Janette Oke (née Steeves; born February 18, 1935) (pronounced "oak") is a Canadian author of
inspirational fiction
Inspirational fiction is a sub-category within the broader categories of "inspirational literature" or "inspirational writing". It has become more common for booksellers and libraries to consider inspirational fiction to be a separate genre, class ...
. Her books are often set in a pioneer era and centered on female
protagonist
A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...
s. Her first novel, ''Love Comes Softly'', was published by
Bethany House
Bethany House Publishers is a publisher that publishes Christian fiction and non-fiction books. Bethany House Publishers was bought in 2003 by Baker Publishing Group.
Bethany House publishes both historical and contemporary fiction. Historical ...
in 1979. , more than 75 others have followed. The first novel of her ''Canadian West'' series, ''When Calls the Heart'' (1983), became the basis of the
current television series of the same name.
Biography
Janette Steeves was born in
Champion, Alberta, to Canadian
prairie
Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...
farmers Fred and Amy (née Ruggles) Steeves, during the
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
years.
Oke graduated from
Mountain View Bible College in
Didsbury, Alberta
Didsbury is a town in central Alberta, Canada at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. It is located next to Alberta Highway 2A, near the Queen Elizabeth II Highway. Didsbury is within the Calgary-Edmonton corridor. Didsbury is approximately t ...
, where she met her future husband, Edward Oke, who later became the president of that college. The Okes have four children, 3 sons and 1 daughter. Oke's daughter has written several books alongside her mother.
Oke is a committed
Evangelical Christian
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of th ...
. She has written many books about her faith.
Awards
Oke received the 1992 President's Award from the
Evangelical Christian Publishers Association
The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) is an international non-profit trade association whose member companies are involved in the publishing and distribution of Christian
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres ...
for her significant contribution to
Christian fiction
Christian novels are a genre of novels in the tradition of Christian literature, written as a work of fiction focusing on religious events and worldviews.
The tradition of Christian fiction
Christian novels are works of imaginative literature dr ...
, as well as the 1999 CBA Life Impact Award, and the Gold Medallion Award for fiction.
List of books by Janette Oke
Source:
Love Comes Softly series
This series is published by
Bethany House
Bethany House Publishers is a publisher that publishes Christian fiction and non-fiction books. Bethany House Publishers was bought in 2003 by Baker Publishing Group.
Bethany House publishes both historical and contemporary fiction. Historical ...
.
# ''Love Comes Softly'', 1979
# ''Love's Enduring Promise'', 1980
# ''Love's Long Journey'', 1982
# ''Love's Abiding Joy'', 1983
# ''Love's Unending Legacy'', 1984
# ''Love's Unfolding Dream'', 1987
# ''Love Takes Wing'', 1988
# ''Love Finds a Home'', 1989
This series has also been published into two boxsets, Volume 1–4 and Volume 5–8. New revisions with updated covers were published in 2003 and 2004, including the boxsets.
The
Fox Faith
Fox Faith (also spelled FoxFaith) was a brand of film studio 20th Century Fox targeting evangelical Christians.
Established under 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment in 2006, Fox Faith acquired independent Christian-themed films for theatrical a ...
film versions of the "
Love Comes Softly" series, which aired on the
Hallmark Channel
Hallmark Channel is an American cable television network owned by Hallmark Media, a subsidiary of Hallmark Cards. The channel broadcasts family-oriented general entertainment programming, including television series and made-for-TV movies.
...
, do not completely follow the books. They starred
Katherine Heigl
Katherine Heigl ( ; born November 24, 1978) is an American actress and model. She portrayed Izzie Stevens, Dr. Izzie Stevens on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television medical drama ''Grey's Anatomy'' from 2005 to 2010, a role that b ...
,
Dale Midkiff
Dale Alan Midkiff (born July 1, 1959) is an American actor, best known for playing Louis Creed in the horror film ''Pet Sematary (1989 film), Pet Sematary'' (1989) and Captain Darien Lambert in the TV series ''Time Trax''.
Career
Midkiff acted ...
,
Corbin Bernsen
Corbin Dean Bernsen (born September 7, 1954) is an American actor and film director. He appeared as divorce attorney Arnold Becker on the NBC drama series ''L.A. Law'', ,
Erin Cottrell, and others. Directors of the films included
Michael Landon Jr. and
Lou Diamond Phillips
Louis Diamond Phillips (né Upchurch; born February 17, 1962) is an American actor, director, and writer. His breakthrough came when he starred as Ritchie Valens in the biographical drama film '' La Bamba'' (1987). For his performance as Angel ...
.
There are also three prequels titled ''Love Begins'' (2011), ''Love's Everlasting Courage'' (2011) and ''Love's Christmas Journey'' (2012).
A Prairie Legacy series
This series is published by Bethany House.
# ''The Tender Years'', 1997
# ''A Searching Heart'', 1998
# ''A Quiet Strength'', 1999
# ''Like Gold Refined'', 2000
This is a follow-up to the
Love Comes Softly series. A republished edition is now available.
Seasons of the Heart series
This series is published by Bethany House.
