A Book Review of Julia's Last Hope by Janette Oke

Today I’ll be reviewing a historical novel I read recently--Julia’s Last Hope by Janette Oke. I read it a while ago but recently decided to give it a re-read, partly because I was itching to read a historical fiction and because this was one of the two by this author on my shelf.

I started off really enjoying this book, but after a couple of re-reads, I didn’t honestly know what to think. Hopefully in this post, I’ll be able to sort them out a bit better.

Blurb~

The only thing she has left is her faith in God. . . . Is it enough?

With the closing of the Calder Springs' timber mill, most of the town's residents are left unemployed. Several families, realizing the lack of a future in the small mountain town, soon decide to relocate.

But not the Harrigan family. Although John has lost his job at the mill, he and his wife, Julia, make the decision to stay in their beautiful home with their twin daughters. Eastern-educated Julia searches for a way to bring business and people back to Calder Springs--a task she feels God leading her to accomplish. Will her faith and determination carry her through the challenges and setbacks she'll face?

My Thoughts~

I started off loving this book. I was fascinated by the setting of Calder Springs, Julia’s faith in God, and her efforts to keep her family together despite the challenges. I found myself wondering whether or not Julia and her family would be able to revive Calder Springs.

I loved the themes of trusting in God and knowing that all things work together for the glory of those who serve Him. I could sympathize with Julia and John, and the cover was just gorgeous.

Unlike some books, there wasn’t a “big problem” with this book, just a few tiny and slightly annoying ones that disturbed the overall storyline and the reading experience. For one, the characters were distinct but not unique or memorable. They all were set apart--even the twins, which I know is hard to pull off--but there weren’t any amazing characters that I directly related to or made me remember after reading. Julia seemed perfect in the beginning, but as the story unfolded, her insecurities and mistakes became more apparent.

Another thing that disturbed me a bit was the fact that Julia talked like a young teenager. At times, I even got her confused with her daughter, Felicity. Her “mother role” felt forced and didn’t feel genuine. Honestly, I’m not even sure she felt like a mother since she didn’t seem to teach her children at all (besides reprimanding them on their table manners/talking over each other).

However, I really liked her relationship with John. The way they were constantly supporting each other yet had some misunderstandings helped keep their relationship realistic was great. It was slightly veering on too perfect (they didn’t have any major arguments/disagreements), but other than that, it was okay. ;)

I also liked the theme of the book: God has a plan, even if it doesn’t make sense at the time. The theme of moving on and letting go when things don’t turn out the way you think they should was impactful and well communicated without seeming preachy.

I also loved Julia’s relationship with God and how she viewed Him in this novel--it did feel natural. However, it just felt a little too picture-perfect to me, if that makes any sense.

Genre~

It’s unmistakably historical fiction, but the historical period doesn’t play much of a part in the story.

Warnings~

This was a clean read. Besides a couple clean interactions between a married couple (I believe there were a couple kisses and hugs, but I can’t think of anything else), I think that’s it.

Rating~

I’d give this 4 stars. Besides the minor things mentioned in “My Thoughts” (that kind of annoyed me), it was a bit slow and fairly boring in parts. But for a YA read, it’s very clean.

Overall, Julia’s Last Hope was a light read with a fairly impactful theme and storyline. If you like clean YA historical fiction and don’t mind some annoying aspects, I’d recommend it.