| Title | : | When Calls the Heart (Canadian West, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0764200119 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780764200113 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 220 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 1983 |
When Calls the Heart (Canadian West, #1) Reviews
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I have a confession to make: I absolutely love When Calls the Heart. You know, the Hallmark show? The Christian historical romance that borders on cheesy where everything always turns out okay? Yeah, that’s the one. It’s one of my favorites. In this show, community is about celebrating together in the good times and supporting each other through the hard times. Faith in God is the norm, and that faith actually means something. And love always finds a way. The show idyllic and wholesome and just makes me really happy every time I watch it. It’s my visual comfort food.
Last week, Chris and I very unexpectedly became foster parents for two little boys. A couple of days ago, they just as suddenly returned home to their mom. Our emotions during this time went haywire; we were terrified because we’ve never been parents and didn’t know what to do, we were thrilled with the boys themselves and fell in love with them despite our efforts not to get attached, and we were a weird mix of devastated (for us) and relieved (for them) when they went home so soon. When they left and our house felt just the slightest bit hollow, I needed to disappear into a book. But the books I’m reading currently, while they’re great books, they were darker than what I needed. So I decided to read the book that inspired my favorite feel-good show.
The book wasn’t perfect. It was stilted and felt a tad forced in places. It was different from the show that I’ve come to love, even though they shared a common name and framework. But it was exactly what I needed when I picked it up. It was short and sweet and full of love and hope and Jesus. Though Christian historical fiction is not one of my favorite genres, it’s what I tend to turn to whenever I’m going through a rough patch in my life. I love how unapologetic the characters are about their faith, and how that faith permeates their lives. I also love how faith is just an expected aspect of life in these bygone eras. And in the vast majority of the books in this genre, you go in knowing that everything is going to turn out okay, and that a happy ending is almost inevitable.
Janette Oke provided me with exactly what I needed here. It gave me some of the hope I needed when I wasn’t feeling all that hopeful. Even though I enjoy the show more than I did this book, I’ll probably continue with the series at some point.
For more of my reviews, as well as my own fiction and thoughts on life, check out my blog, Celestial Musings. -
This is the first book is the Canadian West series, and the Canadian TV series When Calls the Heart is base on this book series. I have been really wanting to read this book since I have fall in love with the TV series that is basic on this book. I have to say this book is very different from the TV show, but I love both of them. Parts of this book I love more then the TV show, and there is parts of the TV show that I love more then the book. Of course the main character of the book is Elizabeth. I will keep reading the Canadian West book series. If you like historical romance series without wars then this is a great series for you.
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This book started out in a promising way, despite that fact that the plot was crystal clear and there were spatterings of formal language interspersed in and around the more casual setting, which made for an uneven read.
This is a typical Christian romance. The gorgeous heroine, the gorgeous hero, the cliche emotions and phrases, and the unoriginal conversations about God and faith. For a while, I thought I would like it, because Elizabeth had some spirit and she wasn't perfect. But as soon as she fell in love with that Wynn, pfft - end of the good stuff. From then on it was crying and pining and frustration and all those klutzy moments that are supposed to make you sigh at the romance.
I found it absolutely amazing that, even though Wynn is a Canadian Mountie and supposedly "married" to his job, he still finds the time to be EVERYWHERE Elizabeth is, even though she skips from Calgary to Pine Springs every other chapter. And he always shows up at the right moments too. When she's in trouble, Wynn is always there. To fix her stove, to carry her when she "sprains" her ankle, to drive her home from church, to buy her box lunch (which, I should add is one of the most overused settings in Christian romance. If you want to have romance, just stage a box lunch fundraiser and have the love-interest bid up a storm), and to kiss her so she doesn't faint.
Yes, you read that right, folks. Elizabeth runs into a bear on the way home from a student's house, she promptly faints and is rescued from a certain mauling by Wynn, who conveniently shows up to carry her out of danger (gag). Then, when he perceives that she looks rather pale, he kisses her to take her mind off the bear. She then misunderstands his apology for his sudden action and runs off in the direction OF THE BEAR. Makes sense, no?
