When Calls the Heart tells the story of Elizabeth Thatcher (Erin Krakow), a young teacher accustomed to her high-society life. She receives her first classroom assignment in Coal Valley, a small coal-mining town in Western Canada (most likely the District of Alberta, as the town of Medicine Hat is mentioned as the nearest larger settlement). There, life is simple—but often fraught with challenges. Elizabeth charms most everyone in Coal Valley, except Royal North West Mounted Police Constable Jack Thornton (Daniel Lissing). He 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 this 1910 coal town, Elizabeth must learn the ways of the Canadian frontier movement if she wishes to thrive in the rural west on her own. Lori Loughlin portrays Abigail Stanton, a wife and mother whose husband, the foreman of the mine, and her only son—along with a dozen other miners—have recently been killed in an explosion, which turns out to have been a tragic accident waiting to happen—a result of the mining-company site manager’s irresponsible management and lack of due care in his management of the mine. The newly widowed women find their faith tested when they must go to work in the mine to keep a roof over their heads, food on the table, and compile a wage for the town’s teacher.
When Calls the Heart is an American-Canadian television drama series, inspired by Janette Oke’s book When Calls the Heart from her Canadian West Series, and developed by Michael Landon, Jr.
Starring Erin Krakow, Daniel Lissing and Lori Loughlin.
Parents need to know that When Calls the Heart is a historical drama based on faith-based author Janette Oke’s bestselling book series about the Canadian frontier. Both central characters are stellar role models, high in integrity, compassion, and faith and are unwilling to let others’ expectations decide their fate. The leisurely pace might lose the attention of younger kids, but, if you can get yours to watch, it’s a beautiful story with roots in relationships, self-empowerment, and the enduring power of love. When the plot touches on serious issues such as sexuality, it does so in gentle and vague terms that will sail over young kids’ heads (as when a woman speaks of a man wanting her to “be friendly” toward him). But the show takes great care in presenting other harsh realities of life, such as illness and death, for what they are, so be ready to reassure sensitive kids. Aside from a tense encounter with armed robbers and a few other reminders of the harsh frontier life — including mention of the death of a young boy — there’s nothing to fear in sharing this story with the whole family. – Common Sense Media