Wednesday, April 22, 2020

35. Unyielding Hope

Unyielding Hope. (When Hope Calls #1) Janette Oke and Laura Oke Logan. 2020. May 2020. 336 pages. [Source: Review copy] [historical fiction; romance; Christian fiction]

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.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

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