And then, when they go sledding and she twists her ankle slightly, Elizabeth pretends that she can't walk only to have an excuse to rest her cheek against his broad, red-coated chest after he gently swoops her up. The next day she admits her deceit and realizes that when Wynn checked her ankle HE lied and said it was injured so that he would have an excuse to carry her. Nothing like a relationship built on mutual deceit, eh?
Then there were all those times when Elizabeth fell, tripped, or did some other clumsy thing (unintentionally, these times) so that Wynn was forced to catch her, steady her, or hold her. Cliche, I say.
It seemed to me that for a schoolteacher, who was impressed upon me as intelligent enough for her chosen career, should not be able to figure out the things that I knew for a fact as soon as they were mentioned. Honestly, Elizabeth was so slow. She sits there and puzzles things out until you want to shake her. Is it so hard to believe that a man who paid 10+ dollars for your lunch, puts up with all your klutziness, lies in order to carry you a few feet, solicitously kisses you so that you do not faint, and always turns up at every tense moment to rescue you, could possibly be in LOVE with you? Apparently Elizabeth, who can teach kids from kindergarten to high school, cannot grasp these obvious things that are staring her in the face. *sigh*
All in all, a quick, mindless read that did not make me laugh, cry or learn (three things the back of the book advised I should do), so I suppose it was mostly wasted time. I will, however, read the sequel to see if it can make me laugh, cry and rejoice, though I have small faith in its ability to do so.
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I’ve watched most of the Hallmark TV show of the same title (which is amazing, by the way), so I decided to give the book a try. Well, it was nothing like the TV show … but it was amazing. Once I got started, I couldn’t put it down. Elizabeth was a great character (though sometimes this country girl thought she was being silly, such as with the ‘wolves’) and I love Wynn. He wasn’t Jack (or Gil) … but he was still a great hero. I loved that last scene at the train depot. ❤
Originally posted on my March 2017 Mini Review Day post.
~Kellyn Roth -
**These books aren't anywhere near as amazing and profound as SGW's Prairie Winds trilogy, but I love them anyway!**
Its been years since I've read these, but I have definitely read them a few times. These are easy, adorable quick reads. The first one...Its probably closer to 4.25 in my rating, but I round up. I know they get better as they progress, and that is all that matters. The 'good stuff' didn't really happen until about 3/4 of the way through the book.
I love this series. I grew up with Oke's "Love Comes Softly" series, and I didn't love them as much as I came to love these books. I love Elizabeth, poor girl, haha I can kind of relate to her in a way. And I love Wynn! I am really looking forward to revisiting the rest of the series.
There is actually a show loosely based off these books. Same title, same character name, but I think THIS Elizabeth is supposed to be an older relative of the Elizabeth Thatcher that is in the show. Its a good show. I love the Hallmark Channel.
come find me:
www.facebook.com/ReadsAsh
IG: ash.reads Twitter: @ReadsAsh -
About this book:
“Nothing in her cultured East Coast upbringing prepared Elizabeth for a teaching position on the Canadian frontier. Yet, despite the constant hardships, she loves the children in her care. Determined to do the best job she can and fighting to survive the harsh land, Elizabeth is surprised to find her heart softening towards a certain member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.”
Series: Book #1 of the “Canadian West” series. {There is a movie based on this book of the same name, plus a TV series on Hallmark based on the continuation of the series, “Return to the Canadian West.” }
Spiritual Content- Talks about God, blessings & sin; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Prayers; Bible reading; Scriptures are quoted & mentioned; Church going; Mentions of Christmas.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a form of ‘sissy’ and four ‘dumb’s; Dead mice (semi-detailed); A mention of Indian scalping; Mentions of cigars & drinking.
Sexual Content- a head kiss, two barely-above-not-detailed kisses and a semi-detailed kiss; Elizabeth kisses Santa on the cheek; Noticing; Touches (barely-above-not-detailed); A man’s eyes carelessly look over Elizabeth’s face & form; Mentions of flirting and flirts; Julie loves the attention of boys; Julie says that men in the West are so eager for a wife that they’ll often steal one; Love, falling in love, & the emotions.
