A review by amandalewey
Once Upon a Summer by Janette Oke

4.0

This was such a sweet book. I loved the fact that it was written from the perspective of a 12 year old boy. It was a nice change. You see the world through his eyes and it kind of took me back to the way I viewed the world at 12, even though this book takes place in the late 1800s/early 1900s. Joshua is a twelve-year old boy who lives with his 18 year-old aunt, his grandfather and his great-uncle and later, his great-grandfather. Joshua loves his little family and when he discovers that his grandfather and great-uncle start planning to find a husband for his aunt, he does not like it at all. Joshua turns to God throughout the book to help him through, but also loses his faith. His questions of "Why would God let this happen?" are typical of many people, especially young kids.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a really quick read. I laughed out-loud a couple of times at Joshua's typical boyhood behavior and understanding of the world around him.

The book focuses on the importance of family and faith. It had a wonderful, heart-warming feeling about it. Janette Oke did a great job telling the story through a 12 year-old boy. Oke's writing really gives you a great idea of who these characters are and how they sound when they speak (which I love), "I liked things jest the way they were, but if I was to keep 'em that way, it was going to take some figurin' out".

I would recommend this book - especially if you are a fan of Prairie Fiction/Christian Fiction. It is the first book in the "Seasons of the Heart" Series and I can't wait to read The Winds of Autumn!