Memorable Monday #33

Posted December 10, 2018 by thebeccafiles in / 4 Comments

Happy Monday! The purpose of memorable Monday is to showcase a book that you’ve read in the past and share how/why it has stuck with you.

This week I’m featuring:

Amazon | Goodreads

I know I’ve mentioned Janette Oke’s books on here often, but I can’t help it with her being one of my favorites! She was the author I started to follow with my grandma when I was a teenager, so her books hold a very dear place in my heart. Even though it’s the fourth in a series it’s still a stand-alone. I really loved Damaris’ character in the story. Her name was foreign to me, but I remember when she discovered the value in the meaning of her name, it became permanently imprinted in my mind. (Nope, not spoiling you’ll have to pick it up and find out for yourself). I remember this being one of the first stories I read that really clung to my emotions and left an imprint on my heart. If you haven’t read this one yet I highly recommend you remedy that quickly. Christmas is coming so you can add it to your list if necessary! 😉

About the Book:

She was almost fifteen on the night she dared for the first time to think of what life might be like away from home. Pa again had come home drunk and mean; the trauma of the subsequent scene had been repeated as long as Damaris could remember. The idea that she no longer needs to tolerate this, that maybe she’s old enough to manage on her own, is planted in her mind and begins to grow. She must plan her escape carefully, but she must get away from him.

When the opportunity comes, Damaris carries with her the strength of her mother’s love. Two treasures hidden for years from her father- her grandmother’s lacy golden brooch and her grandfather’s lovely watch- are Damaris’ only legacy from her past. That and her name. Her mother said it came from the Bible and had a special meaning that she can’t remember anymore. What difference might it make?

But Damaris can’t escape the “aloneness” that haunts her life or the bitterness she feels when she sees others suffering, particularly children. Ultimately, she must come to terms with her past, learn to live in her present circumstances, and trust her future to another Father.

She Discovered Much More Than the Meaning of Her Name in That Book.

About the Author:

Janette Oke writes with a profound simplicity of what she knows best—real life, honest love, and lasting values. With over 23 million in sales, her historical novels portray the lives of early North American settlers from many walks of life and geographical settings. She also writes engaging children’s stories and inspiring gift books that warm the heart.

Janette was born during the depression years to a Canadian prairie farmer and his wife, and she remembers her childhood as full of love and laughter and family love. After graduating from Mountain View Bible College in Canada where she met her husband, Edward, they pastored churches in Canada and the U.S., and they raised their family of four children, including twin boys, in both countries. Edward eventually became president of Mountain View Bible College and recently established a coalition of colleges that became Rocky Mountain Bible College.

During her earliest years, Janette sensed the desire to write. Though she yearned to be a published novelist, she devoted herself to being a wife and mother because, she says, “there is no higher honor—that is my number-one priority.” She began serious writing when her children were entering their teens.

Her first novel, a prairie love story titled Love Comes Softly, was published by Bethany House in 1979. This book was followed by more than 75 others. She reaches both religious and general markets, telling stories that transcend time and place. Her readers of all ages and walks of life can identify with the everyday events and emotions of her characters. Janette believes everyone goes through tough times—the key is to be prepared with a strong faith as the foundation from which decisions are made and difficult experiences are faced. That perspective is subtly woven throughout her novels.

After Love Comes Softly was published, Oke found her readers asking for more. That book led to a series of eight others in her Love Comes Softly series. She has written multiple fiction series, including The Canadian West, Seasons of the Heart and Women of the West. Her most recent releases include a beautiful children’s picture book, I Wonder…Did Jesus Have a Pet Lamb and The Song of Acadia series, co-written with T. Davis Bunn.

Janette Oke’s warm writing style has won the hearts of millions of readers. She has received numerous awards, including the Gold Medallion Award, The Christy Award of Excellence, the 1992 President’s Award for her significant contribution to the category of Christian fiction from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, and in 1999 the Life Impact Award from the Christian Booksellers Association International. Beloved worldwide, her books have been translated into fourteen languages.

In recent years, Janette and her siblings lovingly restored their parents’ prairie farm home, and it now serves as a gift shop and museum of prairie life. Please see below for a special invitation to the Oke Writing Museum and The Steeves’ Historical House. She and her husband live nearby in Alberta, Canada, where they are active in their local church. Visits from their families, including their grandchildren, are their delight.