#Unyielding Hope# by Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan is an historical fiction book. takes place during the Janette has written over 70 books. She received the 1992 President's Award from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association for her significant contribution to Christian fiction, the 1999 CBA Life Impact Award and has been awarded the Gold Medallion Award for fiction. Janette and her husband, Edward, have four grown children and enjoy their many grandchildren. She lives in Canada. This outstanding book takes place in the 1800's. in the Industrial Revolution. During that time period there were many orphans . Many people died of diseases . The children were left on the street as orphans. These orphans were sent to Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and some parts of Africa to be adopted. These children were not often treated well. They were often abused. The author writes this outstanding book to ask us are " We able to meet the challenges in our generation and be Jesus' hands and feet?, " The characters are well described . The setting is Canada. The reader will feel like they are truly experiencing the difficult days of life during the 1800's . I walked away from the book thinking about the characters and reliving the beauty of this book. I commend the author for this excellent book and reminding us not to allow this to happen again. The themes are forgiveness, unyielding hope , steadfast love, Jesus hands and feet for the weak . Thank you to the publisher and netgalley and the author for allowing me to read and review this book. The opinions are my own . I will share my review with Amazon, facebook netgalley , Goodreads, Bookhub, my blog, with the church staff. ,

Unyielding Hope by Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan takes us to Brookfield, Alberta, Canada where Lillian Walsh lives with her father. Lillian deeply misses her adoptive mother who recently passed away. They are preparing to depart for Wales where Mr. Walsh will be giving a series of lectures as well as visiting his family. Mr. Dorn, a lawyer, arrives to inform Lillian that she has inheritance from her birth parents and that her baby sister, Grace is still alive. Lillian is shocked because she had been told that Grace died with her parents. Lillian postpones leaving and works with the law firm to locate Grace. The sisters have a tearful reunion that touches those in attendance. Grace is a joyful woman of deep faith and hope. Grace has begun an undertaking that will change the course of Lillian’s life. Unyielding Hope is the debut novel in When Hope Calls series. I always look forward to a novel by Janette Oke (I have been reading them since I was a teen). I know I will be getting a well-written Christian novel featuring a likeable female protagonist. I got myself comfortable and began reading this engaging historical novel that quickly transported me back in time. I was not disappointed with Unyielding Hope. Two sisters separated at a young age who rediscover each other. They take on children who are without parents or a home. They create a special family for these orphans. I like how the sisters treated these poor kids. They did not view them as a burden or extra help. The sisters gave them love, structure and a safe home. The authors deal with the topic of Home Children. A program where hundreds of children from England were transported to various countries that included New Zealand, Australia, and Canada (the author’s preface explains the program). We get a realistic picture of what life was like for these children. Some were fortunate and found good homes, but many of these kids were treated like farm hands and servants. They would be discarded like a newspaper in a recycling bin. I loved the kids in this tale. There were a variety of ages and personalities. It is just terrible what they had been through in their young lives. I found it delightful how Harrison would introduce himself to people. There is a hint of romance in this story which I believe it will be explored further in the next book. I am glad that it was not the prevalent theme in the book. There are good Biblical messages in the story. Grace was a woman with a strong faith. I like how she expressed it and showed by example. Hope is the dominant theme throughout the story. Unyielding Hope is a touching story that will linger with you long after you finish it.

When I learned that Janette Oke and her daughter Laurel Oke Logan had released a new book, I was absolutely thrilled. Reading books by this duo feels like coming home. Since I was a teenager, Janette Oke has been a staple in my reading repertoire. To still be reading her books decades later is the ultimate comfort.

Their latest series, When Hope Calls, is a spin-off of their previous When Calls the Heart trilogy. The first book, Unyielding Hope, is a gentle read, presenting a bevy of characters that will hopefully continue to appear in future novels. In many ways, this book feels like an introduction, with the ending clearly leaving knots unraveled.

