The Davis family returns in Love's Enduring Promise by Janette Oke. Clark and Marty Davis take care of their growing family while the town they live in says goodbye to some folks, welcomes new ones, and experiences a fair amount of growth too.
Love's Enduring Promise is the second book in the Love Comes Softly series. Oke brings readers through a story that involves a lot of changes for the Davis family and the town in which they live. Clark and Marty welcome three more biological children into their family (Arnie, Luke, and Elvira), and adopt Nandry and Clae Larson when their father decides to move farther west after his wife dies.
Meanwhile, the town builds a new school and a church, so they welcome a teacher and a parson to their community. As the town continues to expand, young couples get married, new people move to town, babies are born, the Davis and Larson children grow and change, and Missie has her first caller.
As one reads Love's Enduring Promise, they can't help but notice how different the pacing is for this novel as compared to the first book in the series.
While a lot happened in Love Comes Softly, it focused on a short period of time (fall to spring) as Clark and Marty's relationship developed. While the reader met the Grahams and Wanda Marshall, the majority of the plot revolved around Clark and Marty. Now, part of that might be because they were more isolated in a new town, but it unfolded slowly.
In Love's Enduring Promise, the novel focuses on the Davis family and people in the town; the Larsons, the Grahams, the Marshalls, the LaHayes, and the McDonalds (owners of the local store), over a series of years. It also is a novel where the reader witnesses a tremendous amount of growth in the town. In addition to the new school and church, the town has their own doctor, a sheriff's office, and a bank.
While I enjoyed Love's Enduring Promise, I can't say it was a favorite. Way too much happened and so much time passes that I felt like the Davis children in this novel were added just to show pioneers often had an abundance of children. What was wonderful to see, however, was the Davis family prosper and become such an integral part of the town.
In this novel, like the first book in the series, the reader should be warned that the pioneers' opinions of Indians and how they talk about them could be deemed offensive.
Love's Enduring Promise is told mostly from Marty's point of view, giving the reader a further glimpse into Marty Davis' life as a pioneering wife and mother in a growing community. This family saga has been popular for decades. If you enjoy family sagas, historical romances, or faith-based fiction, this could be a good choice.
- ASIN: B01F9FUX7U
- Publisher: Bethany House Publishers; Reissue edition (2003-11-01) (January 1, 2003)
- Language: English
- Paperback: 240 pages
- ISBN: 9780764228490
This novel is from my personal collection. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.
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