Roses for Mama by Janette Oke

Roses for Mama by Janette Oke ISBN-13: 9781556611858 Trade Paperback: 222 pages Publisher: Bethany House Publishers Released: May 31, 1990

Source: From my personal library.

Book Description from Goodreads:
She's cared for her siblings as best she could . . . but is it enough? Instead of the new life she and her family expected to forge out west, seventeen-year-old Angela is thrust into the role of caring for her three younger siblings after the death of their parents. With the help of her older brother and trust in God, Angela is determined to raise the children as her mother would have wanted. As the youngsters grow, the questions and challenges intensify. Angela feels trapped and overwhelmed. Surely no man will ever want a woman who comes with three children in tow. Is this the plan God has for her life? Will she ever find a way to balance her own dreams with the promises she made to her mama?


My Review:
Roses for Mama is a historical romance set in western Canada during it's pioneer period. It's a part of a series, but each book stands alone and is about a totally new group of people.

This novel was a fun, short read. There was enough setting and historical detail to create a somewhat vague background for the events. The story was mainly about Angela struggling to deal with the pressures and doubts of raising her siblings while fearing her older brother will leave her to handle this alone...yet wanting him to have a chance at his dreams. Angela was a sweet, caring girl with complex feelings about her situation.

I liked how Angela remembered the lessons her mother taught her and tried to remind her younger siblings of those lessons. The mother was a very real force in the story even though she's dead when the story started. Angela and her family were Christians and trusted God to see them through this. The Christian element was woven in as a natural part of the story--the outworking of the godly influence of her parents.

There was no sex. There was no bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable novel.

If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


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