When Breaks the Dawn #3

Canadian West #3

by Janette Oke

Discover With Elizabeth the True Basis of Beauty, Happiness and Security. Having survived the harshness of their first year in the far Northwest, Elizabeth and Wynn, her Royal Canadian Mountie, now face new challenges, make new friends, start a new school and are presented with a new posting. Will their love for each other, hope for the future and their faith in God carry them through a crushing disappointment? The lovely young schoolteacher from the east has become a frontier woman—or has she?

Genres: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Christian, Historical, Christian Romance

219 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Janette Oke is a Canadian author known for her inspirational fiction, often set in a pioneer era and focused on female protagonists. Her debut novel, Love Comes Softly (1979), became the foundation for a successful series, followed by over 75 other novels. The first book in her Canadian West series, When Calls the Heart (1983), inspired the popular television series of the same name.
Born in Champion, Alberta, to farmers Fred and Amy (née Ruggles) Steeves during the Great Depression, Oke went on to graduate from Mountain View Bible College in Didsbury, Alberta, where she met her future husband, Edward Oke, who later became the president of the college. The couple has four children, including a daughter who has collaborated with Janette on several books.
A committed Evangelical Christian, Oke has authored numerous works exploring themes of faith. She has received various accolades for her contributions to Christian fiction, including the 1992 President's Award from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association and the 1999 CBA Life Impact Award.

Reviews

[Shirley Chapel · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Breaks the Dawn was a beautiful historical story written by Janette Oke and narrated by Nancy Peterson. It is book three of The Canadian West series. The author uses the first chapter to refresh her readers on the other two previous books in the series. Then we are taken into the next years of the Delaney’s marriage and their years in Northern Alberta. I found the book to be entertaining and an enjoyable read. I always enjoy reading books written by this author. This book drew me in and kept my interest until the book’s ending.

Elizabeth and Wynn have settled in this northern community and have become good friends with the McClains , a white man Eane and an Indian Woman Minnie, who run the trading post in town. Elizabeth and Minnie start a school for the Indian Indian children. As time passes Elizabeth becomes consumed with not being able to have a baby. Doctors can’t find a reason why she is unable to become pregnant. Life plays a few cruel jokes on the couple that they find hard to accept, wondering why God would allow these things to happen to them. Will the couple be strong enough to endure life’s disappointments?

I recommend this book to readers of historical fiction and fans of the author. Readers of inspirational stories will enjoy this book and it is suitable for family reading.

[Candace Morrill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this series 20 years ago, and love them even more this time around.

[Abby Burrus · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars.
Another enjoyable audio book to listen to. The narrator is perfect for this series.
Elizabeth and Wyn have a rougher time in this book, it's definitely full of ups and downs, and lessons that have to be learned. Elizabeth matures more and more through each book, which I enjoy seeing. These books are not dramatic, but soothing in their own way and enjoyable.
Moving onto the next one!

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Breaks the Dawn is the third novel in Janette Oke's Canadian West series. I found that this book was much improved over the second in the series and just as good as the first.

This installment starts out exactly where the second book left it, at the trader's and his wife's return to the settlement with much needed supplies. Unlike the other books however, this one covers several years instead of just one year.

Elizabeth has largely adjusted to living life in the frigid North and with her friend Nimmie starts a school for the children of the settlement. While it does not catch on quickly she finds a few willing students to learn all she has to teach. One of these in particular, a little girl named Susie, actually lives with Elizabeth and Wynn for awhile and gives them a taste on what it is like to have children.

Susie wouldn't be the only child they would take care of in the book however. They also adopt a baby from a man who's wife has died and spend a whole year with him, learning to love them as their own. Sadly, this does not last for very long.

In this book as well is a slight description of an action scene. Wynn must go out in the cold to track down a bootlegger and murderer. While we are not introduced to the scene firsthand, he relives it for Elizabeth when he arrives back home. I was actually surprised to find this in the novel as most of the books by Oke I have read have very little conflict between person and person rather than person and elements.