In Unyielding Hope, we meet two sisters who are working to provide homes for children from the British Children’s Home Society. I loved learning about the plights of these children, and my interest was quickly piqued as my heart rooted for each child. With a heart-warming and compassionate tone, this story is one that resonated with me.

I encourage you to grab onto this book. It promises to be the start of a great new series.

I received this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I didn't know anything about this book so it was interesting to see how it unfolded. Two sisters are reunited through a twist of fate and begin a journey to help orphan children . I enjoyed the characters, especially the children.

Fans of these two authors will be most pleased with their latest offering. Fans of Hallmark's When Hope Calls series will also enjoy this first book in the book series by the same name, although they will notice some differences. Hearts will rejoice with the sisters' reunion, and grieve for their losses. They will rise with emotion as they come to love the children under the sisters' care, and will grow concerned over their hurts. This book is definitely not a stand-alone read as it ends with a cliff hanger. I only hope it won't be a long wait until the release of the series' second book. I am grateful to have received a copy of Unyielding Hope from Bethany House via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I was under no obligation to provide a positive review and received no monetary compensation.

Unyielding Hope is the story about two sisters, Lilian and Grace, who were displaced because of the death of their parents. They led different lives but due to unimaginable circumstances, Lilian found out that Grace is still alive. She took on a search and happily found each other again. This is where the adventure begins for the sisters, I love how Grace is full of hope and seems to be at peace with her faith. I love how Lilian was accepting and trying to trust God on the new things happening in their lives despite some hesitations and doubts. The children are adorable. The story is not very fast faced but slow enough for me to follow each character and how their lives intertwined. I was not so satisfied with how it ended though. I recommend and give it 4.5/5 stars.

Thank you netgalley and Bethany house for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Lillian and Grace. Sisters but yet different as day from night. Lillian was sheltered but Grace was exposed to the ills and troubles of life.
I loved reading about Grace's faith despite the many troubles she had gone through. The way she spoke about God's faithfulness was so inspiring. Wow! The work she was doing with adopted children was so heartwarming.
I enjoyed reading about these courageous and bold young unmarried women as they took care of orphans and street children alone. Their care, love and support of the children seeped into my hearts from the pages of this book.


I received a copy of this book from netgalley and this is my honest opinion.

Janette Oke is a remarkable writer. As a kid I would visit the library as often as I could and pull her books off the shelves to read and then reread. I jumped at the chance to read her new books. I love the new series When Hope Calls. This book was so enjoyable and I hope we see more characters from the show in the next book.

Companion book to the popular TV series, this is the first in a brand new series by Janette Oke and her daughter Laurel Oke Logan.



Lillian and Grace are two sisters reunited after a lifetime apart, Lillian was adopted after the death of her parents and raised by a loving family. When she finds out that she has a small inheritance from her birth family, she also learns that her sister, long believed dead, is alive.



Slow to start, this book spends much of the time setting up or future installments to come in the series. There were parts of the story that seemed to come more easily than I expected, but I liked the characters and the setting. Grace has a strong faith, she is very hands-on, and outgoing with a passion for orphans. Lillian quickly agrees to help, uses her gifts of organization to help as well.



The book also follows an older orphan Lemuel, with dreams of pursuing higher education. He is a huge help to the sisters, and I'm excited to see where his story will go.



Overall this was a pleasant read, but felt more like a prequel or set up book, while the pace is perhaps realistic, there were times when reading it that I wondered if this book could have been condensed and tightened. I like the contrast between the sisters, and how Lillian grows throughout. There is a strong theme of faith and family. I'm interested to see where this will go, and am planning now to look into the show.



I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced reader of this book!

I really enjoyed this book. It tells some of the background behind the Hallmark show When Hope Calls! I enjoyed getting to know each of the characters more deeply!

I love "When the Heart Calls," and this book is linked to a companion show that I haven't watched yet, When Hope Calls (but I want to watch it now!)