-Elizabeth Thatcher
1st person P.O.V. of Elizabeth
Set in 1910-1911
221 pages
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Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- Two Stars (and a half)
Early High School Teens- Four Stars
Older High School Teens- Five Stars
My personal Rating- Four Stars (and a half)
I watched the movie based on this book a few months ago (before I read the book—I know! Gasp! ;) ) and I’ll say that the book is so much better than the movie! So, so great and I really enjoyed comparing the two and how clean it was.
Link to review:
http://booksforchristiangirls.blogspo...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author. -
***2022 Summer Vacation in the West***
My first summer theme book, not a traditional western but a tale set in the Canadian west, when my current home, Calgary, was just getting its start. The cover proudly proclaims that it is a Hallmark Channel movie edition. It is certainly the kind of saccharine sweet story that Hallmark is known for.
Part of the reason I chose this novel was that the author was born the same year as my mother, who was a writer who often wrote historical romances like this one. Oke’s author photo looks exactly like what she is: a nice church lady. There are many Christian details, so if you are allergic to that I would encourage you to put this book down and find something else to read.
My parents both attended one room schools in rural Alberta and two of my aunts taught in them, so I knew many of the details of the classroom and the treatment of the teacher to be accurate. Elizabeth is a greenhorn in Alberta, having very little experience with starting fires, chopping wood, dealing with mice, or cooking for herself. Her wardrobe is too fancy, she lives in fear of coyotes, and faints when she sees a bear. Despite this (or maybe because of it) she is aware of being the focus of single male attention in the community.
First she must deal with a school superintendent who is so sure she will marry him that he neglects to even ask. Once Elizabeth sets him straight, he responds by posting her in the back of beyond (sorry, Lacombe, you're a nice town now). The good people of the area are so glad to finally have a teacher for their school that they are more than willing to take care of her. But of course, it is her half-brother's friend, Wynn, who snags her attention, a member of the North West Mounted Police. This is a romance, so they have to have some misunderstandings and miscommunication, but there's little doubt that the Mountie will get the woman.
It's a quick read, but the writing is a stilted and the course of events is obvious. The main characters are so goody-goody as to be pretty boring. I know my mother would have been eager to get published, as she was writing at the same time as Ms. Oke, but I don't think she would have been willing to use a religious publisher to accomplish her goal. It would have felt like cheating, I suspect. -
I can see why this series is much loved by many readers. It is a shorter read, and while nothing is unpredictable, the setting and characters hold a lot of charm. I was surprised (happy) to see that it was written in first-person because that is not done very often inspirational fiction. The plot flowed well, and I appreciated the look into such a secluded and wild place. I've always found the life of teachers during this time period fascinating, and Elizabeth was a kindred spirit of sorts, with her tea-drinking and book-reading. It's easy to see why readers liker her. She has great voice; the only thing that bugged me was when the love interest came on the scene, she suddenly lost her wits (not just on their first meeting either), and that was annoying to me when she was so independent and adventurous in other ways. But even that I could overlook since it's a shorter book and holds a lot of appeal in it's other aspects.
I hope to eventually get to the rest of the series! -
I'd never been very attracted by Oke's books just because I wasn't drawn by the synopses. But a Goodreads friend (Beth) gave a good review while I was in the midst of a Westerns challenge, so I decided to try it out, and was not disappointed. It's the tale of a young woman who goes out to Alaska to teach school, and through turn of circumstances ends up in a remote location as the community's first teacher. She learns to face mice and coyotes with fortitude...well, maybe the coyotes; mice doubtful. I loved it that the romance was more to the side, and I could focus on the life of a healthy young Christian lady as she ventures into a new adventure. Suitable for all ages.
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4.5 stars.
