This book was strange for me. It started off really good. The story was believable and the author really developed the story for the main characters, Kathleen. She was essentially an orphan being raised by her mean Step-Mother. Her plot was bad enough for her to consider signing up to take the voyage west and marry a man she has never met. On the other hand, the farmer she marries was a little embarrassed to order a bride. He was very lonely and longed for help and companionship. But lets be honest he is a man, so we know there was more to the story, but the author didn't go there.Upon meeting each other, the author continued to develop the story and introduced the characters well. I kept asking myself, how did people do this? I cannot imagine having to marry a stranger. How would that work?The story started to change when they had children. It was still an interesting book and things were happening but then Donnigan, the farmer, started asking around about God and religion. The last 30 pages, I ended up skimming. It became so encompassed with God and why this was that way and what does it all mean? The story that the book started with just ended and it became all about the family looking for Religion. Then the book just ends. Very strange.Overall, this is not one of the better books from author, Janette Oke. I usually like her and although she is a Christian author she doesn't harp on things and she includes it in the story so that the characters have depth and I understand them. This was not the case in this book. I was disappointed.
This is my sixth Janette Oke book to read. This book, hands down,is the best Oke book thus far. Characterization is developed to the point that you can feel the nervousness both of the main characters (Donnigan and Kathleen) experience as they made the decision to sign up and follow through with the idea of the mail order bride. You can feel the anxiety Kathleen experienced with the haystack fire and also with the loss of Taryn. Donnigan's search for God's plan of salvation was thought-provoking as we take the presence of churches / Bibles / pastors as a way of life. Interspersed throughout the book were bits of humor and wit. "A Bride for Donnigan" is an all round great book.
This book was strange. it started off great and when I had to stop reading for awhile I kept thinking about it and wishing I could read it. But then it kinda went downhill . . . after they get married they don't get along for awhile but then suddenly they do love each other and the rest of the book is about the children they had and how they tried to teach them about God. which is good! But - I never would have expected that from the back cover description and a good bit of the book was about that. So . .. the beginning was great, the ending not so great
—Brynn
I really love stories about mail-order brides, so I was excited to find this for $1 at my library book sale. I ended up skipping most of the beginning of this book, as it DRAGGED on forever, and it was basically just leading up to the couple meeting. They finally meet half way through the book, and the few chapters of their new relationship were the best in the whole book. Then, the story shoots through like, I think 7-8 years, and they have a bunch of kids and try to find God. It didn't flow right at all, it basically drags, then moves at the right pace, the shoots through to the end. I liked the idea of the story, and the few chapters I mentioned were great, but that's all that was good about this book. Honestly, the flow and lack of romance in a romantic book made me not want to read another book by this author.
—Rachel
This is a sweet historical romance about Kathleen, a girl who had a terrible life in England and decided to become a mail order bride. Luckily, she got a good husband, although it took her a while to figure this out. At the end of the book, her husband, Donnigan, decides their children should learn about God even though neither him nor Kathleen have ever gone to church and know nothing about religion. His trying to find out what he should be teaching his children is sweet and humorous. I really enjoyed this book.
—Susan
