This set makes a great gift set. As well as entertaining, the books provide strong role models, who trust in God. I recommend it for all ages. Excellent writing is prominent throughout all three books. These books will keep you coming back for more!

"A Woman Named Damaris" did not have a solid plot, and was redundant. It's a decent read, but most of the pages were full of fluff and fillers. I have no idea what it's like, but Damaris' constant thinking that men are drunks started to get to me and at times made me angry. Predictable, as all of Oke's books are, and her endings come so quickly and without elaboration. I "sorta" recommend.

I just adored this book! I read the end over and over again! I believe this to be one of her best! I've read so many of Janette Oke's books but I love this one so much!

Damaris Withers leaves home to escape her abusive alcoholic father, and joins a wagon train to help a family going west. When she leaves the wagon train at the final destination, the landlady at a boarding house helps her find employment among her friends. Eventually she becomes the guardian of 3 children whose parents have died, and with the help of friends, including one special young man, she is able to take good care of them. This is a great inspirational story about someone who isn't afraid of hard work!

After being reunited with her birth parents in Nova Scotia and after saying a tearful goodbye to her Louisiana parents, Nicole has a yearning for more. She and Anne become close friends and Nicole loves her parents, but there is something calling to her, dividing her allegiance. Her Uncle Charles has asked for her to go to England and become his heir, and she considers doing just that. After prayer and consideration, she decides to leave.

England is a contrast to all she's ever known . . . its glitter and bustle are almost too much for her, and she feels useless among the rich trappings and servants.

Anne, meanwhile, is dealing with some devastating news. She decides to go to England. Anne adjusts more quickly to England than Nicole.

Nicole and her uncle have to make some hard decisions. . . .

I didn't find this book as exciting as the others in the series (especially Book 1, my favorite so far), but it is still interesting and integral to the series. The writing is still beautiful and thoughtful and this book is worth the read.

This book is great! It's been a while since I read the first two books in this series, and I was surprised that it was so easy for me to pick up right where they left off.

This is the story of Nicole's journey to England to take her place as the heir to her Uncle Charles. Her ideas of duty and responsibility, but also her need for change and to find her own place in the world are at the heart of the novel.

I don't want to give away too much of the plot--especially the surprise ending, but needless to say, this book will keep you charmed through the end--through all the heartache, sorrow and joy that comes through in colonial America.

This is my second favorite of the series, my very favorite being "The Meeting Place." Unlike "The Sacred Shore", the book preceding it, "The Birthright" brings out the character of Anne as well as that of Nicole, rather like "The Meeting Place" did with their moms, Catherine and Louise. I always felt that Anne is "short-changed" in the other books in the series, and am glad to see her getting more equal treatment here.

This book is about a woman who is called by God to set up a church. She has many problems along the way, including poor attendance, a low food supply, and a difficulty convincing people that God is indeed real and needed in every single life. She does NOT step out of the boundaries of the Bible. Emily simply sets up a church and teaches because there is no preacher in the area. She doesn't preach, only tries to help people see the importance of a faith in God and tries to help them understand the Bible and how important it is. This is a wonderful book that helped me understand things more clearly and get things sorted out in my own faith. I thank Janette Oke for writing such a great book.

"The Calling of Emily Evans" is a wonderful book about Emily Evans as she gose to a Bible college then trys to open a church in a church baren country. As you read this book you realize the pain that Emily gose thouugh, and the joy as well, as she leaves her confort zone and shows God's love to the people that God has put in her life.

I thouroly enjoyed reading this book! When I first read the description I thought that maybe she was stepping out of the lines of the Bible. I thought I would read it and see what hapend. It turned out that she was right on. In this book Emily Evans feels that God is calling her to start a church for Him. So she finds herself in a strange city, trying to set a church up in an old billard hall! She faces many hardships thourgh the two years written about. Thourgh the book though Emily made it clear that she was just wanting to start the church, and that when she married she would turn the preaching over to her husband! This was a great piece of Christian fiction, and I am glad that she showed what it is like serving the Lord!

I just finished reading Beyond the Gathering Storm. I could not put it down! If you loved Mrs. Oke's Canadian West series, you will more than enjoy Beyond the Gathering Storm. It is so refreshing to revisit the characters of Elizabeth and Wynn Delaney and the setting of the Canadian wilderness. Though Elizabeth and Wynn are only supporting characters, there is enough interaction with them that the reader knows that they still posess the same endearing qualities that they did in the Canadian West series. Now, instead of a young married couple, they are middle-aged parents.

