Since 1979, Janette Oke has graced the lives of worldwide readers with her Christian romance novels, story books for children, and devotional books. Her books have been translated into over 14 languages. The Christian publishing industry recognizes her as a trendsetter regarding faith and family fiction—she essentially invented the Christian romance genre we know today..
What Should You Know about Janette Oke?
“Sometimes love isn’t fireworks, sometimes love just comes softly,” one character says in Okey’s first Christian romance novel, Love Comes Softly, published by Bethany House in 1979. It launched her writing career—which continues over 40 years later. She has at least 80 books published, including ones she co-authored several books with her daughter, Lauren Oke Logan, and with author T. Davis Bunn.
Her work reached a new level of exposure in 2003 when film producer and director Michael Landon, Jr. made Love Comes Softly into a movie. One by one, each book in this series became a film. In an interview with the editor of the Dove Foundation, Oke shares thoughts about her experiences working with the production and the filmmaking crews. The movies are available on various on-demand sites or on DVD.
Who Is Janette Oke?
Every experience becomes integral to a person’s story; nothing is wasted. A writer’s life journey often becomes the inspiration woven into an article, devotional, or book. This is definitely the case with Oke.
The fifth child of eight children, she was born during the Great Depression on a prairie farm near Champion, Alberta. Eventually, her parents, Fred and Amy Steeves, moved the family to Hoadley, Alberta. Many years later, Janette and her family would restore the homeplace, making it a gift shop and museum about the prairie life Janette knew so well.
At the age of 10, Janette decided to be a Christ-follower. As an early teen, she asked God to use her however He chose.
She attended Mountain View Bible College in Didsbury, Alberta. Here, she met Edward Oke, also a student. They were married after graduation. Soon afterward, they moved to Indiana, so Edward could attend seminary. Janette found a job in a bank.
The young married couple settled into their daily routine. They looked forward to starting a family. However, their first pregnancy resulted in a miscarriage, and their second child, a son, died shortly after birth. This was a challenging time for Janette and Edward. Their faith was tested. It was also difficult going through this experience so far from their families. They wondered if they would have a family.
During this time, Oke held onto faith that God knew what he was doing. She remembered her favorite hymn, “God’s Way,” written by Methodist organist Lida Shrivers Leech:
“God’s way is the best way, God’s way is the right way, I’ll trust in him always, He knoweth the best.” Oke sang this hymn when she had her miscarriage.
In time, the Okes would have four children, Terry, Lavon, and Lorne (twins), and a daughter, Laurel.
Edward and Janette served many years as pastor and wife for churches in Indiana, Calgary, and Edmonton. He passed away on January 3, 2022.
When Does Janette Oke Become an Author?
Oke promised herself two things when pursuing the opportunity to write. First and foremost, she would wait until her young family grew older. Next, she wanted to receive specialized training, which she did pursue.
Another challenge came when an individual told her she needed to read more books if she wanted to be a writer. She decided to keep a reading record; her log showed she was reading over 100 books a year while tending to her family.
As she worked on her stories, Oke sensed a need in the romance genre for morally uplifting stories about faith and family. She wrote her first draft in three months, received feedback, edited it, and sent it to Bantam Books. The publisher returned the manuscript with a rejection notice.
Her next step took her on a quest to learn more about the writing business. This time she sent out query letters. An invitation came from Bethany Fellowship, Inc. (now Bethany House) to submit her manuscript. The acceptance letter came with a publishing contract and a request to write a sequel. The demand for the Love Comes Softly series mushroomed into an eight-book series.
Oke pulls from her wealth of family experiences, her love of history, and the family legacy regarding the pioneer life. But most importantly, her love for God and sharing the truth of God’s Word shines forth from every book she has written. She couldn’t write only one book. They poured forth from her like olive oil.
In her biography, A Heart for the Prairie, Janette said, “…Writing was not just a dream, nor a great commodity of words—it was a ministry for a world hungry for the knowledge of the God who loves them.”
Important Events in the Life of Janette Oke
1. On February 18, 1935, Oke was born in Alberta, Canada.
2. At age ten, she attended a camp run by the Missionary Church, associated with the Mennonites. It was here that she realized the power of God’s forgiveness. She gave her life to Jesus and set her resolve to trust Him.
3. On May 13, 1957, she married Edward Oke.
4. In 1963, Edward was appointed president of Mountain View Bible College.
5. In 1987, an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities was bestowed upon her from Bethel College in Indiana.
6. In 1992, she received the President’s Award from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association.
7. In 1999, she was honored with the Christian Booksellers Association Life Impact Award. She has also been honored with the International Gold Medallion Award, the Christy Award of Excellence, the Angel Award, and the Camie Award.
8. In 2001, her biography Janette Oke: A Heart for the Prairie was released. Her daughter, Laurel Oke Logan, is the author.
10 Inspiring Quotes by Janette Oke
1. In Janette Oke: A Heart for the Praire, Oke recalls that when she was eight, she wrote the following poem for her mother. Another individual showed it to her mother because she was too shy and embarrassed. The poem brought a “special” revelation to the young child.
