The meeting place (by Janette Oke and T Davis Bunn)

(Amazon UK link)

I’ve quite enjoyed books by Janette Oke, over the years. She writes historical fiction from a Christian perspective. While some of her writing is perhaps a bit trite, she has a good sense of history and creates some believable characters. I’ve learned a great deal about American history from her novels. So when I saw that one of her co-written novels was available free for my Kindle, I downloaded it at once, although I knew nothing about her co-author T Davis Bunn.

‘The meeting place’ is the first in the five-book series known as ' The Song of Acadia’. It’s set in the 17th century, in a place I knew nothing about: it’s about French and English people, and it took me a while to realise that ‘Acadia’ was on the Canadian coast. Apparently England was at war with France, although there was an uneasy peace in the Acadian region.

The novel features two women: Catherine, who is English, married to a Captain in the army, and Louise, who is French and married to a young man called Henri. We meet these women before they are married, and although they don’t realise it until later, they are married on the same day. Louise comes from a large and loving family, while Catherine was brought up by a single father, in a far stricter way. Nonetheless, both women are lonely, and when - by chance - they meet in a meadow, something clicks and they start to become friends.

It was difficult for me to appreciate just how dangerous such a friendship would have been, but I liked the way that the story was told, from alternate points of view, showing their daily lives and adjustments to marriage; without a great deal of plot, at first, a good picture was painted of these two women whose hearts were so similar, yet their cultures and backgrounds were so very different. There’s some clear Christian content as they decide to read their Bibles together, and then with their husbands; but I didn’t find it too preachy, and it was mostly relevant to the story.

As the book progresses, the tension rises and there is some high drama towards the end which - to my disappointment - leaves the story unfinished, hanging in the air. I don’t like it when that happens; clearly this book was available free as a taster for the series, to tempt me to pay full price for the others. I’m not inclined to do that - yet I’m interested enough that I plan to look out for second-hand editions of the paperback versions both of this and its sequels.

If you like historical fiction with a fairly slow-moving plot, I’d definitely recommend this - but be prepared to buy at least one sequel too.

It's no longer free for the Kindle, but reasonable value still, and often found second-hand.

Review copyright 2015 Sue's Book Reviews

Once upon a Summer (by Janette Oke)

(Amazon UK link)

I first heard of Janette Oke back in the early 1990s when we moved to the US for a couple of years. A friend recommended her novels to me, as wholesome light reading that would give a general idea of American history. I borrowed several from the library, and while I found some of them a bit too lightweight, I particularly enjoyed a the four books in the 'Seasons of the Heart' series.

The first of these is entitled 'Once upon a Summer', and I've vaguely looked out for it over the years without success. So I was delighted to find this a few weeks ago, on special offer - free for my Kindle.

The story is told by 12-year-old Josh who was orphaned at a young age. He lives on a farm with his grandfather, great-uncle Charlie, and Aunt Lou. Lou is only a few years older than he is, but runs the kitchen and household effectively, while Josh combines a zest for life with a great deal of hard work, both at school and on the farm where he has a lot of daily chores.

The arrival of Josh's great-grandfather shakes things up a bit, as does his grandfather's determination to find a suitable young man for Lou.

The style is fairly realistic for that of a young teenage boy, with some colloquialisms and informal spelling, but not so many that it became hard to read. While Josh is inevitably a great deal more mature than most of today's 12-year-olds, he nevertheless loves time off, enjoys fishing, likes to have a joke around, and thinks primarily of his own interests. He's a likeable boy and I found I could relate to him surprisingly well.

I had entirely forgotten the story, but felt that it was a well-drawn picture of life in a bygone era in the US, with plenty of human interest. The emotive side is stronger than I had expected, and I found tears welling up more than once as I read.

There's an underlying Christian which isn't at all intrusive until towards the end, when it becomes more overt; this might irritate some readers, but I didn't feel that it was overdone. In the context of the story it's relevant and believable.

All in all, I enjoyed this book. It would be eminently suitable for teens or older children as well as adults. It's still in print in paperback in the US, but only currently available in e-book form in the UK.

