Sustaining Faith

Sustaining Faith by Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan

A deeply moving and heartwarming story of faith and new-found family. For those who have enjoyed Janette Oke’s books this is another wonderful look at Canada in the early 1900s. The second book in the When Hope calls series, Sustaining Faith continues the story of Lillian Walsh and her sister Grace who run a Children’s Home in the wilds of western Canada.
The authors attention to historical detail is wonderful. I especially enjoyed how they shed light on the plight of immigrant children during this time period, and
I found myself becoming very emotionally attached to the characters as I cheered them on along their journey.

SUSTAINING FAITH is the second novel in the When Hope Calls series by JANETTE OKE and LAUREN OKE LOGAN. It is a beautifully written book in which we are taken right into the characters' emotions. Being about orphans, namely Home Children sent to Canada from Britain, it is heart wrenching, especially when you come across those who try to profit from unpaid labour, like the Szwedas, or those who are not doing their job like Quinley Sinclair.
However there are people who are prepared to do anything they can for the children. Lillian Walsh is distressed that she told a lie to save the six year old twins, Milton and Mattie, nearly losing the children's home she runs with her sister Grace because of it. Ben Waldin feels sad for the children he looks after on the ship to Canada. He makes a decision to save Jane Henry's life, which also involves subterfuge.
There is so much uncertainty with regard to the children's future and Lillian and Grace, who are both Christians, are sustained by their faith, realizing that the Lord can sort out their problems much better than they can in their own strength. In fact we see Christianity in action as they care for their charges with unconditional love.
It is an enjoyable and inspirational read which gives a person a great deal of food for thought, and it is one I highly recommend.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bethany House Publishers. the opinions in this review are completely my own.

This is the sequel to "Unyielding Hope," and if you're the fan of the Hallmark shows "When Hope Calls," you'll want to check these books out.

This book picks up where the prior book ended, with Lillian and Grace continuing their work with the orphans, so it's best to read them in order. There is a bit of a romance angle, but it's not the key focus, which I appreciated. I liked the fact that the main story centered on the faith journey for each character.

The story immerses the reader in the early 1900s in Canada. Great attention was paid to the historical details. It's easy to engage with the characters and root them on. And it's heartwarming to see faith in action throughout the book.

In a world filled with formulaic romance novels, Sustaining Faith, by my very first favorite author, Janette Oke and her daughter, Laurel Oke Logan, is a refreshing change. A sequel to Unyielding Hope, Sustaining Faith continues the story of Lillian and Grace, sisters separated at the death of their parents.


In this novel, Lillian and Grace continue their work with orphans, striving to protect them from unscrupulous potential adoptive parents and to find them loving homes, all while they deal with the ramifications of a white lie told to protect the children in their care.

Meanwhile, Ben Waldin is doing his part to protect an orphan he rescued in England and protected on the long journey to Canada by ship and then west by train, all while searching for his own family.


While there is a hint of romance between Lillian and Walter, the focus of the story is really the journey of faith that each character must take. It's a slice of life that doesn't really end with the end of the book.


It appears that the novels were written to go with the Hallmark series, which is a bit disappointing since Hallmark hopelessly mangled both the Love Comes Softly and the Canadian West series beyond recognition. It makes me wonder how the Oke duo would have handled the story without considering the guidelines of the show.

That said, I did enjoy stepping into the lives of these characters and learning more about orphans and adoption in this time period.


The first book is available free from Kindle Unlimited, so grab it now so you can read it before Sustaining Faith is released June 1!

Karen


*I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Sustaining Faith is not only the title of this second book in the When Hope Calls series, it is the book's theme. Lillian Walsh is learning through having joined her sister in caring for orphans to place them and herself first and foremost in God's care. Thankfully God has given her friends and family to support her as these lessons do not come easily. In this book we also meet Ben Waldin, a sailor whose heart has gone out to Jane Henry, a young orphan whose aunt wants nothing more than to be relieved of her. Like Lillian once had to do, Ben has to choose between duplicity and protecting a child, the proverbial rock and the hard place.

This joint effort between Janette Oke and her daughter, Laurel Oke Logan is a delight. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Sustaining Faith from Bethany House via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

I have been on a Janette Oke kick here lately and it has done my heart good! I was so glad I received an ARC of this book.

Fans of the Hallmark series, "When Hope Calls" will enjoy reading more about Lillian and Grace as they strive to take care of the orphans. My favorite character is Ben because of the way he cared for Jane. Looking forward to reading more in this series. Readers should read the books in order so not to miss the back story. Recommended!