It was a good, wonderful soothing book to listen to. A very slow moving romance, in a slow moving book. Far less dramatic than the TV show or movie, and far more wholesome, with faith being an accepted part of life. Wonderful to read about in this day and age. The romance is very clean and wholesome and delightful. -
Elizabeth Thatcher,a young teacher from Toronto Ontario decides to take a teaching position in Alberta. The year is 1910 and she will travel by train to Alberta. She will be staying with her older step brother and his family who live in Calgary Alberta. Elizabeth is introduced to Mr Harris who is Calgarys's school superintendent . For some reason he procrastinates when it comes to assigning Elizabeth a teaching position. He seems more interested in dating her then giving her a teaching position. When he assumes she will marry him Elizabeth refuses and Mr Harris retaliated by sending her to a frontier town in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. If she is to teach school in Alberta she must leave her step brother and live a hundred and fifty miles away in a small community that up till now hasn't even had a school. She is determined to take on this teaching position and be the best teacher she can be for her new students. She is totally unprepared for what lies ahead for her in this frontier community.
Can she adapt from the convenience of city living to this rustic type of living?
This story touched my heart and completely drew me in. I thought it was very realistic, entertaining and original. I enjoyed the simplicity of the characters who were immigrants from Scandinavia and other overseas countries . they were more than willing to reach out and help this new teacher get settled into their community and showed respect towards her.
I recommend this book to readers of Historical Romance and Christian Fiction. Fans of Janette Oke will enjoy this book. It is book one of the Canadian West series.
I borrowed an Audio book from Hoopla . A review was not requested. All thoughts and opinions are my own. -
Have you ever loved a book SO much that you could read it over and over again and never get tired of it? Seriously? I am not joking? Because I know that that has happened to me. When Calls the Heart is my favorite book ever. That is why I reread this book to fulfill Reading Resolution #38 (Reread your favorite book). When by It Starts with a Book and I were creating this list, we both thought that rereading your favorite book would be a fun idea. At the beginning of the year, I wasn’t sure what book I would use for this resolution. Then, after watching an episode from the Hallmark TV show, When Calls the Heart, I picked up this book and started reading it for the who-knows-what time.
When I first read this book, I couldn’t put it down. In less than a few days, I finished the entire When Calls the Heart Saga. I fell in love with Wynn and Elizabeth. Janette did an amazing job writing their story. I love, love, love (if you couldn’t tell) the whole saga.
Throughout the years, there have been many different covers of this book. So, I am rating just the cover above. That is the cover of the book that is on my bookshelf. I am giving this cover 4 stars. It may seem like an old-fashioned cover, but that is why I love it! If you get the whole saga in the old covers, you will see how the art keeps getting better and better, clearer and clearer. It gets more “real”.
If you already couldn’t tell, I am giving this book 5 stars. If I could, I would give it 10. But, I haven’t to follow my rating system. So, a shout out to everyone who loves a good read: When Calls the Heart is definitely worth it!
P.S. The TV show, When Calls the Heart, is also really great! I love it!
Title: When Calls the Heart
Author: Janette Oke
Reading Resolution: #38
This review is written in my own opinions and words. -
Such a sweet story set in the Canadian frontier.
Main character Elizabeth Thatcher is a teacher from the east that ventures to the wild frontier to live with her brother and his family and be a teacher there. Her experiences in travel and getting established as a teacher are entertaining and touching. Her experience wasn't what she planned, but in the end her heart was overjoyed with gladness.
This novel was a great introduction to Janette Oke. I look forward to continuing the series. -
I needed a fun, light, but interesting story and this book fit the bill.
I enjoyed each one of the characters, the fact that any “drama" felt real and not overly done. I laughed and smiled several times and enjoyed the fact that the Christian aspects of the book were a part of the story not just tacked on.
Altogether I enjoyed this and picked up the second book as soon as I had finished this one.
There is some romance in the book, but nothing that made me cringe. -
This book is such quaint wholesomeness. I’m not always in the mood for Janette Oke, but when I’m feeling nostalgic, I do love her books.