Review copyright 2014 Sue's Book Reviews

The Calling of Emily Evans (by Janette Oke)

(Amazon UK link)

The author Janette Oke is, in my view, one of the better writers of that strange genre of American Christian fiction. Possibly because she is Canadian! I’m all for having Christian values in a book, and seeing real stories about ordinary followers of Jesus. I’m less enthused about having direct gospel messages thinly disguised as conversations. But I guess the American evangelical publishers require it, so I just skim over those sections when I read a book from that genre.

However, Janette Oke's plots and characters are usually well developed, with - very often - a solid and interesting historical background. The writing is usually fairly simple - they’re teenage books, really - but I have no problem with that. I love re-reading books for children and teens, so long as they are good stories.

Unfortunately, 'The Calling of Emily Evans' was not one of Janette Oke's best works.

Still, let’s start with the positives. It was free for my Kindle. I downloaded it just before going away for a couple of weeks, despite having a couple of hundred unread books already, and I read it at bedtimes over about a week. It passed the time pleasantly enough, and certainly didn’t keep me awake.

The story involves a girl (Emily) who feels called to be a Bible teacher. She goes to Bible college, and although she is quite frail and not as intelligent as some of her classmates, she eventually graduates and is sent to look after a small, dilapidated church in a village where there has been no pastor for many years. The exact date is not made clear but it feels as if it was about the turn of the 20th century. Trains exist; cars do not, or are very rare.

So far so good, and it was, in general terms, a fascinating account of a period of American history which I knew little about. I was quite surprised to learn that girls were sent out to look after churches, even though they were expected, sooner or later, to get married in order that their husbands could be the ‘real’ pastors.

Unfortunately, there  isn’t much story. Emily arrives in her new post to find herself not really welcome at all. The church building and her own home are falling apart through disuse, and not many people are eager to help. So she sets to work, and gradually builds up the trust of some of her neighbours although others remain suspicious... but there isn't a whole lot of character development.

It was obvious from that start that she was going to succeed in her duties eventually, and that she would probably marry one of the young men who appeared in her life. However the majority of the book just charts her day-to-day life, introducing a large number of people whom she gets to know, but whose personalities were too thinly described to be of much interest. I could barely remember from day to day who each person was - and, worse, it didn’t really matter.

All of which probably sounds over-negative. It really wasn’t a bad book; I kept reading, and it fulfilled a useful role for me. But it wasn’t very well written, and there was nobody I really cared about. Even Emily was not particularly likeable. The ‘religious’ parts were a little over-done, in my view, and the ending too sudden (albeit not unexpected).

So, I wouldn't really recommended this, unless you like this writer and are interested in this kind of situation. 

Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews

Love finds a home (by Janette Oke)

(Amazon UK link)

Having read the others in the 'Love Comes Softly' series by Janette Oke recently - in particular the seventh, 'Love Takes Wing' - I decided to read the eighth and last immediately afterwards.

In 'Love finds a home', Marty and Clark's youngest daughter Belinda is now well established as nurse/companion to a wealthy woman in Boston. She manages to visit her home town for a few weeks, where she renews old friendships and catches up with her beloved family. She wonders if there is something wrong with her, since she seems to have no desire to marry, even though her two similar aged nieces now have homes and families of their own.

I thought there was very good character development in Belinda. As she goes home, she looks forward to spending time where she belongs, and wonders if she will ever want to return to Boston. But she soon discovers that she is no longer the naive young woman who left home. 

She realises how pampered she has become, and how much she has got used to fashionable clothes and a life where servants (albeit loved ones) do most of the hard work. She has to make some difficult decisions, which help her as she matures further and discovers where her long-term future lies.

There are some quite moving sections of this book, before the satisfying (if somewhat predictable) conclusion. The strong Christian theme is emphasised perhaps a little more than in the earlier books, but even so I didn't find it too pushy or preachy.

The whole 'Love comes softly' series is very light fiction, based in the early settler days in the USA. It's suitable for adults or teens, or even older children, although it probably wouldn't appeal to many of today's young people who prefer thrilling or shocking novels. 

But for anyone who enjoys the gentle style of novels such as 'Anne of Green Gables', I'd recommend it in a low-key way. 'Love Finds a Home' makes a good conclusion.

Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 8th November 2009

Love takes wing (by Janette Oke)

(Amazon UK link)

There's something oddly appealing about Janette Oke's books. They're not great literature; they aren't very long; they're fairly easy-read style, intended for teenagers as well as adults. 