As far as plotlines go there isn't really a set plotline for this novel. It more just chronicles their life over about 3-4 years and how they survive. If I were to say the book had anything resembling a plot line, I would more say it had a theme; Elizabeth's infertility. A big part of the book is written about Elizabeth's feelings and actions at being unable to conceive a child. It was written with a lot of emotion and having never experienced those issues myself as of yet I can't say whether they were accurate descriptions of the emotions involving infertility, but they seemed genuine to me.

I found a lot of things improved in this book over the second one in the series. For starters, Elizabeth becomes her strong independent self again. There is no simpering and acting like a child whose husband has to guide her in every step. Also, Oke tones down the preachiness and instead reverts to her Christian values as they were in the first book, lead by example, not by sermon.

Oke's writing as always is very homey and clear. Her books are pleasant with nothing that would be considered offensive. This book, like the others in the series, is written from Elizabeth's perspective.

Oke's characters are very believable in this book. She tries to give the reader a glimpse at the struggle for Elizabeth between the Indian and English languages and shows her attempts at translation. She also makes her characters have faults rather than be perfect at all times. Since it is a Christian novel, the characters themselves actually reflect on their own sins.

Overall I did enjoy this book. It wasn't as good of a plot line as the first but it definitely improved on the second book. As a reader I enjoyed it and it's one of those books where if you don't want to, you don't have to think too hard about the message, you can just read for enjoyment.

When Breaks The Dawn
Copyright 1986
223 pages
Comment Comment |

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 4 out of 5]

About this book:

“After surviving a harsh first year in the far north, Elizabeth Delaney and her Royal Canadian Mountie husband, Wynn, are settling into the small community of Beaver Creek. Elizabeth is once more teaching school, and they seem to be gradually making a place for themselves among the Indians. And then the news arrives...”


Series: Book #3 of the “Canadian West” series. (Book #1 review Here! and Book #2 review Here!) {There is a movie based on the first book of this series with the same name, plus a TV series on Hallmark about the continuation of the series, “Return to the Canadian West.” }


Spiritual Content- Talks about God & witnessing; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Prayers & Blessings over food; A handful of Scriptures are quoted; A mention of Hannah from the Bible; Christmas; Mentions of Church going; Mentions of Bible studies; Near the end, Elizabeth gets mad at God but gets over it quickly.
*Note: a mention of a spirit animal & the Great Spirit; a couple mentions of witchcraft & a witch doctor.


Negative Content- Dog fighting & Blood (semi-detailed); Mentions of illness & people dying (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of hunting & trapping animals for food; Mentions of liquor, drunks, shooting & killing someone (barely-above-not-detailed).


Sexual Content- two barely-above-not-detailed kisses; Three nose-kisses; Mentions of kisses (not-detailed); Embraces (barely-above-not-detailed); Elizabeth really wants a child but cannot conceive; Mentions of nursing; Love, marriage, & the emotions.

-Elizabeth Thatcher Delaney
1st person P.O.V. of Elizabeth
Set in 1912-1916
215 pages

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star (and a half)
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Four Stars
Because the main part of this book is Elizabeth wanting a child but not being able to conceive it’s not the most relatable for teens. (Though, nothing about what it takes to conceive is said; very clean.) But, when you fall in love with a character you want to know what happens to said character. “When Breaks the Dawn” is very clean for teens and fans of the previous books will enjoy it. {I’d like to applaud the author once more for being so clean! Like I said, main part of this story is Elizabeth wanting to conceive, but there was no sexual hints or mentions at all! More authors need to write like Janette Oke.}


Link to review:
http://booksforchristiangirls.blogspo...


*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

[Elizabeth Dragina · Rating 5 out of 5]

they are so #couplegoals

[Alexis Villery · Rating 3 out of 5]

I used to read Janette Oke a lot when I was younger so I decided to pick up this book in a moment of nostalgia. In a nutshell, this book is about the trial and tribulations of Elizabeth and Wynn while they endure the hardships of the rugged west.

