The Castaway Hotel - 3 - Prologue. Background

Seeing Castaway Hotel is a complex, multi-book series, I thought 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 this book), and a brief summary about how they came to live there. I have also decided to include the Book and chapter number when that character was introduced as well. I will also list other characters, with reoccurring roles in the story, at the end. I hope this helps you follow the story better.

Josh Currie – A 49 year old widower (47 at the beginning of book 1) with four grown children (2 boys, 2 girls), who decides to take in foster boys, to help make their lives better.

Ricky (Richard Allen Glover Currie) – 14 yo – tenth grade (sophomore) – 5’ 6” tall, longish blond hair, gray eyes and doesn’t mind a little fun with his brothers. Ricky came to Josh as a 7^th grade hyperactive, behavioral problem, whose drug addicted mother had died, his father was unknown and he had no other family. (Book 1, chapter 1)

Danny (Daniel Edward Roma Currie) - 16 yo – eleventh grade (junior) – 5’ 11” tall, brown hair, brown eyes and an athletic build. Danny was Josh’s second foster son. He was 13 at the time and kicked out of his home by his parents (mainly his father) when they discovered he was gay. (Book 1, chapter 4)

Brandon (Brandon Patrick O’Hara) – Danny’s best friend – 16 yo – eleventh grade (junior) – 6’ 0” tall, blond hair, brown eyes and slender, but not thin. While not a foster son or an adoptee, Brandon is still considered ‘one of the family.’ (Book 1, chapter 10)

Jay (Jay Aubrey Curtis) – Ricky’s best friend – 14/15 yo – tenth grade (sophomore) – Jay is 5’ 10” tall, has red hair and green eyes and was lanky (ungraceful and thin) when younger, but is filling out and his coordination is catching up to him as he has gotten older. Like Brandon, Jay is also ‘one of the family.’ (Book 1, chapter 14)

Dustin (Dustin Mathew Kowalski Currie) - 17 yo – twelfth grade (senior) – 6’ 0” tall, black hair, green eyes and a solid build, but not fat. Dustin was thrown out of the previous foster home because he was caught in a homosexual act with the foster parents’ son. He is bisexual. During the previous wrestling season, Dustin placed third in his weight class, in the Pennsylvania State Wrestling Tournament. (Book 1, chapter 29)

Kevin (Kevin Michael Baxter Currie) – 15 yo – eleventh grade (junior) – 5’ 10 1/2” tall, longish brown hair, blue eyes and is slender, with a swimmer’s build. Kevin was the son of the foster parents Dustin was caught fooling around with. His father beat him pretty badly after he threw Dustin out, so Kevin ran away. Kevin learned he had a cyst on his testicle and later cancer was discovered in the same testicle, so it was surgically removed. (Book 1, chapter 31)

Cole (Cole David Van Cott Currie) – 14 yo – ninth grader (freshman) – 5’ 2 1/2” tall, blond hair and brown eyes. Cole and his brother, Graham, were found abandoned and malnourished. They were taken from their home and placed with Josh. Cole and Graham both suffer from learning disabilities, although Cole has it the worst of the two. (Book 1, chapter 34)

Graham (Graham Thomas Van Cott Currie) – 13 yo – seventh grader – 5’ 0” tall, brown hair, brow eyes and still slender. Cole’s brother and also malnourished when he came to live at the Currie household. Both Graham and Cole suffer from learning disabilities, although Graham’s problem is less severe. (Book 1, chapter 34)

Pat (Patrick Alan Murray Currie) – 15 yo – tenth grader (sophomore) – 5’ 7” tall, dirty blond hair, blue eyes and a solid build. Pat never had a stable home life, being raised by several different relatives and moved around frequently. This caused him to have problems in school. He got into a minor scrape with the law, and Judge Shay asked Josh to take him in. He also showed some bigoted attitudes at various points, which he now seems to have under control. He is bi. (Book 2, chapter 4)

Trey (Alexander Michael Daniels III Currie) – 14 yo ninth grade (freshman) – 5’ 8” tall, brown hair, brown eyes and slender. Trey is shy, a bit effeminate and an avid reader, with hopes of someday becoming a writer. Trey was an orphan, as his parents and sister were killed in an explosion at his house while he was away. (Book 2, chapter 😎

Frankie (Franklin Albert Hopkins) – 16/17 yo twelfth grade (senior) – 5’ 11” tall, black hair, brown eyes, broad shoulders and a solid build. Frankie came as a result of getting into trouble and at the request of Judge Shay. Josh later had to send him away, after he tried to rape Trey. (Book 2, chapter 17)

Sammy (Tsukimo Yamada Currie) – 11 yo seventh grader – 4’ 11” tall, black hair, black eyes, and small for his age. Sammy and his brother, Andrew, was taken after the Curries read where 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 25)

Andrew (Furuhata Yamada Currie) – 9 yo fifth grader- 4’ 5” tall, black hair, black eyes, and also small for his age. Sammy’s brother, and came to the Curries after the murder/suicide of their parents. (Book 2, chapter 25)

Dion (Dion Jamal Jackson Currie) – 12 yo eighth grader – 5’ 7 1/2”, black hair and brown eyes. Dion has toffee colored skin, is a loner and non-athlete. Dion was born to teenage parents and raised by his grandmother. His mother 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 is bi. (Book 2, chapter 28)

Carlos (Carlos Miguel Garcia) – 14 yo freshman – 5’ 6” tall, black hair and brown eyes. 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 36)

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)

Patrick & Brenda O’Hara – Brandon’s parents. They have become Uncle Pat and Aunt Brenda to Josh’s boys. (Brenda in Book 1, chapter 12 and Patrick in Book 1, chapter 35)

Howard & Audrey Curtis – Jay’s parents. Have become Uncle Howie and Aunt Audrey to Josh’s boys. (Book 1, chapter 35)

Steve & Mary Shay – Steve was the judge who presided over the first group adoption and arranged for Pat and Frankie to come to live with the Curries. He and his wife have since become good friends of the family and the boys call them Uncle Steve and Aunt Mary. (Steve in Book 1, chapter 40 and Mary in Book 2 chapter 23)

Josh’s older children & their spouses (from oldest to youngest): Michael (Andrea), Marie (Adrian), Robert, and Elizabeth (Timothy). (Book 1, chapter 38)

Jordan – Josh’s 6yo grandson – he’s in first grade and comes and spends a great deal of time with his grandfather and uncles. (Book 1, chapter 38)

Nicky – Josh’s 5 yo grandson (he and Jordan are cousins) – he is in kindergarten and he also spends a great deal of time with his grandfather and uncles. (Book 1, chapter 38)