Yet the people seem believable; I almost feel as if I might have known them. Their world is a simpler place than today's, although some problems - such as medical ones, or the need for travel - are much more complex in these pioneer days in the USA.

'Love Takes Wing', is the seventh in the 'Love comes softly' series. It's a direct sequel to 'Love's Unfolding Dream', in which Belinda - Marty and Clark's youngest - starts her introduction to nursing, and gets to know her niece Melissa, who is about her age.

In this book, set a couple of years later, Belinda is established as practise nurse at her brother Luke's surgery. As the book opens, Melissa returns briefly to the family after training as a teacher, before returning to the West. Belinda is a bit lonely, but throws herself into her nursing.

Tragedy strikes when one of the family is injured, with long-term consequences as a rift appears in what has always been a united and happy family. In addition, two young men start to show an interest in Belinda, and she has to make some difficult decisions about her future.

I'm enjoying reading the continuation of this series which I first came across many years ago. I'm going to continue straight on to the last in the series after this, eager to know what happens to Belinda.

I'm pleased to see that this series is still in print on both side of the Atlantic, twenty years after first publication. Sometimes it can be found less expensively as part of a collection. Also available for the Kindle. 

Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 4th November 2009

Love's unfolding dream (by Janette Oke)

(Amazon UK link)

I like reading Janette Oke's light historical fiction when I need to relax or unwind. Her writing is good, her historical detail accurate, as far as I can tell, and certainly realistic, and her characters come to life in her books. Although the author herself is Canadian, many of her books are set in the pioneer days of the USA.

'Love's Unfolding Dream' is the sixth in the 'Love Comes Softly' series about Marty and Clark, and their various offspring. This one is set about twelve years after the previous book in the series ('Love's Unending Legacy') and is about their youngest daughter Belinda. As the baby of the family, she has grown up with a deep compassion, and longs to accompany her doctor brother, Luke, in his work.

Meanwhile Melissa, who is Belinda's niece but around the same age, comes to live with Marty and Clark, in preparation for going away to college. It's very hard for Melissa to leave her family, but Marty is delighted to have a granddaughter to stay. Melissa is very different from Belinda, and they are both different from her other niece of similar age, Amy Jo. Naturally there are jealousies and disagreements, particularly when a new and rather handsome young man joins their school.

There's nothing deep in this book; it's a light read, which would be suitable for older children or teenagers who like reading about this time in history. There's a definite underlying Christian theme throughout, but it's fairly low key without being preachy. The people are all quite believable, leading to some very moving sections where I had tears in my eyes.

All in all, highly recommended, although it helps to have read others in the series. However, since there's such a gap between this book and the previous one, there is at a short opening section describing and naming all Marty and Clark's children and grandchildren. I had to refer to this a few times as I was reading, since so many of them had appeared in the gap between the novels.

Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 8th October 2009

Love's Unending Legacy (by Janette Oke)

(Amazon UK link)

I first started reading Janette Oke's light Christian novels in the early 1990s when we lived in the USA for a couple of years, and where they were widely and easily available from libraries. Then, in the last ten years or so, I've started acquiring a few of my own. I was particularly pleased when a friend, leaving Cyprus, passed on to me a few I didn't have in a series I could remember having enjoyed.

'Love's Unending Legacy' is the fifth book in the 'Love Comes Softly' series, which is about a Christian family in the pioneer days in the USA. In this book, Marty and Clark return from their long visit out to the west west to see Missie and family, which was the subject of the fourth book in the series, 'Love's Abiding Joy'. They are getting over a terrible accident that left Clark with only one leg. Marty takes a long time to recover from the journey, prompting her family to worry about her...

Meanwhile, their son Clare and his wife Kate anticipate the birth of their first baby, and their youngest son Luke prepares to leave for medical college. Marty can't imagine how she will survive as her nest gradually empties: a sentiment I could certainly appreciate. Only her daughter Ellie is left at home, and when Ellie falls in love she can't imagine how she could ever break her mother's heart by leaving too.

It's very light Christian fiction. There's a bit too much 'preaching' for my tastes; I don't know if the lengthy graces and deep conversations that - by the by - explain the gospel message would have been realistic for the time. I find that kind of episode in a novel makes me cringe somewhat, and I'm someone who believes in it. I hope it doesn't affect unbelievers too negatively - my tendency is to skim such passages. Nevertheless, the characters somehow get under my skin.