Sure, their lives do not have the complications that many present writers add to storylines. But it’s still a sweet story. -
I had to read this book for our week on Christian fiction for my grown-up books class. And the reason why I didn't like this book wasn't because it was Christian fiction, as I had expected. I actually thought that the spiritual/religious part was pretty tastefull and not overly preachy. Cheesy at parts, but tolerable. Not that I have a problem with religion or anything (I don't at all), but I just don't like being preached to and feeling like fictional characters are morally superior to me because they constantly talk about religion, which I think (admittedly, stereotypically) often happens in these kinds of books. But I could handle it here.
The problem is that the writing is pretty terrible. It's an interesting enough premise and there are sections of the story that are nice. But it's just not pulled together very well. I had been hoping that the romantic tension - what the summary on the back builds up to be at the center of the story - would keep things interesting, but Elizabeth and Wynn's motives and their resulting actions just didn't add up in my mind, and I just have a hard time believing that it can all culminate in a "I'm-going-back-East/Please-don't-leave-me" scene like we got in the final chapters. Elizabeth's frontier life was more interesting than the romance, which was what really disappointed me in the end. -
I read this after enjoying the Hallmark Channel series "When Calls The Heart." This book is the original that inspired the Hallmark Channel movie by the same name. The movie incorporated a few changes that made the story better. The series (books and T.V. show) has a different location and some of the characters are different.
Eastern born Elizabeth travels West to teach in a wilderness school in Canada. She finds difficulties in the surroundings, but adapts quickly and forms strong bonds to the people of the community.
I liked the history behind the Canadian Mounted Police. -
Wow! What a fantastic novel!!
I absolutely LOVED every aspect of it; from the characters to the beautiful setting.
I was privileged to accompany Elizabeth into the West and see how much she grew in character. I loved her steady spirit and kind nature.
I absolutely LOVED Wynn! He was very sweet and swoon-worthy. He has a quiet strength and a commanding presence that is very charming, and his interactions with Elizabeth and other people made him even more dashing.
I loved the small town of Pine Springs and enjoyed getting to know all the people there.
I cannot put into words how lovely this story is. It isn't super fast-paced, nor does it have a dramatic problem/climax, but just being able to read it was so beautiful because it has so much heart behind it.
I know that there are film and television adaptions, but I feel that they can't truly capture the magic and essence portrayed in this book (also, the TV series is based on the novel 'Where Courage Calls', which is a spin-off series to this one).
Overall, a beautiful novel! -
4.95 Stars!
To me, this book is a classic!
Pure and simple.
Yes, compared to modern day writing, the plot is a little less riveting. But the love story is all the same endearing. However, her clear craft of writing, to me, is a staple on any shelf and hones the likeliness of Jane Austen. Therefore, lending to me, the "Jane Austen" status for Christian Lit. Yes, it's that good!
A lovely story with a strong female character now embarking out on her own and trying to battle life on the "West" with her head held high and trying desperately not to get married. That is, until a Royal Canadian Mountie Policeman walks into her life! *Sighs* It is Canadian, what can I say. It is a perfect story ;D
A must read for any christian reader. -
Definitely exceeded my expectations! (It's a good 3 stars) It's kind of a bunch of vignettes, and I enjoy that style. However, I didn't really like Elizabeth's moping around about Wynn, even thought I really liked him. I get that stuff like that happens, but I don't really enjoy reading about it. Idk, it just wasn't a stand out book to me, although I did enjoy it. I'll probably get around to reading the others in the series at some point.
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I enjoyed this adorable story with its focus on teaching and family and faith.
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What a refreshing read! This is quality historical fiction, and it even surprised me how much I enjoyed the story.
I'm in love with the basic plot, that Elizabeth (who comes from a fine, cultured family) is heading out West for adventure, to teach. She's feeling restless at home, and why not expand one's borders -- and help others at the same time? She has a good heart, that girl. And her heart may discover more than she expects it to on this journey...
There are some touching scenes in the book -- and a few hilarious episodes too, like Elizabeth's encounter(s) with furry critters in her rustic home! I relished in every minute of the book -- even when I could see things coming (like Wynn), and Elizabeth never could. That's alright though; it made for some entertaining moments.