Beyond the Gathering Storm focuses on the Delaney's two adopted children, Henry and Christine. Henry follows in his father's footsteps as a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Though Henry had wanted to be a member of the RCMP since he was young, he now finds his duties difficult, especially when he is sent to inform a young lady that her logger husband has been killed. Five years later, when he is at a new post, he encounters the young lady again. Will the haunting memories that he has had of this lady finally be put to rest?

Christine leaves her family and the North for a job in the city. Though uncomfortable and lonely at first, she comes to accept city life and to accept the attentions of her boss's worldly son, Boyd. Will Christine's love be enough to help Boyd see the emptiness of his life and the need for the only Someone who can fill that emptiness?

Mrs. Oke is a very gifted writer, and her books are always heartwarming. Beyond the Gathering Storm is no exception. Through it she weaves a lovely story about a brother and sister, who use their faith and their family to help them deal with life's heartaches. Besides the story, Mrs. Oke teaches her readers valuable lessons about prayer, about being "unequally yoked," and about being true to one's faith. The only disappointment I had with this book is that it took so long, after the last book in the Canadian West series, to be published.

It had been some time since I had read the Canadian West Series, but this book brought most of it back for me. It's not really necessary to have read the series if you don't have a desire to. Janette Oke did a wonderful job of writing this book so that background information from the series was not required in order to understand it. I throughly enjoyed this book. I couldn't hardly put it down. I don't remember when I have enjoyed a Janette Oke book so much. I highly reccommend this book.

A truly great book coming from an excellent author. Continuing the saga of the Delaney family. Henry and Christine, Elizabeth and Wynn's children, have to face challanges as their compassion leads them into tricky situations. A book of love, hope, betrayal, and most of all, learning to listen to God's voice in your life. I am now awaiting a sequel to this book, hoping it will come.

This is my first book by a christian writer and I was very impressed. The story moved well, the characters were refreshing and honest. Janette Oke effectively portrayed real life experiences in a fictional work - all the while giving God the glory in making these broken lives come together. I recommend this book to anyone is looking for a good, wholesome story minus unnecessary sex and filthy language. I'll definitely read more Janette Oke books!

I LOVED it! It was so emotional and touching and riveting! I read the last half of it all in one night, staying up till 2:00 to finish it! I cried deeply at one time when there was something very sad. The characters are so deep and living in my mind; I felt like I was there in their own world feeling their own pain and joy. I didn't want the story to end, and I'm looking forward with great anticipation to reading the sequel! The spiritual depth and wisdom in the book is great, too! The plot is very intriguing and honest and delightful. This has become one of my favorite books, overnight! =o)

Imagine a girl in a home with riches, a loving father, a stern mother, adoring servants, but living with unease and sadness most of the time. Imagine a mother giving up her own child, and living a life without the love of her husband. Imagine a boy with a compassionate, longing heart and finally finding peace in the love of Christ. You hardly need any imagination when you read the book, because it's all there before you...I couldn't help being drawn into their lives, and didn't want to leave!

I Recieved this book as a present from my mother. I probably wouldn't have bought it other wise, but I'm very happy to have read it. Although the story-line can be a bit over-used, and even tiring at times, I thought that Jannette Oke and T. Davis Bunn did a truly mavelous job of making it exciting, enjoyable, and a story-line all their own. I loved how the book followed Kyle, and Joel through their entire child-hood, and the way these two authors presented the story, I would highly reccomend it to any other reader!

....and the reason I thought it was pretty sad is that I can see why the poor girl is so self-conscious and feels so inferior. Her life is one continuous struggle in which she receives practically no assistance from anyone. Her husband is actually the worst of everybody for neglecting her! I say that because he never seems to be around for her, never seems to notice her feelings, and the only way she overcomes her inferiority (at the very end of the book) is by reading- reading, mind you, because he scarcely talks to her- one of his sermons. Without much support from Austin, Anna has to do everything for herself. They are extremely poor and out in the middle of nowhere, so you will see how, out of necessity, Anna invents the down jacket and padded diapers, and patches Austin's shirts with flour sacks. The missionary society who is supposed to help the couple is also pretty dumb, because they send Anna a barrelful of fancy summer clothes in winter. These just a couple examples of the incompetency of everybody around Anna. I think the problem is that Janette Oke overworks the fact that the missionaries are poor, until Anna's life seems absurd. I felt sorry for Anna and annoyed at Austin the whole time for not doing anything to help her out, so I don't consider this a very uplifting book. I think the only value in it is that people who are sad can read it and then feel better about their own woes because Anna has everything so much harder.

Janette Oke in this book is wonderful. She places infront of me the examples I need to know. All of us need to know. most people in this world today would not be such wonderful examples. I do not know of many myself. Showing me the way to see the positive in the negative, I find that this is a very special book, indeed.