Janette Oke has a gift for bringing people alive, and even though there are also rather too many descriptive passages for my liking, and mentions of people from other books who are not relevant to this one, I could relate to Marty and her family easily. I even found myself with tears in my eyes at least two or three times as I read this book.

Easy reading that's somehow difficult to put down. Recommended to anyone who enjoys this kind of book, whether a teenager or a nostalgic adult. It's not great literature, but it's clean and makes pleasant light reading.

Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 8th June 2009

Love's Abiding Joy (by Janette Oke)

(Amazon UK link)

I first came across Janette Oke's writing about fifteen years ago, when we were living in the USA. I liked what I read, although it was fairly lightweight, and over the years have collected a few of her books to read and re-read. They are not all in print in the UK, so I was pleased when a who friend left the country recently decided to give me some of her books by this author.

'Love's Abiding Joy' is fourth in the 'Love Comes Softly' series about a growing family in the pioneer days in the USA. The first novel in the eight-volume series is called 'Love Comes Softly'. I haven't read that for about fifteen years, but somehow still remember clearly the difficult marriage of convenience between Clark and Marty, and the way that love started to grow as they helped each other deal with loneliness and the many problems of life in those times.

I read 'Love's Enduring Promise' a couple of months ago; I don't have the third in the series, but it apparently involves Missie, Clark's oldest daughter, moving 'out West' with her new husband.

In 'Love's Abiding Joy', Clark and Marty decide to go on a long train journey to visit Missie, and to meet their two young grandsons for the first time. The rest of their family is almost grown up, and quite capable of looking after their farm and house for a month in their absence.

There's great joy in the reunion - enough to make tears come to my eyes more than once - but then a tragic incident means that their return must be delayed for many more months.

Somehow, despite this being very light reading, and not exactly great literature, Janette Oke's characters get under my skin. I feel as if I almost know them. It helps to have read the earlier books, or at least one or two of them, because there are a fairly large number of characters mentioned. Although this story is complete in itself, some of the names might be confusing to anyone who had not read anything else in the series.

Since it's American Christian fiction (despite the author being Canadian!) there's a certain amount of obligatory evangelism. It's done well, slipped into relevant conversations without feeling forced or pushy. Christianity is very important to Marty and Clark and their family, so it's only natural that they talk about such things, and care about the eternal destinies of their friends.

It's also very moving. I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did, but found myself reading when I should have been doing other things, and finished it within about 24 hours. It's not a long book, and would be suitable for children or teenagers. Like the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, this gives a good idea of some of the experiences of living in the pioneer times.

Recommended to anyone who likes this kind of book, and who wants a light unchallenging read.

Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 20th December 2008

Love's Enduring Promise (by Janette Oke)

(Amazon UK link)

After reading a fast-paced book about high finance, power struggles and adultery, I thought I'd relax with something completely different. So I picked up a book by Janette Oke. I first came across this Canadian Christian writer about fifteen years ago on the recommendation of a friend. 

Janette Oke writes light historical romantic novels, with a low-key Christian emphasis. They're really intended to be for younger teenagers, or so it seems - the plots are straightforward, and the language relatively simple. But then I frequently enjoy books for teens!

'Love's enduring promise' is the second in the 'Love Comes Softly' series of eight novels, and is one I was given some months ago by a friend who was moving away. The first in the series ('Love Comes Softly') is probably the first book I ever read by Janette Oke; even fifteen years later I can roughly remember the plot. Marty and Clark are both pioneers, and both lose their spouses. Clark has a baby daughter, Missie, and needs a wife; Marty is destitute, and so agrees to look after Missie. They get married for the sake of convenience, and gradually fall in love.

I don't remember if I read any others in the series; certainly I had no memory of this one. It covers about fifteen years in Marty and Clark's life; from the time when Missie is nearly five until she is grown up. Marty and Clark have other children, and adopt two older girls. They take part in community activities, interact with their neighbours, and help to build a new schoolhouse where their children will be educated.

It doesn't sound very exciting, but somehow it's quite moving. There's such a long time-frame to a short novel (only just over 200 pages) that it's impossible to get to know any of the characters in any depth, but it all seems believable. The story is told mainly from Marty's viewpoint, although in the third person so we never really get inside her skin. But we do learn about her hopes and fears, her worries, and the way she deals with her grumbles and learns to be more contented.