Janette Oke's writing style is fantastic. It feel like it could have been published just last year, when in fact, this book originally came out in 1983?! This blows my mind. Her writing style definitely does NOT feel dated.
This is clean, Christian fiction. You can feel safe giving this to a tween girl if you wanted to. Elizabeth's faith is woven into the story well.
I'm excited to read book 2 soon! -
I got interested in reading this book series after watching a sugar coated romantic series in Hallmark that was inspired on them. The books ended up being so much more than the series. A great story, heartfelt romance and valuable life lessons. I was kind of in a hard moment and these books inspired me.
Another thing that is nice is that it tells the story all the way through, and it's so nice to witness it all till their babies are happily married. -
I wish I had never read this book.
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Ayea this has got to be the sweetest romance of all time.
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When Calls the Heart
By: Janette Oke
Rating: 4 stars
Ages: 13 and up (for mild romance)
I adore the Hallmark Channel series, When Calls the Heart. Who wouldn't? It is wonderful. It was inspired (loosely) on the first book in the Canadian West series, When Calls the Heart. I have heard great things about Janette Oke, so I decided to give her Canadian West a try. Here are my thoughts:
When Calls the Heart was intriguing and humorous. I started the book and really enjoyed the beginning, when Elizabeth first gets the invitation to head West, and her emotions and reactions and thoughts are normal and easily understood. Actually, her whole character and the way she acts throughout the entire book is so easily understood.
The plot was simple and fun - it is a good, light summer read. It wasn't as much fun as the movie version (starring Stephen Amell as Wynn Delaney, and Maggie Grace as 'Aunt' Elizabeth Thatcher), but it was enjoyable. I related some of the things that both Wynn and Elizabeth did throughout the story to my older sister and we both ended up laughing. It was fun.
The 'boxed lunch' scene in the school when the men are bidding for the boxed lunches made by the ladies was quite humorous. The game was that the ladies would make and bring a boxed lunch (enough to feed two people or more) and the men would bid on the lunch and whoever won got to eat the lunch with the lady who made it...Poor, poor Wynn...being snubbed by Elizabeth again and again and he has no idea why! :)
The ending was very satisfactory. Honestly, Elizabeth's hasty decision to leave town was just that - hasty. Thank goodness Wynn caught up with her at the train station!
Overall, a cute clean romance I would recommend to Janette Oke fans and historical fiction/romance readers. -
I loved this book!!! ❤️
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I bought this series from a local used book store and finally read it! Before, I have read the Love Comes Softly series and Season of the Heart series...
I've also watched the TV show When Calls the Heart. (my friends begged to, so I finally did. XD)
I'd probably recommend that you stick to the books before movies rule... the book and the TV show are just so different. Elizabeth has completely different motives for traveling west, the town is very different, she teaches in a schoolhouse... there are a lot of things. ;) Though in some parts, it did help me visualize Elizabeth, but I'd say, read the books first!
Overall I enjoyed this book. I'd probably recommend it to 14+ because of romance and kissing. ;P
I really liked the writing style though... there were many emotions in this book (including a lot of embarrassment... oh my) and it kept me waiting! The mouse part, I actually found hilarious... I think she gives mice too much credit. ;) What happened to Andy was really sad. I loved Jon's family... Kathleen was funny.
The only thing that made me a little uncomfortable was when the author described the 'open stares' the men (bachelors) gave Elizabeth. Bleh.
Another part I was a little confused about was, did Pine Springs have a post office? I was really unsure on how Elizabeth and her mother were contacting each other. Maybe she just sent letters from Calgary?
Seeing Elizabeth grow from a spoiled city girl to someone who could better take care of herself on her own was interesting.
4 stars! -
And here I was, thinking it was just the TV show that was naive and lacking depth, and that *surely* the book was better. (And yet did I binge-watch both seasons on Netflix? Yes, yes I did...) To my horror, I found the show to be significantly better than the book: *actual* character development, some semblance of frontier grittiness (but not much), and a romance that develops (instead of coming out of nowhere).
