I really wanted to like this but all the characters seemed to be the same, especially the sisters. It sort of seemed like I was an outsider looking in as opposed to being there with them if you know what I mean.

2 Stars

Content: one (off-page) kiss

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required. ( )

With more children on their way from England who need caring homes, Lillian and Grace must use every ounce of gumption to keep their mission alive. But when startling information about the past surfaces and a new arrival comes via suspicious circumstances, they'll have to decide what is worth fighting for and what is better left in God's hands.

This story talks about British Home Children that were sent to Canada with the promise of a better life. It worked out for some, but there were too many to keep track of and many were treated as free laborer’s not small, beautiful children. In the book series McAlister Family by Carrie Turansky and Susan Mason’s Canadian Crossings series. Both series deal with family members that had been taken away and sent to Canada. The families are trying to be re-united. This novel is quite different as the perspective is from the ones who are running the homes and trying to do their best to care for these wounded, frightened children. They are doing all they can to care for these young ones and then find them good homes.

This is book two in the series, but it reads as a standalone. It made me want to read book one and find out more about these caring sisters, Grace and Lillian Walsh. This is an enthralling story I could not put down. It would work well for your book club pick as it is rich in characterization and story. It’s one that you will want to add to your summer reading list. I found this story intriguing, heartwarming and fascinating.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have received a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog www.bookfun.org ( )

Sustaining Faith by Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan is the 2nd book in When Hope Calls series. I recommend reading Unyielding Hope before embarking on this new tale. Sustaining Faith picks up where Unyielding Hope left off. This is a heartwarming Christian novel. It is well-written with developed, realistic characters. Lillian and Grace are good women with big hearts. They have opened their home to children being brought over from England who have yet to find forever homes. They care about each child placed in their care. A wee lie, though, has gotten them into hot water. The authors captured the locale as well as the time period. I can tell they did their research for the series. The story moves along at a gentle pace with an alternating point-of-view. While I enjoyed reading Sustaining Faith, it does not have the same ease or pacing as Janette Oke’s earlier works (I have read every book that Janette Oke has written). I found it that it took me longer to get into the story because of the pacing and the amount of detail. The children are endearing. I felt bad for these kids being sent off on an unknown voyage and not knowing with whom they would end up nor where. There is romance in the story, but it is not the main event. I like the Christian elements woven into the story. It was not heavy handed or preachy. We know that God is in charge, and we must wait for Him to show us the way in His own timing. Sustaining Faith leaves us with a cliffhanger, and we must wait for the next installment to find out what happens next. If you are a fan of Hallmark’s When Calls the Heart, you will like Sustaining Faith. Sustaining Faith is a sweet story that will touch your heart. ( )