# ''Once Upon a Summer'', 1981
# ''The Winds of Autumn'', 1987
# ''Winter Is Not Forever'', 1988
# ''Spring's Gentle Promise'', 1989
This series was republished in 2002 with updated covers. It is about a young boy, Josh Jones, who is trying to find himself with his atypical family.
Canadian West series
This series is published by Bethany House. The last two books came much later and focus on the children in the series rather than the main characters of the first four books. In 2015 all six books were released as a single ebook.
# ''When Calls the Heart'', 1983
# ''When Comes the Spring'', 1985
# ''When Breaks the Dawn'', 1985
# ''When Hope Springs New'', 1986
# ''Beyond the Gathering Storm'', 1999
# ''When Tomorrow Comes'', 2000
Return to the Canadian West series
This series is published by Bethany House. The series is co-written by Janette Oke and her daughter, Laurel Oke Logan.
# ''Where Courage Calls'', 2014
# ''Where Trust Lies'', 2015
# ''Where Hope Prevails'', 2016
When Hope Calls series
Co-written with Laurel Oke Logan
# ''Unyielding Hope'', 2020
# ''Sustaining Faith'', 2021
# ''Unfailing Love'', 2022
Song of Acadia series
Co-written with
T. Davis Bunn and published by
Bethany House
Bethany House Publishers is a publisher that publishes Christian fiction and non-fiction books. Bethany House Publishers was bought in 2003 by Baker Publishing Group.
Bethany House publishes both historical and contemporary fiction. Historical ...
.
# ''The Meeting Place'', 1999
# ''The Sacred Shore'', 2000
# ''The Birthright'', 2001
# ''The Distant Beacon'', 2002
# ''The Beloved Land'', 2002
This series is continued on by T. Davis Bunn and Isabella Bunn in the follow-up series, Heirs of Acadia.
Acts of Faith series
Co-written with
T. Davis Bunn and published by
Bethany House
Bethany House Publishers is a publisher that publishes Christian fiction and non-fiction books. Bethany House Publishers was bought in 2003 by Baker Publishing Group.
Bethany House publishes both historical and contemporary fiction. Historical ...
.
*''The Centurion's Wife'', 2009
*''The Hidden Flame'', January 2010
*''The Damascus Way'', 2011
Standalone books
* ''Return to Harmony'', co-written with
T. Davis Bunn
* ''Another Homecoming'', co-written with
T. Davis Bunn
* ''Tomorrow's Dream'', co-written with
T. Davis Bunn
* ''Dana's Valley'', co-written with Laurel Oke Logan
Women of the West books
These books are standalone novels about different women of the West, where the author's intention is that they do not need to be read in order.
* ''The Calling of Emily Evans'', 1990
* ''Julia's Last Hope'', 1990
* ''Roses for Mama'', 1990
* ''A Woman Named Dâmaris'', 1991
* ''They Called Her Mrs. Doc'', 1992
* ''The Measure of a Heart'', 1992
* ''A Bride for Donnigan'', 1993
* ''Heart of the Wilderness'', 1993
* ''Too Long a Stranger'', 1994
* ''The Bluebird and the Sparrow'', 1995
* ''A Gown of Spanish Lace'', 1995
* ''Drums of Change'', 1995
Youth books
* ''I Wonder… Did Jesus Have a Pet Lamb?'' (picture book)
Janette Oke's Animal Friends series
Source:
# ''The Impatient Turtle''
# ''The Prodigal Cat''
# ''Spunky's Diary''
# ''This Little Pig''
# ''New Kid in Town''
# ''Ducktails''
# ''Prairie Dog Town''
# ''Trouble in a Fur Coat''
# ''Maury Had a Little Lamb''
# ''Pordy's Prickly Problem''
# ''A Cote of Many Colors''
# ''Who's New at the Zoo?''
* ''Janette Oke's Animal Friends Pack, vols. 1–6''
* ''Janette Oke's Animal Friends Pack, vols. 7–12''
Other Items by Janette Oke
* ''Celebrating the Inner Beauty of Women Dec 1997''
* ''Father Who Calls: Devotional insights for Daily Meditations''
* ''Hunger of Your Heart: Finding Fulfillment Through a Closer Walk With God''
* ''Janette Oke Engagement Diary''
* ''Janette Oke 2001 Engagement Diary (Calendar)''
* ''Janette Oke's Reflections on the Christmas Story''
* ''Making Memories by Janette Oke and Cheri Bladholm''
* ''My favorite recipes: Featuring devotional & selected recipes''
* ''My Favorite Verse''
* ''The Father of Love''
* ''The Loving Heart-Calendar''
* ''What Does Love Look Like by Janette Oke and Cheri Bladholm''
* ''Nana's Gift'' (novella) 2011
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oke, Janette
1935 births
Living people
20th-century Canadian novelists
20th-century Canadian women writers
20th-century evangelicals
21st-century Canadian novelists
21st-century Canadian women writers
21st-century evangelicals
Canadian women children's writers
Canadian women novelists
Canadian children's writers
Canadian Evangelical writers
People from Vulcan County
Novelists from Alberta