Her courage and her heart will be tested in ways she never expected . . .
About the book:
Beth Thatcher has spent her entire life in the safe, comfortable world of her family, her friends, and the social outings her father's wealth provides. But Beth is about to leave it all behind to accept a teaching position in the rugged foothills of western Canada. Inspired by her aunt Elizabeth, who went west to teach school several years ago, and gently encouraged by her father, Beth resolves to put her trust in God and bravely face any challenge that comes her way.
But the conditions in Coal Valley are even worse than she'd feared. A recent mining accident has left the town grieving and at the mercy of the mining company. The children have had very little prior education, and many of the locals don't even speak English. There isn't even a proper schoolhouse. In addition, Beth's heart is torn between two young men---both Mounties, one a lifelong friend and the other a kind, quiet man who comes to her aid more than once.
Despite the many challenges, Beth is determined to make a difference in the rustic frontier town. But when her sister visits from the East, reminding her of all the luxuries she's had to give up, will Beth decide to return to her privileged life as soon as the school year is over?
Purchase a copy and read an excerpt: http://ow.ly/tyWJH
Janette Oke: Celebrated for her significant contribution to the Christian book industry, Janette Oke is the recipient of numerous awards. Her novels have sold more than 30 million copies and are beloved by readers around the world. Janette lives with her husband, Edward, in Alberta, Canada.
Laurel Oke Logan: is the daughter of Edward and Janette Oke, is the author of "Janette Oke: A Heart for the Prairie," as well as the novel "Dana's Valley," which she co-wrote with her mom. Laurel and her husband have six children and two sons-in-law and live near Indianapolis, Indiana.
Landing page for this blog tour:
My Take:
The first Christian fiction book I ever read was Janette Oke's A Bride for Donnigan. As soon as I finished the final page of that novel, I was hooked, and Christian historical fiction has been my favorite genre ever since.
I was so excited to see this new release from Janette Oke and her daughter Laurel, especially since it is so closely related to one of my favorite Oke series - the Canadian West series.
In a lot of ways, Where Courage Calls is very similar to the Canadian West series. Beth is very much like her aunt Elizabeth, and she encounters circumstances that are very close to those that come to pass in the first Canadian West book.
But even though those two books are similar, they are still different enough to be recognized as separate novels. After a bit of a slow start, Where Courage Calls got much more interesting when Beth arrives in Coal Valley. What she encounters there would probably have made me turn around and go home right away, but, true to the title, Beth found courage that could only come from the strength of God, and she was able to stay and minister to the people of the mining town. After the somewhat slow start, getting to know all of the characters in the town and even a bit of a mystery kept the story moving later on.
Overall I really liked the flow and feel of this book once Beth arrived in Coal Valley. I did think that sometimes Beth was a bit too cookie-cutter perfect. She seemed to singlehandedly change the attitudes and direction of the entire town. But even though I thought this to be the case, she still experienced some growth over the course of the novel. I also thought the romance was a bit lightweight - Beth didn't always spend a lot of time with the two male suitors - but it was still enjoyable, and the ending of the novel promised much more to come in the remainder of the series.
Where Courage Calls gets back to the roots of Christian fiction. It's a sweet story of romance and faith from the first author who helped me fall in love with this amazing genre.
I will give Where Courage Calls ... 4 BookWorms.
Where Courage Calls
by Janette Oke & Laurel Oke Logan
Bethany House Publishers
Publication date: February 4, 2014
Janette and Laurel are celebrating with an iPad Mini giveaway and a Facebook author chat party on March 4th.
- iPad Mini
- Where Courage Calls by Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan
- When Calls the Heart DVD
So grab your copy of Where Courage Calls and join Janette and Laurel on the evening of March 4th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)
Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today by clicking JOIN on the event page. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 4th!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publisher through LitFuse Publicity. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this is accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
No comments:
Post a Comment