I liked this book very much because it really hit home with how life really is. It tells of a couples stuggles in life. It may sound depressing but it is really a good book, and i would recommend it to all.

"Too Long a Stranger" was a so-so book. I enjoyed "Roses For Mama," by Oke, much more. The plot seemed more relevant of today's family situations - I found that ironic. It seems Janette Oke didn't know if she wanted to focus on Sarah or Rebecca. It shifted main characters all of a sudden, with no hint of it. I couldn't feel for the characters - I don't think Oke developed them well, they had no dimension. It felt like Seth was thrown in the story to help the ending along. I didn't understand why Sarah would finally give into hiring help, when for more than 10 years she was against it - it didn't make sense. The ending came very fast and abruptly, without a sense of closure - an Epilogue would have been helpful. I do not recommend.

This is one of the best Janette Oke books I have read. However, as usual, everything was wrapped up nice and tidy in the last chapter. I often wonder if Ms. Oke is running out of paper as she writes the last chapters of her books. Or maybe her editor allots her only so many pages (303 in this case) and she has to rush the ending. I would like to see her write a book on what happens to the characters after conversion and reconciliation. Or maybe give the woman some more pages!

This is a wonderfully written Christian book! I love Janette Oke's book, and have just started reading them! I think they are very encouraging and wonderful! I think this is one of the best!

After reading The Meeting Place I could not wait to read the sequel, The Sacred Shore. This book is not as exciting as the first book. I found it predictable. Still,the characters are very real and I find myself hoping for another sequel where Anne gets to meet and know Louise and Henri.

I had to read this book right after reading "The Meeting Place" as I enjoyed that book so much. The story of Catherine & Louise touched me. This book continues their story after 18 years and Nicole (Elspeth) and Anne (Antoinette) have grown up with the other set of parents. I felt that the characters had grown considerably between the two books---Mr. Price had acknowledged his errors in the past and was seeking to redeem himself. Henri had grown into his role as clan elder, and Andrew grew spiritually to forgive the errors of the past and to become a pastor. Adding to the story is Charles Harrow, Andrew's brother, who comes to the colonies to search for his heir.

I would recommend this book. The story will grab you from the beginning.

Andrew and Catherine settled in the land of Acadia after Andrew became a preacher. They had told had old their young daughter, Anne, of the circumstances surrounding her childhood. So Anne grew of knowing about her birth parents being out there somewhere.

Louise and Henri who are now settled in Louisiana haven't forgotten their friends from Acadia. They waited until her daughter, Nicole, was older before they told her about her other parents. Nicole's uncle decides to head north to Acadia and Nicole must resolve something before she is to follow him.

Charles Harrow, Andrew's brother comes to Acadia looking for his brother and niece. But there is more than you think behind his reasons for coming to Acadia. When he deceives his family or himself?

This book is a wonderful continuation to the Song of Acadia series. These two do a wonderful job writing the series. If you like this book be sure to read the next one.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this series. It has been totally captivating, but one thing I can't understand. How can John Price's older half-sister (Louise Robichaud), be the same age as his daughter, Catherine?! Can someone halp me on this one? Other than that, it was a wonderful book. I can't help but feel somewhat let down that something like this slipped by the proof readers and editors.

Ok, not to give anything away, but I've got to have this figured out for me. I've missed something. In the first book The Meeting Place Louise's name is Louise Belleveau, daughter of Jacques Belleveau, with two brothers Eli and Philippi. Now it the last book Nicole delares her mothers name to be Celeste Louise Evangeline Brassard, before marrying Henri Robichaud, and the letter from Charles states that (Celeste) Louise's mother had three children and only one lived to adulthood being Louise herself. Did I miss something? Information on her mother dieing seems to be know before the deportment of the Acadians according to the Charles' investigation, though her mother was on the boat with her which is when the investigator says there is thereafter no further information.

The other thing I can't figure is where Uncle Guy comes from. He is Guy Robichaud in TBL, appearing to be Henri's brother, but then it seemed in TMP Henri was an only child, though not stated. And in The Sacred Shore it says: "He (Henri) slowed and waited for Louise's brother to hurry over. Henri had always liked Guy."

Although another reviewer missunderstood that Celeste was actually the name of two different characters, first the name of John's father's first wife but also the part of Louise's name. They missed the fact that she was named after her Grandmother, thus confirming her decent from John's half-sister.

All this said I found the entire Acadia series gripping, inspirational, challenging and it sparked a desire for a closer walk with God.

Please read more carefully. John Price's half-sister was the mother of Louise Robichaud. Louise therefore is his niece, making her first cousin to Catherine.

I've very much enjoyed this series. They have portrayed great faith without being preachy.