The Christian input is pretty low-key; God is part of the family life, but there's no preaching or heavy gospel input. This is Christian fiction as it should be, in my view - following the lives of ordinary people who love God and want to live for him.

It's also a good piece of social history, for anyone not familiar with the times of the early pioneers in the USA, and I was surprised how hard it was to put down once I had started.

All in all, I'd recommend it for anyone wanting a light read requiring almost no thought. Published in 1980, but - perhaps surprisingly - still in print in both the UK and USA.

Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 2nd October 2008

A Bride for Donnigan (by Janette Oke)

(Amazon UK link)

I first came across Janette Oke in the early 1990s when we lived in the USA for a couple of years. I was able to borrow several of her books from the library, and found them enjoyable light reads - as far as I remember they were all historical, all based in the USA or Canada, and all had a low-key Christian message within the stories.

Since then I've picked up a few of her books inexpensively; they're not demanding reads at all, but good to pass a couple of hours. I first read 'A Bride for Donnigan' about ten years ago, I suppose. I remembered the basic theme of the book - a fictional account of some young women from Europe going out to the USA frontiers as brides 'sight unseen' to farmers and ranchers and other people who would otherwise probably not be able to get married, since there was a serious shortage of women. This did happen, so the story is based in accurate history.

This book is about Kathleen O'Malley, of Irish parenthood. Her mother died when she was small, and her father fell on hard times until he re-married a rather unpleasant woman who insisted that Kathleen call her 'Madam'. By the time Kathleen is sixteen, she has been working as a bakery assistant, hawking pastries in the poverty-stricken streets of London to earn a few pennies. She's also treated as a servant in her home, expected to look after her half-siblings, cook and clean.

So although she is at first shocked to read of American men ordering brides from overseas, and cannot imagine how any respectable girl could sign up, she is persuaded to do so when her step-family's circumstances are due to change yet again.

In the first few chapters we meet Kathleen as she makes this momentous decision, and we also meet Donnigan, the farmer who is to be her husband. He, too, is rather suspicious about the whole idea and has grave reservations about it, particularly when he realises how very young Kathleen is.

The main part of the book is about Kathleen and Donnigan learning to understand each other better, discovering what married life really means, and - in the final chapters - discovering God.

The book is well-written, with very believable characters and a setting that certainly feels realistic. There's enough detail to give a good picture of Donnigan's farm, without it becoming boring, and plenty of characterisation and conversation to make the story interesting.

The end part does give the Christian message pretty strongly, in a way that might seem annoying to some, although it's not preachy as such. It is presented by Donnigan himself working his way through the Bible, asking questions, and finally understanding what salvation and forgiveness mean. So it's in a fictional setting, and works quite well even though the content is predictable.

All in all, a good light read suitable for adults or teenagers, with some interesting perspectives on what life might have been like for some of the mail-order brides.

Drums of change (by Janette Oke)

(Amazon UK link)

I first came across Janette Oke when we lived in the USA for a couple of years, back in the early 1990s. she is actually Canadian rather than American, but is a popular Christian fiction writer in America. Her stories tend to be fairly light, suitable for teenagers as well as adults, with a low-key Christian message that isn't too pushy or preachy.

'Drums of Change' is one of her books which I hadn't previously read. It's set in the province of Alberta in Canada, in the late 1880s, when white people were starting to settle, and life became more difficult for the Native 'Indian' tribes.

Running Fawn is the main character in this book; we meet her when she is just six years old. Already she is a quiet, thoughtful girl who longs to sit and dream rather than fetching water for her mother all day. She loves her tribe's winter hideout, in the shelter of the mountains, and would love to stay there all year. But when Spring comes, they move to the plains, to hunt buffalo and to meet with other tribes for feasting and religious ceremonies.

Meanwhile a young and enthusiastic Christian called Martin Forbes has a strong calling to reach out to these people with the gospel message. He joins Running Fawn's tribe, learns the language, and adopts most of their customs; he also talks about God, and tries to help them understand that the Bible is not just for white men, but for everyone, whatever their skin colour or culture. And he starts a school for some of the children, to help them learn English, and to read, and to learn some of the things going on in the world, outside their locality and awareness.

