Somehow, Janette Oke’s characters get under my skin. This is the fourth bookin the ‘Love Comes Softly’ series about pioneer families in America. In this book, Marty and Clark make the long journey out West by train, to see their married daughter Missie and to meet their two grandsons. Their visit is unexpectedly extended far longer than they expect.

Not the greatest of literature, but the characters are three-dimensional, and several times I found tears in my eyes as I read. Since this is American Christian fiction, here’s the obligatory explanation of how to become a Christian included in a couple of places, but it comes fairly naturally during relevant conversations and is not pushed.

Gives a good idea of what it might have been like for people like this in the early days of train travel, despite being a very light read that would be suitable for teens or children.

It’s not necessary to have read earlier books in the series, but it would probably help. There are quite a number of different characters, which could be confusing for someone picking this book up as a stand-alone read.