Janette Oke

[NadineTimes10]

One thing I remember enjoying about Janette Oke's Seasons of the Heart series (that begin with Once Upon a Summer)is that it was written from a male's perspective.

Indeed, and the fact that it's written from a first person POV instead of third person is also different from most (or all?) of the novels I've read by her, except for Dana's Valley, which she wrote with her daughter. It's the only other first person novel by Oke that I can think of off the top of my head. I think the POV made Once Upon a Summer more hilarious--I laughed at Josh's way of thinking more than once, and actually stopping to laugh aloud instead of only smiling at humorous parts in books is pretty rare for me.

[csimmons032]

Ealasaid, that is also what I have been enjoying about Once Upon A Summer. I thought it was very interesting to read something from the male perspective this time. It kind of adds a new twist, in a way lol. The first person POV, like NadineTimes10 mentioned is something else that makes her books rather interesting. For me, I like it better when books are written from a first person POV. You are able to relate to the characters easier and you feel as if you are actually living it, if you understand what I mean lol. Thank you NadineTimes10 for responding to my post.

[Hannah-E]

I love Janette Oke! I have read tons of her books and hardly ever been disappointed. I love her Song of Acadia series especially!

[NadineTimes10]

I love Janette Oke! I have read tons of her books and hardly ever been disappointed. I love her Song of Acadia series especially!

I've read all the Song of Acadia books two or three times.

[csimmons032]

Hello Hannah-E and NadineTimes10, and I apologize for such a late response. I have never read the Song of Acadia series, but I definitely want to. I just finished the third book in the When Calls the Heart series a few months ago, and that was the last Janette Oke book I read. I definitely want to start picking up her books again though because I really love her stories.

[NadineTimes10]

Hello Hannah-E and NadineTimes10, and I apologize for such a late response. I have never read the Song of Acadia series, but I definitely want to. I just finished the third book in the When Calls the Heart series a few months ago, and that was the last Janette Oke book I read. I definitely want to start picking up her books again though because I really love her stories.

The When Calls the Heart series--are you referring to the Canadian West series, first published in the 1980s and beginning with the novel When Calls the Heart, or the Return to the Canadian West series, published recently and co-authored by Janette Oke and her daughter, Laurel Oke Logan? (The current television series is based on the new Return to the Canadian West series, I think, but since they titled it When Calls the Heart from the older series of novels, they helped make it all pretty confusing. )

I recently read the Canadian West series because I was determined not to start watching the television show until I had, but I don't know yet if I'll actually read the Return to the Canadian West novels. I hope you do read the Song of Acadia books, one of my all-time favorite series!

[csimmons032]

Yes you are right, sorry about that. I have not got into the Return to the Canadian west series, but I am looking forward to it. I would like to see how similar it is to the tv show, which I enjoy a lot. I definitely will read the Song of Acadia series. I would like to read all of her books actually. I find here writing style to be very enjoyable. Thanks for the response, especially considering it took so long to respond to you. I haven't been on here in a while until recently, so that's why I hadn't responded in so long.

[NadineTimes10]

Yes you are right, sorry about that. I have not got into the Return to the Canadian west series, but I am looking forward to it. I would like to see how similar it is to the tv show, which I enjoy a lot. I definitely will read the Song of Acadia series. I would like to read all of her books actually. I find here writing style to be very enjoyable. Thanks for the response, especially considering it took so long to respond to you. I haven't been on here in a while until recently, so that's why I hadn't responded in so long.

Ah, no worries! I myself don't make it around here as much as I used to.

[Mindi]

I used to read her books all the time! I read the Love Comes Softly series, the Once Upon a Summer books, and the When Calls the Heart books. And of course, the When Calls the Heart set is what the Hallmark television series of When Calls the Heart is based on. There are a lot of differences, though.

[Angela Stripes]

I had no idea Janette Oke was behind When Calls The Heart!

I'd already seen the Love Come Softly movies before reading the books, and felt a little disappointed by the originals. One of the few times I'd have to say I liked the movie better. However, I did read her A Gown of Spanish Lace, which I think is a stand-alone, and that was pretty good.