Running Fawn is one of the children chosen for the school, and so is Silver Fox, the son of their chief. They both learn fast, and are then selected to go to a mission school many miles away. Silver Fox is delighted - he knows that it's important to understand white people, and their ways, if he is to lead the tribe in the future. But Running Fawn is devastated to be taken away from her family. Through her struggles to adjust over the next few years, she never forgets her home and loved ones, nor will she accept the God of the Bible.

That's just part of the story - it covers a ten-year span, ending when Running Fawn is sixteen. I thought it well-done - it didn't feel 'researched', but helped me know a little more about what life would have been like for the Native Canadians in those days of change. Running Fawn is a likeable character, full of questions and worries, yet obedient to the wishes of her parents and the tribal chief, as a young girl would have been.

The writing is crisp and the plot moves forward without undue description. The Christian message is clear, but without being preachy or pushy - or even spelled out clearly until a scene towards the end. There's no judgement either, of the sometimes stubborn and violent early tribes, or of the white people who tried both to help and to control.

Martin and the people from the mission are sometimes ignorant, and make somewhat unreasonable assumptions, but their hearts are in the right cases, and they care deeply about Running Fawn and her family.

'Drums of Change' is not the most thrilling of books - but I read it in a few hours, and enjoyed it, on the whole. Recommended for anyone wondering what life might have been like in that period, or who wants a pleasant, undemanding light read for a wet weekend.

First published in 1996, but still in print in the USA. Widely available second-hand, or in Kindle format in the UK.

The Tender Years (by Janette Oke)

(Amazon UK link)

I find Janette Oke's books relaxing and undemanding - they're low-key Christian historical fiction, really for teenage girls. But I still like picking one up if I have a couple of hours free and want to read something that won't stretch my brain.

'The Tender Years' is about Virginia who is thirteen years old. She is confused about life, and peer pressure; she's also feeling increasingly frustrated with her upright and godly family. She loves them, and doesn't want to upset them - yet she feels inner turmoil.

Virginia's friend Jenny seems to go looking for trouble, and Virginia is torn between wanting to be with Jenny and wanting to keep her family happy.

A tragic accident changes everything, and Virginia begins to grow up. She learns more about love and loyalty as she does, and helps to solve a dilemma. While the setting is America of many years ago, human nature doesn't change and the ethical problems are just as relevant today.

All in all, a very pleasant book. Recommended, if you like this kind of thing.

Julia's Last Hope (by Janette Oke)

'

(Amazon UK link)

Julia's Last Hope' is a light Christian historical novel by Janette Oke.

The small American town of Cedar Springs is dying, as the lumber mill closes down. A young woman called Julia, who lives in a lovely home, suggests turning it into a tourist town.

With the help of her twin daughters, she starts advertising and taking in boarders. She encourages the few remaining families to stock a craft shop and host other visitors.

The characterisation is good, as I've come to expect with Janette Oke's writing, and the story is well-written, with the right kind of pace for my tastes.

There is a strong Christian message of home, as well as a sense of finding God's will as the story ends. This novel is probably intended for teenage girls, but makes a pleasant evening's reading for anyone who wants a light and uplifting moral novel.

Recommended.

The heart of the wilderness (by Janette Oke)

(Amazon UK link)

'The heart of the wilderness' is a light Christian novel for teenagers or adults. It's by the popular Canadian author Janette Oke.

It's about a young girl called Kandra. She is tragically orphaned, and goes to live with her grandfather. He is a trapper in the backwoods of the United States.

Kandra grows up secure and confident. She is educated at home, and knows that she is loved. She emerges into the adult world to learn about God, and about other people.

I thought this book made a pleasant light read. There's a clear Christian message, but it's presented without too much preaching.

Recommended.

The Tender Years (by Janette Oke)

(Amazon UK link)

'The Tender Years' is a light historical novel for teenagers, written by the prolific American Christian writer Janette Oke.

Virginia, the granddaughter of Marty (who starred in the 'Love Came Softly' series by the same author) is starting to grow up and discover the temptations of peer pressure.

This story follows her path to understanding and love, a commitment to God and greater responsibility.

The book is complete in itself, although I was glad to have read some of the previous series many years ago, as there were some recognisable minor characters. Apparently it's the first in another series called 'The Prairie Years'.

Recommended in a low-key way; it's light reading that's pleasant and gentle; really intended for teenagers but adults who like this kind of book will probably enjoy it too.