Book Review: Love's Abiding Joy by Janette Oke

 

Welcome back to the Davis family saga with the fourth book in Janette Oke's Love Comes Softly series, Love's Abiding Joy.

Marty Davis has missed the oldest daughter she shares with her beloved husband Clark in the years since Missie married Willie LaHaye and moved farther west to start his cattle ranch. Letters aren't nearly enough to bridge the miles between them. But thanks to the Transcontinental Railroad and tons of support from their family, Clark surprises Marty with a birthday present of tickets to see their darling daughter. 

The train ride seems like it will never end, but one day Marty and Clark get to see Missie, Willie and their grandsons, Nathan and Josiah, along with all the ranchers that have helped to make the LaHayes successful ranchers. 

Clark and Marty settle in for a few weeks' visit, but when tragedy strikes, they must stay with the LaHayes longer than expected, bringing changes for the entire family. The Davis and LaHaye families must lean on their faith to get them through, and as tragedy turns to a renewed need to seek a closer relationship with God for the residents of this western town, Clark is called to help.

What a wonderful addition to this Christian historical series Loves Abiding Joy is. A parents' joyful reunion with their daughter and her family turns to tragedy when Clark is critically injured rescuing children. Oke portrays this family in crisis well: Marty and Missie's different approaches to praying for and helping Clark in the days after his accident; Clark adjusting to a different way to approach the physical aspects of his life; strong, silent Willie who bears a change in his family dynamic; and Missie's guilt over believing this tragedy happened because her parents were visiting. 

Love's Abiding Joy further strengthens Clark's personality as a strong man of faith guiding his loved ones as the patriarch of the Davis family. His thoughtful insights into situations viewed through the ever-loving grace of God also help members of the community Missie and Willie call home. And when Clark and Marty finally board the train back to their own hometown, it goes without saying that the entire community will miss them. 

This book gave me greater insight into why the movie plots changed dramatically as the series continued. They are both great ways to enjoy inspiring Christian fiction.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bethany House Publishers; Repack edition (November 1, 2003)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 076422851X
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0764228513

I purchased this book in 2023. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Books to Film: Love's Abiding Joy (2006)

 

In 2006, Michael Landon Jr. brought Love's Abiding Joy, the fourth novel in Janette Oke's Love Comes Softly series, to the screen. It continues Missie (Erin Cottrell) and Willie's (Logan Bartholomew's) story arc at their ranch in the far West. 

Thanks to the Transcontinental Railroad, Missie's father, Clark Davis (Dale Midkiff), is able to visit them on the ranch, allowing him the first chance to meet his grandchildren: adopted son Jeff (Drew Tyler Bell), Mattie (Brett Cocker), and baby Kathy. Willie explains to Clark that times have been tough the last two years for the ranchers due to little rain and a cow plague that swept through the area. They are grateful for Missie's teaching job. 

When tragedy strikes, Missie and Willie's love is tested. Once Willie decides to take on the role of sheriff offered by the powerful and wealthy Samuel Doros (John Laughlin), the wedge between them widens. As they attempt to pull their once tight-knit family back together, Jeff finds himself in a dangerous position as his relationship with Colette Doros (Mae Whitman) blossoms into love. 

As the Love Comes Softly movie series continues, the difference between the books and movies widens. In Janette Oke's version of Love's Abiding Joy, Marty and Clark visit Missie and Willie. In the movies, only Clark makes the trip, saying that the cost was too much to bring the entire family. This makes me wonder if the loss of Katherine Heigl as Marty played a role in that decision.  Also, the LaHaye children are different in the movie than the books. No shock there, as most of Marty and Clark's children didn't make it into the movies either. 

There are so many touching moments in this movie (SPOILERS IN WHITE):

• Clark and Missie's reunion
• Clark overjoyed with meeting his grandchildren and the LaHayes' friends
• The developing romance between Jeff and Colette
• How one of the school children drew a picture of baby Kathy going to heaven for Missie
• Clark supporting and praying for Missie and Willie as they cope with the loss of Kathy
• The reunited LaHaye family learning to move on from Kathy's death
• How Willie bought back Missie's locket she had sold to get money for their friends, Henry and Melinda, so Doros couldn't foreclose on their ranch
• Colette standing up to her father
• Clark and Missie's tearful goodbye

While Jeff and Colette provide the only hint of romance in Love's Abiding Joy, fans of the series will be crying with and hoping for Missie and Willie to find their way back to each other. As the stagecoach bringing Clark back to the train station pulls away, a teary-eyed Missie stands in the road watching it drive out of town, having expressed her gratitude that Clark was there when tragedy struck and having been reminded that God's timing is always perfect, even when we don't know it at the time.

Another fabulous installment of this series. Cottrell and Bartholomew play a couple in crisis well, and Midkiff brings such depth of emotion to his role as Clark Davis. Family faith-based content should always be this good. 

• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.53 x 5.28 x 7.46 inches; 4 Ounces
• Item model number ‏ : ‎ 885636
• Director ‏ : ‎ Michael Landon Jr.
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Multiple Formats, Color, Full Screen, NTSC, Dolby, Widescreen, Subtitled
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 27 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ January 2, 2007
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Erin Cottrell, Dale Midkiff, Logan Bartholomew, Frank McRae, William Morgan Sheppard
• Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English, Spanish
• Language ‏ : ‎ French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Unqualified (DTS ES 6.1), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Studio ‏ : ‎ 20th Century Fox
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B000ICLRJS

I own this movie on DVD. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.