Women of the West Series by Janette Oke

She feels God nudging her toward ministry, but what options are there for a young single woman? Emily Evans has a hard time getting herself to class on time, much less figuring out God's will for her life. Then, to her surprise, she feels that God is calling her into full-time Christian service. She expects the Lord will also provide her with a companion to share her life and ministry, but Emily does not want to marry any of the available young men... moreShe feels God nudging her toward ministry, but what options are there for a young single woman? Emily Evans has a hard time getting herself to class on time, much less figuring out God's will for her life. Then, to her surprise, she feels that God is calling her into full-time Christian service. She expects the Lord will also provide her with a companion to share her life and ministry, but Emily does not want to marry any of the available young men. She squares her shoulders and decides she will accept the task of opening a new church in a pioneer community--alone. When Emily arrives at her new assignment, she is disappointed to find the church building in disrepair. After many days of hard work fixing it up, she announces her first service and is once again disappointed, this time in the size of her congregation. Is her faith strong enough to stand against the local doubters and myriad challenges that will test her calling? less

The only thing she has left is her faith in God. . . . Is it enough? With the closing of the Calder Springs' timber mill, most of the town's residents are left unemployed. Several families, realizing the lack of a future in the small mountain town, soon decide to relocate. But not the Harrigan family. Although John has lost his job at the mill, he and his wife, Julia, make the decision to stay in their beautiful home with their twin daughters... moreThe only thing she has left is her faith in God. . . . Is it enough? With the closing of the Calder Springs' timber mill, most of the town's residents are left unemployed. Several families, realizing the lack of a future in the small mountain town, soon decide to relocate. But not the Harrigan family. Although John has lost his job at the mill, he and his wife, Julia, make the decision to stay in their beautiful home with their twin daughters. Eastern-educated Julia searches for a way to bring business and people back to Calder Springs--a task she feels God leading her to accomplish. Will her faith and determination carry her through the challenges and setbacks she'll face? less

It had all turned out to be so strange, so ironic. Angela Peterson's family had moved west because her mother had not been well and the doctor said the cooler, clear air of the region might be easier on her lungs. Her father sold the farm and loaded everything they could take with them in three wagons. They found new land and a new life, setting about to build another farm.Her mother's health did improve at least for a while... moreIt had all turned out to be so strange, so ironic. Angela Peterson's family had moved west because her mother had not been well and the doctor said the cooler, clear air of the region might be easier on her lungs. Her father sold the farm and loaded everything they could take with them in three wagons. They found new land and a new life, setting about to build another farm.Her mother's health did improve at least for a while. Then a winter cold put her back in bed and it became clear she had only months to live. Angela was just fourteen at the time, and in those intervening months her mother tried to prepare her for the responsibility of raising three young siblings. But no one dreamed that something would happen to their father.For Angela, now seventeen, and her older brother Thomas, the profound events that reshaped their family also changed their lives. Angela does her best to care for the children, but still wonders if she is providing everything they need like her mother did. And as the children grow, the questions and challenges intensify, at times even feel overwhelming. Preparing them for life seems to require something more.She did not know a bigger challenge was yet to come. less

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... moreShe 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 less

Eastern socialite Cassandra Dell Winston was willing to travel to the ends of the earth to be with her husband, Dr. Samuel Smith. But it was still a shock when Sam took her west to a rustic frontier town--the place where They Called Her Mrs. Doc.

Despite her feelings of inadequacy, Anna Trent discovers she is truly "a woman of worth.'' A Woman of the West book.

Responding to an Advertisement, She Crossed an Ocean to Meet a Total Stranger and Became a Mail-Order Bride-Kathleen O'Malley stood on the deck of the Barreth Lily and watched the land she'd called home for more than a dozen years slip from her view. She had thought she would be glad to see the last of it, but she was not. Emotions in turmoil, her whole being yearned to slip from the ship and return to what she knew... moreResponding to an Advertisement, She Crossed an Ocean to Meet a Total Stranger and Became a Mail-Order Bride-Kathleen O'Malley stood on the deck of the Barreth Lily and watched the land she'd called home for more than a dozen years slip from her view. She had thought she would be glad to see the last of it, but she was not. Emotions in turmoil, her whole being yearned to slip from the ship and return to what she knew. Even though Kathleen had not been happy with her situation, it was all she had ever known. As the shoreline faded into the morning mist, her only certainty was that she was bound for America to marry a man whose name she did not even know and whose face she had never seen.On the other side of the Atlantic, Donnigan Harrison anxiously awaits Kathleen's arrival on a prairie farm far from her port of arrival in Boston. He has known the wonder of a dream fulfilled a snug frame cabin, the sturdy log barn and outbuildings, a fine herd of livestock, and crops in the field that made his eyes sparkle. Yet Donnigan felt a loneliness on the western frontier that pierced his very soul. With so limited opportunities for finding a wife, the notion of ordering a wife that once seemed unthinkable had come to make some sense. Now that the time has come, Donnigan feels like a small boy waiting for Christmas.But Donnigan's anticipation is overshadowed with terrifying uncertainties What have I done? And that question is echoed in Kathleen's heart as she nears the po less