[NadineTimes10]

I had no idea Janette Oke was behind When Calls The Heart!

I'd already seen the Love Come Softly movies before reading the books, and felt a little disappointed by the originals. One of the few times I'd have to say I liked the movie better. However, I did read her A Gown of Spanish Lace, which I think is a stand-alone, and that was pretty good.

It seems that oftentimes, I wind up liking the "first way" better: if I saw a movie first, I like the movie better, or if I read a book first, I like the book better. That's not always the case for me, but I think it would make sense that whatever way a person is first introduced to a story would seem like the natural "standard" for the story in their mind. Since that's the way they first encountered it, that may be the way it seems like the story "should be."

In the case of the Love Comes Softly series, I'm glad I read Janette Oke's books before I saw the movies, albeit I've gotten pretty good at separating books and their related movies in my mind--usually!

I read the Canadian West novels before starting When Calls the Heart on TV. I've gotten through Season 3, ready to watch Season 4, hopefully sooner than later!

[Angela Stripes]

It seems that oftentimes, I wind up liking the "first way" better: if I saw a movie first, I like the movie better, or if I read a book first, I like the book better. That's not always the case for me, but I think it would make sense that whatever way a person is first introduced to a story would seem like the natural "standard" for the story in their mind. Since that's the way they first encountered it, that may be the way it seems like the story "should be."

In the case of the Love Comes Softly series, I'm glad I read Janette Oke's books before I saw the movies, albeit I've gotten pretty good at separating books and their related movies in my mind--usually!

I read the Canadian West novels before starting When Calls the Heart on TV. I've gotten through Season 3, ready to watch Season 4, hopefully sooner than later!

Yes, I totally agree.

I've been able to separate that way a few times, but its difficult. I read (maybe on a Lord of the Rings thread) someone's comment about how the movies and the books are each their own distinctive art, and I'd have to agree with that wholeheartedly. It's a good way to reconcile differences, and the whole "this is how I imagined it/way it 'should' be" thing, too.

That's exciting to read first and then follow up with the movie (or in this case the TV show). I'll have to add those to my list as well!

[NadineTimes10]

Yes, I totally agree.

I've been able to separate that way a few times, but its difficult. I read (maybe on a Lord of the Rings thread) someone's comment about how the movies and the books are each their own distinctive art, and I'd have to agree with that wholeheartedly. It's a good way to reconcile differences, and the whole "this is how I imagined it/way it 'should' be" thing, too.

That's exciting to read first and then follow up with the movie (or in this case the TV show). I'll have to add those to my list as well!

I hope you enjoy them! I have over 40 of Janette Oke's books on my shelves, and most of them I've read two or three times. She's one of my all-time favorite authors because she's really one of the pioneers of the Christian Fiction genre as we now know it. Although the genre has evolved already from when Oke's early novels were published, I appreciate them for basically being the first of a kind that paved the way for so many authors now publishing Christian Fiction.

[Angela Stripes]

I hope you enjoy them! I have over 40 of Janette Oke's books on my shelves, and most of them I've read two or three times. She's one of my all-time favorite authors because she's really one of the pioneers of the Christian Fiction genre as we now know it. Although the genre has evolved already from when Oke's early novels were published, I appreciate them for basically being the first of a kind that paved the way for so many authors now publishing Christian Fiction.

Wow that's really inspiring! I hadn't thought of looking into the origin of Christian fiction, before (not sure why). Christian music history is something I can track a lot easier, or maybe I've just had more exposure to it. Thanks for helping to bring the written side of it to light in my mind.

[ebethina]

When I was younger I read so many of her books if I were to try to read her books again I wouldn't know where I left off. I have the Love Comes Softly series still on my shelf at home. I like Christian authors.

-- 26 Aug 2017, 10:54 --

When I was younger I read so many of her books if I were to try to read her books again I wouldn't know where I left off. I have the Love Comes Softly series still on my shelf at home. I like Christian authors.