (Nicholas Mark Lawrence) - 17 yo (February 28) senior - 5' 10" blond hair, blue eyes, and cut. Slender, a swimmer's build. Nick thought his father hated him because he was gay and ran away from home. The Curries found him on their Arizona vacation. They managed to reunite the family, but Nick came to stay with them to go to school. This year he will be an exchange student in Brasil (Brazil). (Book 3, chapter 5) Brent (Brent Alexander Currie) - (birthday was March 17) - Brent was picked up hitchhiking, as the Curries returned from Baltimore. His parents had thrown him out because he was gay and they couldn't change him. Later he was killed in a vehicular accident, when he went on vacation with a friend and his family. He is frequently in communication with Graham, from the other side. (Book 4, chapter 2) Shannon Michael McCarthy - 18 yo (December 16) college freshman 5' 11" blond hair, brown eyes, cut. Shannon is gay and was being bullied by some Boy Scouts, who found out about his orientation, and the Currie boys came to his defense. He and his father came to live with the Curries after Josh suffered a heart attack, at Brent's funeral. (Book 4, chapter 10) Jake McCarty - 36 yo and Shannon's father. He had married and tried to be straight, but it didn't work. He and his wife divorced after she found out, and later she asked him to take Shannon, after she learned he was gay too. He and Shannon moved into the Currie house after Josh suffered a heart attack, but the Currie boys had been trying to fix them up before that. (Book 4, chapter 10) Alvin (Vinnie) Mitchell Rydell - 17 yo (December 17) senior 5' 6" brown hair and brown eyes, uncut- his parents were killed on one of the flights originating out of Boston on 9/11. Vinnie was born with hydrocephalus and cerebral palsy, and uses crutches to get around on. He asked the Shays to adopt him, but he kept his last name. He did this so he and Kevin wouldn't technically be brothers, because they are also lovers. (Book 5, chapter 4) Cody Reynolds - (birthday was January 5) Cody came to live with the Curries when he was 12 and died less than a year later of A.L.L. (acute lymphocytic leukemia). (Book 6, chapter 4) Other recurring characters: Sally Swarthout - works for Dept. of Social Services, and Josh's friend. Sally helped convince Josh to become a foster parent and brought him many of the boys. The boys call her Aunt Sally. (Book 1, chapter 1) Steve Shay - Judge who presided over the first adoption and arranged for Pat and Frankie to come to live with the Curries. He and his wife (Mary) have since become good friends of the family and the boys call them Uncle Steve and Aunt Mary. (Book 1, chapter 18) Josh's older children & their spouses (from oldest to youngest): Michael (Andrea), Marie (Adrian), Robert, and Elizabeth. (Book 1, chapter 18) Jordan - Josh's 10 yo (March 17) grandson - he's in fifth grade and comes and spends a great deal of time with his grandfather and uncles. (Book 1, chapter 18) Nicky - Josh's 8 yo (April 20) grandson (he and Jordan are cousins) - he is in third grade and he also spends a great deal of time with his grandfather and uncles. (Book 1, chapter 18) Melanie - Josh's 3 yo (September 21) granddaughter and Nicky's sister. Born a few months after the England vacation. (Book 4, chapter 1) Mark Edward Williams - 21 yo - 6' 1" tall, black hair, gray eyes, and straight, with a trim and fit build. He graduated from Northern Arizona University, with a degree in finance. Waited on the Curries when they ate at a restaurant near the Grand Canyon, in Arizona. He was illegitimate and he lived with his mother (Susan) in Oregon. Josh got him a summer job, working in his field on the Castaway Foundation business, and he now lives with the Curries full-time. (Book 3, chapter 2) The O'Haras - (father Patrick) Brandon's parents who now live in Texas and are good friends with the Curries. The Curries visited them in Texas on one of their vacations. (Book 1, chapter 8) The Lawrences - (parents Mike and Julie) Nick's parents live in Oklahoma. They have become very close to the Curries since they were reunited with Nick. (Book 3, chapter 16) The Yamadas - Sammy and Andrew's grandparents live in Japan, but have visited the Curries several times. (Book 2, chapter 18) The Spences (John and Margaret) - An older couple who met the Curries on the plane, as they headed for Arizona on one of their vacations. The Spences put up seed money for the Castaway Foundation and have become surrogate grandparents to the boys since. (Book 3, chapter 1) The Beckers (Albert and Arlene - Little Ricky's adoptive parents) - an older farm couple who were childless and decided to adopt Little Ricky (when he was 13) with the Currie's assistance. (Book 4, chapter 8) Little Ricky a.ka. Richard (Richard Aaron Calloway Becker) - 15 - (June17) junior - a boy who had lived in a group foster home until the Beckers adopted him. (Book 4, chapter 5) Susan Williams - Mark's mother, who raised him mostly alone. (Book 6, chapter 17) The English Visitors: (Book 3, chapters 14 & 15) Nigel Barstow- 49 yo - 5' 6" - the father of the English family similar to the Currie family. Padraic - 19 yo - from Ireland - parents killed in a bombing - brother of Sean Sean - 18 yo - from Ireland - parents killed in bombing - brother Padraic Ivan - 17 yo - from Croatia - cousin of Andre - war orphan Andre - 16 yo - from Croatia - cousin of Ivan - war orphan Joseph- 19 yo - from Russia - ran away when his parents turned on him because he was gay - his parents were Orthodox Jews and couldn't accept their son being a homosexual. Kjetil (pronounced Schet Til) 18 yo - was a Norwegian boy living in London - parents died from a food borne illness, possibly mad-cow disease. Baz 17 yo - A Palestinian boy whose parents were killed in a riot. Will (short for William) 15 yo - son of a distant cousin of Nigel's, from Leeds. He lived with his mother, who died of a viral infection.