Reviewing: Sustaining Faith (When Hope Calls Book #2) by Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan

...from the publisher... 

Sustaining Faith (When Hope Calls Book 2)

 So much has been accomplished. Lillian Walsh has stepped out courageously beyond what she'd ever dreamed of being able to achieve. She and her newly rediscovered sister, Grace, have settled three children from England into new Canadian homes and are prepared to place two more just after the New Year, when it happens--another painful disruption. 

A white lie the sisters used to protect some orphans has resulted in an official complaint and a letter revoking the sisters' permission to manage their little children's home. And unexpectedly, Walter, the young man who has won Lillian's heart, departs for a job in the oil industry without leaving any hope for their future, making her confused and lonely.

With more children on their way from England needing caring homes, Lillian and Grace must use every ounce of gumption to keep their mission alive. But when startling information about the past surfaces and a new arrival comes via suspicious circumstances, they'll have to decide what is worth fighting for and what is better left in God's hands. 

...my thoughts...

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.

Reviewing: Unyielding Hope by Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan

...from the publisher...
As a young girl, Lillian Walsh lost both her parents and a younger sister. Now in her twenties, after enduring the death of her adoptive mother, Lillian must find her place in the world. Just as her adoptive father is leaving for an extended trip to his native Wales, a lawyer appears at the door to inform Lillian that she has inherited a small estate from her birth parents--and that the sister she had long believed dead is likely alive.
When she discovers that her sister, Grace, is living in a city not far away, Lillian rushes to a reunion, fearful that the years of separation will make it hard to reconnect.

When the two sisters meet, Grace is not at all what Lillian expected to find. Though her circumstances have been difficult, Grace has big dreams. Can Lillian set aside her own plans to join her sister in an adventure that will surely change them both?


...my thoughts...
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.