Customer Reviews

Beyond the Gathering Storm (Canadian West #5)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

I was so glad Janette Oke wrote another story about the Delaney family. Her stories are so fabulous that you feel like you are really there. I was glad to finally find out how Henry's life turned out after being abandoned by his family. This new book was hard to put down. Jannette did it again. This book as in all of her books was so moving and I can't wait until her next book comes out.

Wynn and Elizabeth Delaney's two adopted children are now grown, Henry serving as a Mountie, and Christine starting her adult life in the workforce. Both are forced to relocate miles away from the parents they love and the family life they miss.

This book parallels the lives of these two young people. For Henry, the memory of an earlier encounter with a young widow haunts him day and night...until he runs into her again in a most unusual circumstance. The girl re-enters his life under an alias. In spite of her constantly ignoring him, Henry is consumed with protecting her and becoming a father figure to her 5 yr. old son, Danny.

Christine, 18, is taking her first job and while living in one room at a boarding house receives an offer from her wealthy boss. He wants her to come live in his expensive, large home in exchange for cooking his dinners. She declines, but in the process meets her boss's son, Boyd. Boyd is a spoiled, wild, lazy, drinking, university student with a completely different set of values from Christine's. They eventually do become engaged, which holds the reader on pins and needles.

This book deals with family issues of the day, apparently just before a great war is to start. It takes place in Canada, and seems to be set just before WWI. Family trust and values are stressed, along with the empty nest of Elizabeth and Wynn. Strengths of this book are the religious and family values carried on by both grown adopted children.

I found it rather unusual for Oke to introduce for the first time, issues which deal with total control and spousal abuse, but she did so in a well-controlled way. Of extreme importance all through this book is family loyalty, family values and family devotion.

Per Oke, this is another book which holds ones attention and cries for a sequel.

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.

To begin with, this is a good book if you enjoy reading fiction. It was wonderful to be reunited with old characters, and I liked how this book was slightly different from many of Janette Oke's other books in time period and style. Reading this book without the intent of being critical, this was a good book, and a must read for anyone who values Janette Oke's books.

However, to be perfectly fair and honest in my review, this book does have its flaws. I felt as though I grew somewhat attached to Christine and Henry, but this book lacked some of the necessary material and substance that causes the reader to truly bond with the characters. Furthermore, as much as I would love to say I enjoyed every aspect of this book, I was disappointed with Christine for her refusal to see sooner that Boyd wouldn't change. Christine seemed to be a smart, bright girl, but why did the matter of Boyd's attitude seem to be slightly glossed over? There was just something missing to make this a great book. Finally, the book ended very abruptly, in my opinion. Perhaps a sequal is in the making, but if not, Christine's story seemed to vanish near the end, leaving me feeling that her future, or even present, was unsolved. Then with Henry and Sam, I felt totally lost in the abruptness of the ending. Sure, I know what happened with them, but what about the void that gets them to where they are?

Despite my opinions (which provoked me to lower my rating to 3 stars), I still would recommend "Beyone the Gathering Storm" just because it was fun to read.

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.

I was excited to see that Janette Oke had written two more books for her Canadian West series (my favorite of all her books)about Wynn and Marty's kids, but I was very disappointed after I read them. Either the quality of her writing has diminished or my literary taste has matured, maybe both; either way, these two books were not that great. This book is better than #6 (When Tomorrow Comes), but not much. The development of Henry's character is consistent with what you'd expect from Wynn & Marty's son, but Christine's character in this book is inconsistent with her upbringing and inconsistent from one page to the next. The story is choppy, and you never feel like you're really connecting with the characters. It was lacking in numerous areas. Stick with the original four, and you won't be disappointed.

I was much surprised at this book. I had expected, at the end of the last book in the Canadian West series, that this book would pick up where it left off. Instead it seems to be about 20 or so years in the future and primarily about the Delaney's two adopted children, Henry and Christine.

We find them while Henry is reliving a painful memory. Like his dad, he has joined the Mounties and has been one for about 5 years. He however finds trouble at time, especially when he had to inform a young widow with a baby about the death of her husband. This memory has stuck with him and made him feel guilty about how he had handled it.

Now he is reassigned to a town in the South. Here he is surprised to discover that same widow, working as the barber in the town. Her young boy, five now, wants so much to be a part of everything but as she's afraid of losing him too he's kept somewhat secluded. When he decides to head out on an adventure of his own, the widow and Henry must work together to bring him home safely.

Christine has left her parents for a job as a secretary in the South. While her boss is a bit brash at times she grows to like her job and kindles a relationship with the boss' son Boyd.

Boyd, while charming, has no direction in his life and certainly no room in his belief system for Christine's religion. He parties with his friend and goes from pleased to angry in an instant. As I was reading I'd had an inkling that he'd be abusive. Would Christine be able to turn his love around?

The Christianity in this novel is pretty low key. The most seems to happen around Christine as she is struggling between her faith and Boyd and his rejection of God. Henry goes to church in the novel but his story isn't as faith based.

I have a few criticisms for Oke in this novel. I would have liked to see one come before it or more background given. We are suddenly introduced to these adult children of Elizabeth and Wynn without any history. What happened that they adopted Christine? Where did Kip go and how did the new dog replace him? Another book is almost needed. In addition, these characters seemed a little too perfect for me. They hardly had any faults and just seemed less real than the stories of Elizabeth and Wynn did.

I do applaud Oke's incorporating of abuse in this novel. Its a hard task to write about and I think she did it well. Aside from those notions, there was nothing in this book that would offend anyone.

It was a nice story as usual just a little bit of a let down for me as I had become attached to the characters of Wynn and Elizabeth.

Beyond the Gathering Storm

Copyright 2000

253 pages

I really liked the way the book went back and forth between chapters about Henry and ones about Christine; you are never bored. I would recommend it! Janette Oke is my favorite author and this is one of her better books.

Mom has greatly enjoyed the books on tape that are available through Amazon and thier various sellers. I hope to purchase more books on tape for her in the future.