Vivid detailing quickly pull the reader in, and the story, in general, tugs at the reader's heartstrings. I haven't read many books about child immigration schemes, so that was interesting. Grace's faith was solid, and her and Lilian were easy characters to relate to. The ending paves the way for a sequel, which I look forward to reading.

First sentence: “Mama.” The word came quietly at first, then grew in intensity. “Mama! Mama!” Lillian’s small body wrestled in the dark bedroom until her thick quilt became tangled, constricting around her tiny shoulders. Still the nightmare persisted. Droplets of sweat formed beneath her hair and began to slide in lines down her neck, soaking into her flannel nightgown. She fought with frail arms against the bondage that her blankets had become.

Premise/plot: Lillian, our heroine, has grown up in a loving adopted home. Her birth parents and sister all died. Now her adoptive mom has died too, and her father wants to go on an extended vacation in Wales. Lillian does NOT want to leave her home, it feels too soon, too fast. So when a lawyer shows up revealing that Lillian's sister did NOT die, it's a perfect excuse to stay put. Lillian goes on a search for her sister...but may find much more as the months unfold.

My thoughts: I really enjoyed this one. I read that it is supposed to be a companion to the television show When Calls the Heart. Hope Valley does get a couple of mentions and some names are dropped. I don't think I've watched since season three, so I'm not sure if I caught each and every name drop. There might be some characters in this book that are also in the show that I just didn't catch. That's good news in my opinion. I don't think your engaging with this book depends on your familiarity with the show.

It is told with multiple narrators. Perhaps this will continue in further books and other characters will get a chance for their happily ever afters.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable story from many aspects. It contains heartache, suspense, familial love, prejudice, and the power of prayer. Most of us have endured injustice and heartache but it probably doesn’t hold a candle to what these children “rescued” from the streets and sent to another country had to endure. The author does a tremendous job in bringing their plight to life in the words of this book. Wasn’t sure if I’d like it or not but was cemented to the story before halfway through the first chapter. And though I’m a big fan of happy endings, I understand why this soul-wrenching tale couldn’t be held down to just one book.
I received an advanced reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for my volunteer review.

I have loved Janette Oke’s work for more than 30 years. Hers were some of the first Christian Fiction books I read, and she hooked me. Unyeilding Hope doesn’t disappoint.

Mrs. Oke and her daughter set their story in Western Canada as many of her books. This early 20th Century setting provides a wonderful backdrop for this story of unusual family. I can’t wait for book #2 to release!

First and foremost I really enjoyed the book. I am always excited to see a new book come out with Janette Oke’s name on the front and I was not disappointed with this one! This book/series is based off the Hallmark TV show When Hope Calls. Quick clarification, it is very different. The TV show was released first so only a couple of the characters are the same. So don’t expect the TV show when reading the book or vice versa.

I was drawn into this book quickly! Both of the sisters were adorable and I enjoyed reading their stories. This book mainly follows Lillian and her perspective. But it does change perspective to a young orphan boy a few times. At first I did not like that but then it grew on me and I did not mind reading the story per his point of view.

While reading this story I could almost imagine being there and living out the book. It was extremely interesting and sad to read about the Canadian version of the orphan trains. I could never imagine the horror of being separated from a sibling. I guess that is what drew me in. I have sisters so I could understand how the sisters felt. Even though they lived different lives the sisterly bond was stronger.

I do have to mention this. If you are a true fan of Janette’s books this one was written with her daughter so the writing style was different. It was not bad but there is a difference in this book’s writing style compared to her original books.

Overall this book was excellent and I really enjoyed this vivid story. When I finished this book, I was a little sad that I finished it and would have to wait for the next book. But I most definitely will be reading the next book in this series.

