Christmas Hope
inspirational fiction
Series · inspirational fiction
Women of the West
The Women of the West series by Janette Oke has 12 known books (12 published). It is best read in publication order, starting with The Calling of Emily Evans (1990).
- Books
- 12 known books (12 novels)
- Published
- 12
- First published
- 1990
- Status
- completed
- Shelved under
- Literary Fiction
Start here: The Calling of Emily Evans (1990)
— then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
The Calling of Emily Evans
The Calling of Emily Evans (1990) opens Women of the West, Janette Oke's twelve-book run of standalone frontier stories, each centered on a different independent-minded woman making her way in the 19th-century American or Canadian West. It runs 176 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Calling of Emily Evans - Book 2:
Julia's Last Hope
Julia's Last Hope (1990) is a self-contained entry in Women of the West, sharing no characters with the books around it but the same faith-centered, romance-forward frontier sensibility that defines the whole series. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Julia's Last Hope - Book 3:
Roses for Mama
Roses for Mama (1990), like every entry in Women of the West, is a complete standalone story rather than part of a continuing plot -- united with its neighbors only by the series' shared premise of frontier life. It runs 176 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Roses for Mama - Book 4:
A Woman Named Damaris
A Woman Named Damaris (1991) is one of the self-contained frontier stories that make up Women of the West, each following a different woman navigating 19th-century life in the American or Canadian West. Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Woman Named Damaris - Book 5:
They Called Her Mrs. Doc
They Called Her Mrs. Doc (1992) follows a young doctor's wife making her way in the frontier West, one of the specific roles -- alongside teacher, missionary, and homesteader -- that Janette Oke rotates through across Women of the West. It runs 222 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of They Called Her Mrs. Doc - Book 6:
The Measure of a Heart
The Measure of a Heart (1992) is another self-contained entry in Women of the West, sharing no plot or characters with its neighbors beyond the series' common premise of a frontier woman meeting her own challenges. It runs 219 pages. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Measure of a Heart - Book 7:
A Bride for Donnigan
A Bride for Donnigan (1993) continues Women of the West's run of standalone frontier stories, each centered on a different woman -- here a mail-order arrangement -- navigating 19th-century life out West. Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Bride for Donnigan - Book 8:
Heart of the Wilderness
Heart of the Wilderness (1993) is a self-contained entry in Women of the West, following the series' formula of an independent-minded woman facing the challenges of frontier life on her own terms. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Heart of the Wilderness - Book 9:
Too Long a Stranger
Too Long a Stranger (1994) keeps to Women of the West's pattern of complete, standalone stories, each following a different woman through the trials of 19th-century frontier life. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Too Long a Stranger - Book 10:
The Bluebird and the Sparrow
The Bluebird and the Sparrow (1995) is one of Women of the West's later entries, a self-contained frontier story sharing only the series' common premise with the books around it. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Bluebird and the Sparrow - Book 11:
A Gown of Spanish Lace
A Gown of Spanish Lace (1995) continues Women of the West's run of standalone frontier stories as the twelve-book series nears its close, following a different woman making her way in the 19th-century West. Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Gown of Spanish Lace - Book 12:
Drums of Change
Drums of Change (1995) closes out Women of the West by telling a Native American woman's story, letting Janette Oke range across a wider variety of settings than her serial family sagas allowed. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Drums of Change
Key facts about the Women of the West series
Our list has 12 books in the Women of the West series. Since all 12 are out now, you can read the whole list today.
Start with The Calling of Emily Evans, since it opens the publication order in 1990. Julia's Last Hope is book 2, from 1990. Roses for Mama is book 3, from 1990.
A Woman Named Damaris is book 4, from 1991. They Called Her Mrs. Doc is book 5, from 1992. The Measure of a Heart is book 6, from 1992.
A Bride for Donnigan is book 7, from 1993, while Heart of the Wilderness is book 8, from 1993. Too Long a Stranger is book 9, from 1994.
The Bluebird and the Sparrow is book 10, from 1995, while A Gown of Spanish Lace is book 11, from 1995. Drums of Change is book 12, from 1995.
The list keeps the books in date order, while each title links to its own page. Each book page shows its dates and editions. Since the catalogue marks the series as complete, we list no next book.
The books came out between 1990 and 1995, while their length runs from 176 to 383 pages. That is a run of 5 years.
Janette Oke has 48 books on our list. Additionally, they write Love Comes Softly, Seasons of the Heart and Canadian West, plus 5 more series. We shelve the books under inspirational fiction.
About the Women of the West series
Women of the West collects twelve standalone novels Janette Oke published in the early 1990s, each centered on a different woman making her way in the 19th-century American or Canadian West -- as a teacher, doctor's wife, mail-order bride, missionary, or homesteader. Unlike Oke's continuing family sagas, the books in Women of the West share no characters or plotlines; each is a complete, self-contained story united only by the series' shared premise of an independent-minded woman meeting the challenges of frontier life.
The series let Oke range across a wider variety of settings and situations than her serial family sagas allowed, from a Native American woman's story in Drums of Change to a young doctor's wife's in They Called Her Mrs. Doc, while keeping the same faith-centered, romance-forward sensibility that defines her longer series.
Frequently asked questions
Do the Women of the West books need to be read in order?
No -- each of the twelve books is a standalone story with its own characters; there's no continuing plot across the series.
How many books are in Women of the West?
Twelve, published between 1990 and 1995.
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