You don't have to have read the first two books in the series but it might be helpful. Some characters are mentioned in passing that will be unfamiliar if you haven't read the previous two books but it doesn't affect the present storyline much. Some books are a historical fiction with religious overtones; this particular book is a Christian novel that is historical fiction (if the difference makes sense). It's a simple/quick read and you find yourself really caring about the characters--all of them. There is heartache and sorrow along with joy and triumph.

There is one small thing that really bugged me though. Elizabeth really struggled and she made mistakes but it frustrated me a bit that Wynn was so good. Wynn made all the right decisions and was the pillar for Elizabeth to lean on. He didn't argue, yell, or do anything crazy. He had the appropriate emotions at the appropriate times. He always remembered to trust in God and pray. It wasn't just a matter of a perfect/imperfect characters but it almost came across as "the man knows best," which rubbed me the wrong way. This didn't ruin the book for me in anyway and it was still a good book, but I'm not sure if I will finish the series because my irritation would only grow.

Any detail will give something away so I will keep from spoiling this for someone else.

[Rebekah Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this story. The hardships were harder, but there were also some fun times. I liked Elizabeth most of the time, but there were times I didn’t like her as well. Of course I don’t know how I would have acted in her place. Wynn was a delight and the perfect sort of husband for Elizabeth. I did find the contrast between the “outside” and “home” quite interesting. I really like that the Christianity was not just added in as an afterthought to make it “Christian” but actually a real part of the story.
I’m looking forward to reading the next book.

[Sydney · Rating 4 out of 5]

the Candian West series is such a nice change of pace from other books I have been reading. Though the timing moves rather quickly, it's so nice being able to slow down and read about the daily life and experiences of Elizabeth as she settles more and more into her life in the west.

this book dealt with quite a bit of loss and heartbreak, which I'll admit, was not quite what I was expecting. though I read the first two in this series a couple years ago, I don't remember them being quite as sad as this book was. there are still happy and sweet moments too, just the depth of heartbreak Elizabeth (and Wynn) experience caught me off guard a little.

I really enjoyed the Christian content in this book. Though my circumstances are different then Elizabeth's, I found myself relating to the moral messages of the story and how they relate to my life at this moment.

this is a very sweet addition to the series, and I am really looking forward to reading the next one.

[Karen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I liked the first book, but the next two were too God in my face, and there was absolutely no romance mentioned! I mean really, I'm no prude, but even God wants people to have kids. At least talk about it a bit. It's such a white elephant in the room how it is so ignored until so late in this series.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I so enjoyed this.❤️ I smiled, and I teared up. I feel so much sympathy for Elizabeth and her struggles. I admire how she goes to God with them. The faith in God in this series is beautiful. ❤️

[Rae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elizabeth is now settled in their new home and has friends, which is a vast improvement on the last book. I've been racking my brains as to why I kept reading this series even though I thought book two was rubbish, and I've come up with three reasons:

1. Without spoilers, there's something I really want to happen in the plot and I think I'm 90% just reading hoping that it will.
2. I really empathise with Elizabeth. My fiancé's job means that I move around the world for his work. I choose to go with him and wouldn't want to do otherwise, but it's also not a lifestyle I would have independently chosen, which I feel is very similar to Elizabeth's situation. She feels like a friend.
3. The books all roll straight on from one another, and so starting a new book just feels like reading the next chapter of the previous one. It makes it hard to stop.

Elizabeth and Wynn face some real hardships in this book (as is the norm for them). But their faith and love for one another pull them through (as per). The "Indian village" setting remains problematic (i.e. Elizabeth and Wynn have both a white saviour complex and a missionary streak, which makes for uncomfortable reading).

Life Lessons:
This books very much follows the, 'everything happens for a reason, God has a plan' philosophy. I find it really hard to get on board with this, but I'd like to be able to trust more. I think this mindset can help us make the most of our situation, whatever life throws at us.