Sustaining Faith
by Janette Oke; Laurel Oke Logan
Bethany House
You Like Them You Are Auto-Approved
Bethany House Publishers
Christian | General Fiction (Adult) | Historical Fiction
Pub Date 01 Jun 2021 | Archive Date 11 Aug 2021

This one will be a big hit in our library. We have patrons waiting in line for good wholesome stories!
This is the second in the series and it pays good attention to historic detail in the 1900's.
I became quite attached to the characters. Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for the ARC.

5 star

Good continuation of the first story. I love the new character, Ben! This story shows a lot how deception can cause problems. The main drawback is that it ends right in the middle of the story!! So my question is, when's the next book coming out???
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance e-copy of this book. The opinions are all my own.

Sustaining Faith by Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan is the 2nd book in When Hope Calls series. I recommend reading Unyielding Hope before embarking on this new tale. Sustaining Faith picks up where Unyielding Hope left off. This is a heartwarming Christian novel. It is well-written with developed, realistic characters. Lillian and Grace are good women with big hearts. They have opened their home to children being brought over from England who have yet to find forever homes. They care about each child placed in their care. A wee lie, though, has gotten them into hot water. The authors captured the locale as well as the time period. I can tell they did their research for the series. The story moves along at a gentle pace with an alternating point-of-view. While I enjoyed reading Sustaining Faith, it does not have the same ease or pacing as Janette Oke’s earlier works (I have read every book that Janette Oke has written). I found it that it took me longer to get into the story because of the pacing and the amount of detail. The children are endearing. I felt bad for these kids being sent off on an unknown voyage and not knowing with whom they would end up nor where. There is romance in the story, but it is not the main event. I like the Christian elements woven into the story. It was not heavy handed or preachy. We know that God is in charge, and we must wait for Him to show us the way in His own timing. Sustaining Faith leaves us with a cliffhanger, and we must wait for the next installment to find out what happens next. If you are a fan of Hallmark’s When Calls the Heart, you will like Sustaining Faith. Sustaining Faith is a sweet story that will touch your heart.

In this historical tale, Grace and Lillian are sisters who are running a placement home for children that are brought by ship from Europe for adoption in Canada. I had read some Janette Oke books thirty years or so ago and had stopped because I felt they were just simple cookie cutter stories. But obviously Janette Oke has perfected her craft over the years. This was a page turner. I have a feeling there will be another book with these characters later and if so, I am looking forward to reading it. The characters were interesting and the setting was rich in history and I felt the period was well researched.

I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion

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This story talks about British Home Children that were sent to Canada with the promise of a better life. It worked out for some, but there were too many to keep track of and many were treated as free laborer’s not small, beautiful children. In the book series McAlister Family by Carrie Turansky and Susan Mason’s Canadian Crossings series. Both series deal with family members that had been taken away and sent to Canada. The families are trying to be re-united. This novel is quite different as the perspective is from the ones who are running the homes and trying to do their best to care for these wounded, frightened children. They are doing all they can to care for these young ones and then find them good homes.

This is book two in the series, but it reads as a standalone. It made me want to read book one and find out more about these caring sisters, Grace and Lillian Walsh. This is an enthralling story I could not put down. It would work well for your book club pick as it is rich in characterization and story. It’s one that you will want to add to your summer reading list. I found this story intriguing, heartwarming and fascinating.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have received a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog www.bookfun.org

I enjoyed Sustaining Faith. It hooked me immediately and as an avid reader, that is always a delight. Lilian and Grace once again champion the children who have been left behind. Both of these women are relentless in their pursuit of providing the best for the children in their care and one small mistake has led to quite a challenge for the newly reunited sisters to overcome.

Handsome, dashing Quinley Sinclair from the society pulls out all the charm and affability one man can maintain as he sweeps in as their hope in regaining support from the society for Brayton House. In contrast to faithful Walter, Quinley's appearance overshadows the selfless actions Walter has time and again on their behalf. One has to wonder which young man really has the best interest of the children at heart.

It is the true faithfulness of Grace and Lillian that will prove see them through the difficult times in this story. Along the way, the reader learns the value of this sustaining faith for a positive outcome to occur.

I truly enjoyed this book and would love to see a third book written in this series. It has been adapted to a television series and while I enjoyed an episode or two, television just cannot compete with the books.