Skip to main content

Review: Janette Oke - A Heart for the Prairie

Janette Oke book cover on blue background

I first saw Janette Oke's books on a shelf in my high school library. I later had the pleasure of getting to interact with her husband when he worked in education. Little would I realize that this Canadian author would have such an impact on the Christian publishing industry and that I would be a beneficiary of her ministry through Christian fiction. As a result, it's rather fitting that the first book I gravitated toward was her biography, Janette Oke: A Heart for the Prairie, written by her daughter, Laurel Oke Logan. I soon hope to supplement this biography with actually reading Janette's own books!

Book Synopsis

The Story of One of the Most Beloved Novelists of Our Time

Written by her daughter, Laurel Oke Logan, this book offers intimate glimpses into the life and heritage of author Janette Oke. An ordinary woman with extraordinary gifts, Janette grew up on the Canadian prairie to eventually become the wife of a pastor and educator, the mother of four grown children, a grandmother who delights in her grandchildren  and one of the best known and loved Christian novelists of our time. You'll discover how the strength of family connections and spiritual values have shaped her life and permeate her novels from the first, Love Comes Softly, to her most recent.

Source: Amazon

Book Thoughts

Reading this book is like coming home. The title is apt as you can tell that this book is not just an ode to Janette Oke's life, but also an ode to the Canadian prairies where it's easy to picture scenes of growing up in such places. Though it's an older biography and doesn't contain more recent stories around the explosion of Janette's books being portrayed on Hallmark television, I actually like that it delves more into her heart for ministry and her purpose in writing. Understanding how her past has shaped her gives greater meaning to how God has been using her to be a “paper missionary,” resulting in a remarkable legacy outside of her popularity in entertainment.

Getting to sit in on many incredible family stories speaks to the resilience of such a faithful woman, making this book an inspiration for anyone who has read her stories. Being familiar with many of the settings and institutions mentioned in this biography, I appreciated it all the more as I could envision the various locations as they popped up over the course of her travels and moves. Reading about her devotion to God, along with how she and her husband were able to minister to so many people, myself included when I was a student, this book is a quiet recollection of God's enduring promises to His children. Anyone who is a fan of Janette Oke will appreciate learning more about the author and her love of the Lord.

Book Summary

  • Format of book: 📱/🎧
  • Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Recommendation: 👍
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Wes and Addie Had Their Chance - Adelaide Springs #3

After visiting Colorado, I can see why this series has won a Colorado Book Award in the romance category. It's a celebration of all things small-town and Americana with a charming cast of characters.  Wes and Addie Had Their Chance  by  Bethany Turner  is the third book in the Adelaide Springs series and it's helpful to read the first two books as they culminate in this story. This book releases July 15, 2025, so there's time to catch up on the previous titles if this clean book series is of interest to you. This is a disclaimer that although this book is published by a Christian publisher, this book falls along the lines of clean fiction, so expectations should be set accordingly. I shared the following when I reviewed  Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other  and Cole and Laila are Just Friends , and as this book follows those two, I'll adopt the same refrain again: This is more of a crossover title that fits the genre of what the author terms "pop culture-i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Palate Cleansers

Partially inspired by summer and partially because I like eating, I was thinking about the role of palate cleansers between courses of food, notably sorbet. I really enjoy the reset that the palate cleansers provide, allowing for a richer sense of taste to come with the next dish. In terms of reading, I admit that I have had a lot of ARCs to read this year. I've read close to 30 ARCs so far and have another 20 or so to go. I'm by no means complaining as I really enjoy reading; however, I can attest to a bit of fatigue from trying to get in as much reading as possible to meet release deadlines. It doesn't quite feel like work yet, but I will admit that when the ARCs are back-to-back, it can be a little hard to continually be motivated. As a result, I've been looking forward to setting aside a month to take a break from ARC commitments and to just enjoy whatever titles come my way and to make more of a dent in my TBR pile. While I will continue to try to meet a few upcomi...
2 comments
Read more

2025 Clearly Christian Readathon

Welcome to another year of the  2025 Clearly Christian Readathon ! Updated materials have now been shared with new graphics for this upcoming year. Christian Books and Coffee , Devoted to Hope , and I are so grateful to be able to continue this Readathon so that we can keep featuring Christian authors writing clearly Christian books. There are plenty of resources available in the Clearly Christian Readathon Goodreads Group if you'd like to check it out! Thanks for journeying with us for the second year of the Readathon. We can't wait to see what God has in store with such incredible stories to be told 😀
Post a Comment
Read more