[Natalie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the first one but the second book in this series fell flat for me because there was no real courtship between the two main characters - it just sort of happened.

The third book basically details Elizabeth's longing for a child. Now granted I know that this series is set in an earlier time period, but I would still like to see some female empowerment. She mopes a LOT, saying things like "God had blessed so many women with babies, but not me" or "I needed a child to make my life complete" or "I had a hard time being happy for my pregnant friends since I didn't have that joy of my own." She just seemed whiny to me.

I also find it hard to believe that she wouldn't miss city life, at least a little bit. Especially since she is alone so much of the time.

Wynn seemed very flat as a character - he really wasn't even around very much.

I really liked where this series was going in the beginning but Elizabeth's subordination to her husband really grates on me after a while.

[Kellyn Roth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted on Reveries Reviews.

The third book in the Canadian West series did not disappoint! True, it was a little draggy at points, but I still enjoy Elizabeth and Wynn and all the people at Beaver Creek. I think I’m just about done with this series; I’ll probably read the next book and then stop.

SPOILERS! I guess I’m just disappointed that Elizabeth and Wynn didn’t have a child … and in all likelihood won’t, from what I can tell. END OF SPOILERS!

~Kellyn Roth

[Loretta Marchize · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful book in this series! I own all four of the first books and have been re-reading them (I first read them before I was on Goodreads) They are just as good as the first time! I did find them very anti-climatic because whatever surprises or hardships they faced I already knew how it all turned out.

Content: cheek kisses, hug (both with married couple), mentions of birth and child-bearing (little-to-none, not described), mentions of Indian witchcraft

[Heather McC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elizabeth and Wynn make the most of their life in the Northern territories while trying to build a family and create new memories together. When trouble comes their way, Elizabeth and Wynn are reminded that exciting things may still lay ahead, over the very next hill.

While retaining the beloved characters of the original book in the series, book three does not hold the same spark as the original.

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now settled in the remote village with her Mountie husband, Elizabeth's life is still full of changes. Her friends need help, she wants to start a school, and she desperately wants to start a family. The emotional turmoil and pain some of these cause may hit close to home for some, but the author doesn't dwell on sadness for too long - and Elizabeth's faith in God always brings hope.

[Kaitlyn Krispense · Rating 4 out of 5]

So cozy. A bit slow, but a fantastic read for just some relaxing of the mind.

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ugh. I love these characters ....

[Cailee Irving]

DNF

[Maria Hopper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looks older and dated but seriously could not recommend more

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it. Abia astept sa citesc continuarea.

[Sarah Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I initially found this book more boring than the others, but then the ending and the lesson she learnt in God about contentment in infertility really made the book. What a great lesson to apply to every area.

[99Kylies · Rating 2 out of 5]

So the routine is established. Oke draws me in with really cool character ideas, then breezes over their interactions in an overhead, months passed in paragraphs, view, and completely abandons any attempt to actually sit and write the *scenes* that are happening. It's infuriating. I want to actually read what's happening, I'm invested and I want to be drawn into scenes, but she...refuses to write them.

There are some awkward lines like 'he smiled into my eyes'. Could've maybe used a good editor or another run through of editing.

Wynn is devoid of any meaningful character and boils down to 'perfect husband who always has all the answers'. I have never been this bored and utterly uninterested in a romantic interest before.

At least in this book, there is the acknowledgement of the fact that Native Americans had their own religion, so I appreciated that, but it was still just a one off line of a fear that 'The Great Spirit' was doing something. Everything else left unsaid.

I do kinda enjoy the take of woman trying to respect their husband's biblical authority over them - it's a take I don't see often, and while I think this book fails to portray it very well, it's something I appreciate the book showing. The men are pretty much devoid of personality all through out the book, and Wynn is perfect and always Right, so...idk, the whole attempt at showing a husband and father as leader and protector of the family falls really flat for me.