So final comment… I highly recommend this story and hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

I remember reading Janette Oke's books some 30 years ago. I enjoyed them at that time, but never revisited them until recently. I was browsing through a list of books available to review a week or two ago, and Unyielding Hope caught my eye. Because I recognized the author, I looked closer, and liked the sound of this book. It even sounded like maybe it wasn't a romance, which appealed to me; I get tired of every book having a romance in it.
Lilian had a happy girlhood, with loving parents who had adopted her after she was left alone in the world. Now, though, her mother has died. As they struggle to come to terms with their loss, Lilian and her father plan a trip to Wales to visit his family. Then, a lawyer appears on their doorstep with the startling news that Lilian may still have a sister living. She certainly can't go to Wales with her father, knowing that if she stays home she may be able to find her long-lost sister!
When Lilian finds Grace, she is surprised to find that Grace has a “family.” Grace has made a home for several children who were brought to Canada from England to be adopted, but the children's new families sent them back. Lilian knows she wants to help Grace with the children—but how? And then, they find Lemuel. This young boy, too, has been hurt by the adoption scheme, and needs help and a family. How can all these young people, who know what it is like to be alone, help each other?
I really enjoyed the story. I've read a few books now about this child immigration scheme. It did seem that, for some of the children, things fell into place for them a little too easily to be believed. I appreciated Grace's faith in God and how she shared her faith with Lilian, and I could too easily identify with Lilian's struggles to trust God. There was a little bit of romance in the story; it wasn't a lot, but I would have enjoyed the book just as much if it hadn't been in there at all. My biggest frustration with the book, though, was the last sentence. Obviously, the story is not finished yet—I sure hope there will be a sequel to clear things up!
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley, and these are my honest thoughts about it.
WARNING: No warnings!

Unyielding Hope is one of those stories that not just warms the heart but enters your thoughts about a time when the good intentions of some had unintended consequences. And sometimes, those consequences turn out just the way they should. Two young sisters lost their parents to consumption. Lillian was told her younger sister Grace also died of the disease that we know of today as tuberculosis. Little did she know, Grace survived.

Grace and Lillian, through God's grace, found each other again in His own time. To find each other after so many years and build a life together was amazing. Each had her own story, with Grace never finding a forever home through adoption and Lillian, a young woman who was afforded many opportunities is a very loving home. Grace, who grew up with so little was so open to possibilities while Lillian, was a little more reticent. Yet, she brought Grace and all of the orphan children in her care back to live in the family home in Brookfield.

I have enjoyed reading Janette Oke's stories over the years and they leave me with something to think on when the story is long gone. Unyielding Hope, written with her granddaughter Laurel Oke Logan, is a good lesson in putting things into perspective. It isn't what we have been given but what we do with what we have that matters most. Giving love when it is needed most to those who need it is far better than all the riches of the world. I heartily recommend this book for the hope it brings and the laughter the children provide in the midst of two sisters reconnecting.

Great title for such a promising endeavor. After watching the television show, When Hope Calls, I loved reading this book. The book gives an in-depth view of the background of the show. Readers will enjoy the details that are not included in the show. Loved the preface that explains about the orphan orphan. Excited to read the next installment. Recommended!

UNYIELDING HOPE by JANETTE OKE and LAUREL OKE LOGAN is the sensitively written story of two sisters, who, having themselves experienced the loss of their parents, give children a loving home while they await adoption. It is both a heart warming and heart wrenching story - heart warming when we see Lillian and Grace's unconditional love for the children in their care, and heart wrenching when we see the horrific treatment some of the children received, and the attitude of some of the members of the community.
In the late 1800's and early 1900's many children were rescued from the streets in English cities and shipped off, some of them ending in up in Canada, which is where this story takes place.
There is a great Christian message running through the book, the characters are beautifully portrayed, and it is a thought provoking and inspirational read.
I am looking forward to the next novel in the series.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bethany House Publishers. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

Unyielding Hope
by Janette Oke; Laurel Oke Logan
I don’t know how to begin this review without being frank. I have watched both When Calls the Heart and When Hope Calls and that has spoiled my desire in reading this book.
Without having watched the shows I would have been able to escape into a wonderful book that pulled on my heart strings and filled me with delight. It really is a good book but I wish I would have discovered this before watching the shows.
I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review, shared here.