“Away down in Rimbey way
Each day I pray
For my mother
For she is my lover
Each night I dream
Of the lovely scene
When she comes home
Together we will roam
Although she’s far away
If I pray
She’ll come back someday”
The following are inspiring quotes Oke spoke through her characters in various novels she wrote:
2. “The truth of God’s love is not that He allows bad things to happen, it’s his promise that he will be there with us—when they do.” ― Love Comes Softly
3. “But if it is to be, or not, that’s all in God’s hands.” ― A Searching Heart
4. “God loves you, that He plans for your good, not your hurt. It’s true that things happen in life that seem wrong and are painful, but it isn’t because God likes to see us suffer. He wants to see us grow. He wants us to love Him, to trust Him.” ― Once Upon a Summer
5. “‘Jesus told us that anyone can love a friend. Even the unbelievers do so, even the Romans. But we as believers are called to love our enemies.’ He paused and stared down at the floor. ‘I left that meeting a broken man.’” ― The Centurion’s Wife
6. “After some minutes, I went back to the Bible. Again my eyes skimmed the pages. My spirit was calm now. My trembling had ceased. I read passage after passage until I came to Psalm 27:14. I stopped and read it through again. ‘Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart; wait, I say, on the Lord.’” ― When Comes the Spring
7. “Sometimes the way God chooses to lead us is through our own disquieted Spirit.” ― When Tomorrow Comes
8. “It’s not that somehow we may discover something in how we view ourselves or our environment that we’ll find suitably filling, that will help us rise above the daily struggle for existence. I’m saying that everything in the natural world proclaims there’s something infinitely more-some wisdom and reason behind everything we see. Just look around. It doesn’t take a college degree to see it.” — Where Hope Prevails
9. “Treasure the moments, her heart whispered. If you don’t learn to treasure the moments, you’ll never be able to treasure the memories.” — Like Gold Refined
10. “Impatience can cause wise people to do foolish things.” — Father of My Heart
10 Inspiring Books by Janette Oke
Along with her classic Love Comes Softly, the beginning of the Love Comes Softly series.
1. Once Upon a Summer, the first of four in the Seasons of the Heart series.
2. Spunky’s Diary, the first of 15 books in the Animal Friends series.
3. When Calls the Heart, the first of six books in the Canadian West series.
4. The Calling of Emily Evans, the first of 12 books in the Women of the West series.
5. The Tender Years, the first of four books in the Prairie Legacy series.
6. The Meeting Place, the first of five books in the Song of Acadia series, co-authored with Bunn.
7. The Centurion’s Wife, the first of three books in the Acts of Faith series, co-authored with Bunn. You can read Chapter One from The Centurions Wife on Crosswalk.com.
8. Where Courage Calls, the first of three books in the Return to the Canadian West series, co-authored with Laurel Oke Logan.
9. Another Homecoming, the first of two books in the Kyle Adams series, co-authored with Bunn.
10. Unyielding Hope, the first of three books in the When Hope Calls series, co-authored with Laurel Oke Logan.
In addition to the book series mentioned above, Oke has written eight standalone novels, a short story collection, picture books, non-fiction books, and devotional books. You can read a compiled order of her books on BookSeriesinOrder.com.
What Can We Learn from Janette Oke?
When Janette Oke began to take steps to write and publish a book, her heart’s desire was to write inspirational fiction and share her faith. In an interview with her daughter for A Heart for the Prairie, she shared her thoughts about her writing.
She prayed, ‘God, I’m going to write this book,’ she informed the Lord at last. ‘And if it works, and if I discover that I have talent, I’ll give it all to you.’
Even though she thought her words sounded good, God got her attention. She could sense Him speaking to her heart.
The message went something like this: ‘Just a minute. Haven’t we got things a bit backward? I’m not interested in your book after you’re done with it. I’m not even particularly interested in your talent. If you are really serious about writing as a ministry, then I want it all right now before you start.’
She gave it all to Him, wanting to do it His way. She committed, ‘I will write to the best of my ability, seeking to bring glory to Your name, and whether something exciting happens—or absolutely nothing at all—that’s entirely up to You.’
She gave it all to Him, wanting to do it His way. She committed, ‘I will write to the best of my ability, seeking to bring glory to Your name, and whether something exciting happens—or absolutely nothing at all—that’s entirely up to You.’”
As a child, she memorized Proverbs 3:5-6, but it became increasingly meaningful to her as an adult. Over the years, she learned how important it is to trust God, acknowledge Him for who He is, and depend upon Him to unfold His wonderful direction for her life—an essential concept for every Christ follower.
Further Reading:
What You Need to Know about Amish Romance Author Beverly Lewis
100 Christian Novels You Haven't Read Yet
4 Potential Pitfalls of Christian Romance Novels
How Should Christians Respond to Romance Novels?
6 Christian Romance Reads for Valentine's Day
Photo Credit: Getty Images/StockImageGroup
Laura Lee Leathers is a writer and speaker. Imagine Lois Lane, over sixty-five, and living on a farm. Her metropolis is the area of freelance writing. Her primary love interest is the Word of God. She digs for information, interviews fascinating people, offers a cup of biblical hospitalit-tea, encourages, and helps others with the ‘how-to’s’ of life. To sign up for her newsletter, connect with her at http://lauraleeleathers.com - - - “Helping You Flourish in Faith & Finish Well by His Word”
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