When Calls the Heart Season 2 Premiere Promo--& a When Calls the Heart Season 1 Giveaway!

I am a Jeanette Oke fan from "way back".  While I hate to "date" myself--I discovered her writings with her Seasons of the Heart series in the '80's and absolutely adored her books.  Sometimes; however, I am a bit behind on my television series.  I missed most of the first season of When Calls the Heart, a Hallmark Channel series based on Oke's work, and have been trying to catch up since I discovered it!  I was pretty excited to have the chance to preview the When Calls the Heart Season 2 series premiere (slated for later this week)--and I am even more excited to have a set of the entire first season of the series (on dvd) to offer as a giveaway for one lucky reader at the end of this post.  What do we think of When Calls the Heart?

I received early access to an online screening of the When Calls the Heart season 2 premiere in advance of its April 25, 2015, release date.  All opinions and experiences are my own and I was not compensated for this review.
 
A Little About the Television Series:  The series is inspired by Janette Oke’s bestselling book series about the Canadian West. “When Calls the Heart” tells the captivating story of Elizabeth Thatcher (Erin Krakow), a young teacher accustomed to her high society life, who receives her first classroom assignment in Coal Valley, a small coalmining town where life is simple, but often fraught with challenges. Lori Loughlin plays Abigail Stanton, a wife and mother whose husband, the foreman of the mine, along with a dozen other miners, has just been killed in an explosion. The newly widowed women find their faith is tested when they must go to work in the mines to keep a roof over their heads. Elizabeth charms most everyone in Coal Valley, except Constable Jack Thornton (Daniel Lissing) who believes Thatcher’s wealthy father has doomed the lawman’s career by insisting he be assigned in town to protect the shipping magnate’s daughter. Living in a turn of the century coal town, Elizabeth will have to learn the ways of the frontier if she wishes to thrive in the rural west on her own.

I love historical fiction and television based upon it.   I grew up with Little House on the Prairie and Big Valley...and, occasionally, Bonanza or Gunsmoke on the t.v.  I lived with my grandparents and they adored westerns and movies from years gone by. Some of my early, "grown up", chapter books were old-school westerns or romance novels with historical settings as those were always readily available in my house.  Happy endings shine in those stories--but, not without real-world struggles and challenges of strength, family ties, and an ever-present sense of gnawing "right and wrong".  I miss that morality based "reality" (even when fictionalized) on the screen!  (I guess I'm "dating" myself again, huh?) 

Clean Romance--with Room to Teach the Kiddos.  The late 1800's/early 1900's are as far removed from my girls' existence as we are from Neptune.    They are very visual children--being young tweens to almost teens--and that time period is no longer presented to them in formats which they appreciate.  When Calls the Heart offers families an opportunity to connect with our almost recent history, allows the adults to get caught up in a bit of a "soap opera"--but, keeps the evening's entertainment clean enough for the entire family to watch, discuss, learn a little from and enjoy.  

Would I recommend When Calls the Heart?  This show opens the door for SO many family conversations--from historical ones to more modern ones (concerning the dangers of mining..the environment..women's rights and roles through time...and many discussions of a time period which seems to be losing its history today).  I am not going to disclose any spoilers or plot details from the series opener--you need to watch for yourself!  My family enjoys the characters (my girls love Lori Laughlin from her Aunt Becky on Full House reruns...and love her almost as much now!) and we enjoy the show's storyline--and we look forward to the rest of When Calls the Heart's second season!  

Would you like to win the First Season of When Calls the Heart?

We have the entire first season for one lucky winner!  Simply enter below for a chance to win!

(This would make an awesome Mother's Day gift for a lot of the moms out there....even if it's not for you!)

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway As seen on Hypersweep.com!