When sisters Lillian Walsh (Morgan Kohan) and Grace Bennett (Jocelyn Hudon) were young, their parents died of tuberculosis. The girls were separated: Lillian was adopted and raised by a kind family in the fictional Canadian small town of Brookfield, and Grace grew up in an orphanage. Upon reuniting as adults, the sisters open New Hope Orphanage, which is initially met with uncertainty and suspicion by the Brookfield townspeople. But in Season 1 of the romantic period drama When Hope Calls, Lillian and Grace open their hearts and make connections in their town in order to create a loving home for the children in their care. 

Lillian and Grace’s journey paves the way for their long-lost aunt, Nora Anderson (Cindy Busby), to make a place for herself in Brookfield in Season 2. “When Hope Calls is filled with dynamic characters who’ll make you laugh, keep you on the edge of your seat, and [make you] fall in love,” Busby tells Tudum. “It’s a period show about connection, community, and belonging, which is something audiences in this day and age can relate to.” Sarah Fisher, who plays boutique owner Hannah, adds that the show “will pull at your heartstrings.”

Read on to learn more about Seasons 1 and 2 — and hear from the cast, who spoke with Tudum about When Hope Calls. The swoonworthy show, created by Alfonso H. Moreno (Hope Valley: 1874), is now streaming on Netflix. 

When will When Hope Calls be released?

When Hope Calls Seasons 1 and 2 are available to watch on Netflix right now.

Who’s in the cast of When Hope Calls?

• Morgan Kohan (Sullivan’s Crossing) as Lillian Walsh, Grace’s sister and co-founder of the New Hope Orphanage
• Jocelyn Hudon (The Order) as Grace Bennett, Lillian’s sister and co-founder of the New Hope Orphanage
• Ryan-James “RJ” Hatanaka (Criminal Minds) as Gabriel Kinslow, a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer
• Greg Hovanessian (Another Life) as Dr. Chuck Stewart, a veterinarian
• Cindy Busby (Joy for Christmas) as Nora Anderson, Lillian and Grace’s aunt and a lawyer
• Christopher Russell (A Lot Like Christmas) as Michael Fletcher, a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer
• Elizabeth Saunders (From) as Eleanor Winters, housekeeper for the New Hope Orphanage
• Hanneke Talbot (Forgive Us Our Trespasses) as Maggie Parsons, a nurse
• Wendy Crewson (The Kid Detective) as Tess Stewart, Chuck’s mother and owner of the Stewart Ranch
• Neil Crone (Christmas Inheritance) as Ronnie Stewart, Chuck’s uncle and owner of the Royal Brookfield Hotel 
• Nick Bateman (The Matchmaker’s Playbook) as Wyatt Parker, foreperson of the Lawrence Ranch
• Sarah Fisher (Degrassi: The Next Generation) as Hannah Lawrence, a boutique owner
• Jefferson Brown (Carrie) as Joe Moody, owner of the Brookfield General Store
• Marshall Williams (A Sprinkle of Christmas) as Sam Tremblay, a prospector, in Season 1
• Jon McLaren (Crossroad Springs) as Sam Tremblay, a prospector, in Season 2
• Kalinka Petrie (Letterkenny) as Lucie Clay, a Brookfield local

What happens in When Hope Calls Season 1?

In 1916, long-lost sisters Lillian (Kohan) and Grace (Hudon) found New Hope Orphanage in Lillian’s adoptive hometown of Brookfield, a quaint town in western Canada. Once a gold mining settlement, Brookfield is on the up and up: Mischievous busybody Ronnie Stewart (Crone) has opened the Royal Brookfield Hotel, and a new nurse, the knowledgeable Maggie Parsons (Talbot), has arrived to oversee the local infirmary. The charming Gabriel Kinslow (Hatanaka), a Royal Canadian Mountie, has rolled back into town to serve as constable. With the help of their loyal housekeeper, Eleanor (Saunders), Lillian and Grace work to rekindle their relationship and make a home for the kids in their care — the kind of home Grace never had when she was growing up in less pleasant orphanages.

While most of the townspeople are sympathetic to the orphaned children, some are worried about the kids possibly stirring up trouble. And when tragedy strikes in the form of a fire that burns down the infirmary, Gabriel is forced to consider the possibility that some of the boys at the orphanage were responsible. Gabriel’s investigation eventually leads him down an unexpected path, but it also brings him closer to Lillian, with whom he forms an undeniable bond. 

“Gabe and Lillian are a slow burn in the best possible way,” Hatanaka tells Tudum. “There’s a lot of respect between them, and then you start to realize there’s something else underneath it — and they realize it, too. The fun is watching two people try very hard not to acknowledge what’s happening.” But it’s not all sunshine, rainbows, and butterfly-inducing glances. Lillian’s adoptive family has a rough history in Brookfield, and neighboring rancher Tess Stewart (Crewson) — who blames Lillian’s family for the death of her husband — has made it her job to turn the town against Lillian and her people. Little does Tess realize that her son, the kindhearted veterinarian Chuck (Hovanessian), has eyes for Grace. Can the devoted sisters create a meaningful life for themselves and their kids, or will their best-laid plans go astray?

What happens in When Hope Calls Season 2? 

The winds are shifting in idyllic Brookfield. After Grace marries her one true love, Chuck, and moves to London, Lillian is left to run the orphanage by herself. And when Lillian’s guy, Gabriel, is sent on special assignment, a new Mountie is assigned to act as town constable: the handsome Michael Fletcher (Russell). His reputation as the daring “Fearless Fletcher” precedes him. “Michael is usually pretty confident and composed — or at least he thinks he is,” Russell tells Tudum. Michael’s famed poise partially fails him when it turns out he isn’t the only new face in town. 

Steadfast lawyer Nora Anderson (Busby) also arrives in Brookfield and reveals herself to be Lillian and Grace’s aunt — their birth mother’s younger sister. Nora only recently learned that her nieces existed, and she’s pleasantly surprised by the immediate bond she has with Lillian. So when Lillian is called away on an urgent mission, Nora steps up to help loyal housekeeper Eleanor run the New Hope Orphanage. “Nora initially takes on the role of caretaker for the orphanage to connect with her nieces, but she quickly realizes that helping, nurturing, and caring for the children brings great meaning to her life,” Busby says. “The orphanage is the family dynamic and learning ground Nora has always yearned for.”

Sparks fly when Nora meets Michael in what Busby called a “meet cute with lingering eye gazing” at the local café. “Michael and Nora are fun because neither of them is particularly prepared for the other,” Russell says. “But underneath all the teasing and friction, there’s a real respect developing between them. Nora challenges Michael — particularly the way he sees certain situations as a Mountie — and he starts to see things differently because of her.” But Michael might not be the only resident with an interest in Nora: Prospector and handyman Sam Tremblay (McLaren) has returned to Brookfield, and his previous connection with nurse Maggie remains undefined.

Meanwhile, the fashionable Hannah Lawrence (Fisher) arrives from St. Louis after her uncle, rancher Ray Lawrence (Matt Wells), dies. With the Lawrence Ranch seemingly up for grabs and new relationships percolating, Brookfield’s residents will have to band together to keep the peace, care for each other, and secure their beloved town’s future.

Is When Hope Calls based on a book?

When Hope Calls is a spin-off of When Calls the Heart, which is based on author Janette Oke’s six-book Canadian West series. Oke and her daughter, Laurel Oke Logan, have also published three companion novels to the When Hope Calls television series.

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