Love Comes Softly 40th Anniversary Edition First published in 1979, Janette Oke's beloved classic launched a new wave of inspirational fiction and inspired and captivated readers with its endearing story of loss and love. Adapted for television in 2003 by the Hallmark Channel, it went on to become one of their most watched films ever. Millions have laughed, wept, and rejoiced with Marty and Clark Davis, whose tragic circumstances threw them together, suddenly and unexpectedly, on the frontier prairies of the late 1800s.