George McMannus traveled night and day from his wilderness cabin when the tragic news arrived that his daughter and son-in-law had died in a river accident. His only granddaughter, Kendra Marty, not yet four years old, had been left behind. McMannus was her only family, but what could a trapper, living alone in the backwoods, do to care for Kendra?She was such a tiny thing so small to have lost so much... moreGeorge McMannus traveled night and day from his wilderness cabin when the tragic news arrived that his daughter and son-in-law had died in a river accident. His only granddaughter, Kendra Marty, not yet four years old, had been left behind. McMannus was her only family, but what could a trapper, living alone in the backwoods, do to care for Kendra?She was such a tiny thing so small to have lost so much. He should have known from the first time he looked into those large green eyes that the two of them belonged together. The one small child, firmly clutching a worn rag doll, was his, and he was hers.Papa Mac, as Kendra came to call him, knew her place was with him. But what kind of home, what kind of training, could he provide in a wilderness of mountains and trees and rivers that no one had even named? Although he did not have answers, he felt he must at least try.Will Kendra ever be ready to face the scary and confusing world far from the wilderness she loves? less

The sudden death of her husband had left Sarah Perry and her baby Rebecca alone in their small frontier town. But Sarah resolves for Rebecca's sake to put her life back together and go on. And to everyone's surprise, Sarah finds a way. But the choices forced upon her by life on the frontier are very hard. The most difficult decision comes when Sarah determines that the best thing for her little daughter's future is to send her away to boarding school.

Sometimes she wished she was an only child . . . "She's lovely! Look at those curls. Those blue eyes. She's just beautiful!" Berta was used to hearing comments like that. But they were not about her. . . . Whenever ladies came to the house or met her mother on the street, they exclaimed over Berta's little sister, Glenna. Somewhere along the way, Berta decided that whatever Glenna was, she would not be. Whatever Glenna did, she would not do. Whatever Glenna liked, she would not like... moreSometimes she wished she was an only child . . . "She's lovely! Look at those curls. Those blue eyes. She's just beautiful!" Berta was used to hearing comments like that. But they were not about her. . . . Whenever ladies came to the house or met her mother on the street, they exclaimed over Berta's little sister, Glenna. Somewhere along the way, Berta decided that whatever Glenna was, she would not be. Whatever Glenna did, she would not do. Whatever Glenna liked, she would not like. She would be the opposite. Sure enough, Glenna is sparkling, vivacious, outgoing, and adored, while Berta is serious, dependable, and prim. Their relationship grows more and more distant until, finally, Berta must look into her heart and discover what truly has caused the rift between them. less

A heritage so very different from her own, but one profound connection. Ariana loves her life her parents, her little town, her job as the town's schoolteacher, her students. But one evening after classes are done and she prepares to hurry home before a blizzard hits, her whole life changes in an instant... moreA heritage so very different from her own, but one profound connection. Ariana loves her life her parents, her little town, her job as the town's schoolteacher, her students. But one evening after classes are done and she prepares to hurry home before a blizzard hits, her whole life changes in an instant. The two rough-looking men who abduct her and take her far from home and family make no response to her frantic questions "Why me? What are you going to do? Where are you taking me?" Held hostage in a camp of bandits, Ariana's emotions swing between terror and boredom as days stretch into weeks. And then the boss's son appears in the doorway of her cabin. Does this mean she will never see her mother and father again, the two who had so lovingly adopted her as an infant and raised her as their own? Will she ever wear the wedding dress so carefully saved for her her one link with her birth parents, now long dead? less

An Indian girl is forced to go to a reservation with her people where she is confused by the white people's culture and their God.