This book reads more like a diary than a novel, which in and of itself isn't a problem--it's Oke's underdeveloped characterization, clunky writing, and poor plot development that kills it for me.
Characterization
- As a main character, Elizabeth is such a Mary Sue--almost too perfect. Elizabeth just frustrated me. She is adamant about not being married, yet wonders when she'll share her home with a husband. She is clearly from the upper class and grew up with servants, yet says that all women should be confident in their kitchen abilities. She doesn't understand that cats eat mice, yet after her struggles with both cats and mousetraps, she wonders if there's a move "civilized way" (122) to deal with the problem.
- Oke doesn't bother to develop Wynn's character at all. We only find out on page 175 (of a 220-page book) that he's a Mountie, but we don't know anything about his job, his feelings (other than the usual "If the RCMP wanted a Mountie to have a wife, they would have issued him one" trope), or what even makes him attractive to Elizabeth. All we get is that Elizabeth seems to fall in love/lust with him at first sight, for reasons unspecified to the reader. (He's also a mansplainer (witness the scene about the fire and the dampers), which Elizabeth finds frustrating. A point in her favor!)
- The supporting characters are bland and run together. What differentiates one child from another? What makes one townsperson any different from another? Most of them were just nondescript. Oke does a nice job at defining Jon's family, though. They were the only characters that felt real and not stock characters.
Clunky writing
- We get pages and pages about mice in the teacherage but precious little about the relationship between Elizabeth and Wynn. Why do they like each other? What is it about the other person that is so bewitching? We'll never know because Oke chose not to reveal their feelings. I know more about Elizabeth's feelings toward Napoleon the Mouse than of those toward Wynn, the man she "wants to change his mind on marriage" (176).
- Oke sets this in a small town, yet Elizabeth has no idea that Wynn is single. Even in religious fiction, I assume that small-town gossip should be alive and well. How did Elizabeth have no interaction with other townspeople to not know?
- Everything seems too sanitized: Elizabeth has no real problems in the town, she's easily able to get back to Calgary (to be fair, the show also does this, just worse: it would probably take days to get from the West back to Hamilton, but it only seems to take the characters a few hours), she's wanting for nothing, she has no crisis with any of the families, etc. It's just too clean to be accurate--there's nothing gritty about Oke's frontier. Even Laura Ingalls Wilder's frontier (as edited as it is) showed real hardship. Elizabeth could have been in a suburb of Toronto for all the setting played a part.
Poor plot development
- Besides reiterating that Oke gives us absolutely no clues as to why there is even a relationship between Elizabeth and Wynn, Elizabeth's career trajectory in the town and sudden desire to leave seems to come out of nowhere. The bear attack is the catalyst for her desire to leave?! (And I have to mention the ridiculous plot device of Wynn having to kiss Elizabeth so that she doesn't faint. What is this?!) In the rest of the diary-like book, we were given no indications that she was feeling such strong second feelings.
- Oke detailed Elizabeth's interactions with her family in Toronto and Calgary quite well, but the rest of the story felt rushed and underdeveloped. (Except for the mouse parts. She definitely developed the mouse parts.) We don't really see anything about Elizabeth's life in the town or if/how she's changed from being a Toronto city teacher to a rural frontier one.
Overall, I was shocked at how much better the show was than the book (words I don't often say...but the bar was set quite low)--and just how lacking this book is in every way from the classic "young teacher heads to remote area, adventures and romance ensue" novel,
Christy. Everything Oke did in this book, Catherine Marshall did better. Life struggles, fish-out-of-water sensations, growing up, crises of faith, and relationships: Christy much better described the real challenges of being a 19-year-old teacher in the early part of the twentieth century. -
Clean christian romance, men and women making their path in harsh and hard Canadian land. I liked this author's style, it was my first book and i'll be looking for more of her story. The heroine seemed spoiled and childish sometimes. Sometimes books looked like diary... I dont usually like them.