There's another major flaw in Oke's writing - the total lack of foreshadowing. We don't hear about her wanting new stockings, her hate for mended stockings, or even the fact that she had to mend stockings at all until she tells us (instead of shows us) that Elizabeth got stockings for Christmas. It would've been so much more powerful if she'd been mourning her stockings and mending them throughout the book. The scene feels much like the rest of the book - 'ok, that's nice, but I don't care'. Same thing happens another time, which I won't talk about because spoilers.

So...why do I read these books? Because, at the end of the day, they're clean, they're Christian, they aren't terrible. At worse, they're a let down because they refuse to show actual scenes happening. I do enjoy the scenes we're allowed, especially the friendship ones, and the side characters glow when, again, they're actually written. Aside from reading like a historical account instead of a fictional book, they're not bad. They're just...not good fiction books.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this is a sad one. So much happened, so many sad things. I can say I totally identified with Elizabeth’s struggle with wanting to be further along in life. Her struggle with all her friends having babies yet she doesn’t (but totally wants one) is a universal problem. That’s her next step in life, that’s what people expect of her. Yet it hasn’t happened yet and she finds it difficult to deal with. We all want to keep up, and people/society all have expectations of what our next step should be but it’s not always in your control how fast stuff moves. Who says what order life goes in or how fast it happens? But it’s what is expected, and you feel like a bit of a failure when it doesn’t work out like others expect it should. I may not want a baby, but I can understand her frustrations.

And then she kept having children come into her life that she was expected to care for like a parent and then had life yank them back out of her grasp. And her friend’s baby, that was another sad part too. That was sad.

The part where the ice got blocked up, whoa that was an emotional chapter.

Somehow I missed Julie getting married. Like she got to town and saw her pregnant and I was like “Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! She was just seeing that guy, now she’s pregnant! Man, we missed a lot living up north!”

So, overall, I think this one was really good, especially if you need a good cry. Grab you a box of tissues.

[Thereadingbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third installment continues the story between Elizabeth and Wynn this part of the story covers several years.

Elizabeth has largely adjusted to living life in the frigid North and with her friend Nimmie starts a school for the children of the settlement. While it does not catch on quickly she finds a few willing students to learn all she has to teach. One of these in particular, a little girl named Susie, actually lives with Elizabeth and Wynn for awhile and gives them a taste on what it is like to have children.

Susie wouldn't be the only child they would take care of in this part of the story. They also adopt a baby from a man who's wife has died and spend a whole year with him, learning to love them as their own. Sadly, this does not last for very long.

The story focused heavily on Elizabeth's christian faith. This story is as clean as it gets. Wynn is chasing bootleggers. The story was a bit more sadder then the others.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 3 in a favorite series by a favorite author. This book takes place shortly after book 2 ends continuing Wynn and Elizabeth's life in the Canadian north. I love Elizabeth. To me she is such a realistic character. We watch her as she adjusts to her life in the north and we see her struggle and grow. I find her so relatable. I especially love seeing her seek God to help her through her struggles. Wynn is strong, wise and steady. I would love to have seen things through his eyes though. I think in some places this book could have been slow if not for Janette Oke's writing and Elizabeth's voice being so easy to read.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another slam dunk for me. Having lived in Bush Alaska, it made me super homesick for that way of life and for all the friends I made while there. That said, there is a lot (a LOT) of pain in this book. People reading it should have a heads up for struggles with infertility and loss of kids. The rating would have been altogether different if I didn’t have my PPD under control.

[Leslie Books and Socks Rock · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really slow read...the 215 pages covered about 4 years. Little bit here, little bit there. Elizabeth was kind of annoying and whiny and it was just kind of a depressing read. I'll read the rest of the series to see how it ends. Tell me it gets better!

[Christina DeVane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had a lot of sadder things in life which is very realistic of living in this time period. I loved the Bible perspective it brought through the hard times though and brings much more depth to deep pains in life.