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Canadian West #3

When Breaks the Dawn

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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...

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

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About the author

Janette Oke

295 books3,035 followers
Janette Oke writes with a profound simplicity of what she knows best—real life, honest love, and lasting values. With over 23 million in sales, her historical novels portray the lives of early North American settlers from many walks of life and geographical settings. She also writes engaging children's stories and inspiring gift books that warm the heart.

Janette was born during the depression years to a Canadian prairie farmer and his wife, and she remembers her childhood as full of love and laughter and family love. After graduating from Mountain View Bible College in Canada where she met her husband, Edward, they pastored churches in Canada and the U.S., and they raised their family of four children, including twin boys, in both countries. Edward eventually became president of Mountain View Bible College and recently established a coalition of colleges that became Rocky Mountain Bible College.

During her earliest years, Janette sensed the desire to write. Though she yearned to be a published novelist, she devoted herself to being a wife and mother because, she says, "there is no higher honor—that is my number-one priority." She began serious writing when her children were entering their teens.

Her first novel, a prairie love story titled Love Comes Softly, was published by Bethany House in 1979. This book was followed by more than 75 others. She reaches both religious and general markets, telling stories that transcend time and place. Her readers of all ages and walks of life can identify with the everyday events and emotions of her characters. Janette believes everyone goes through tough times—the key is to be prepared with a strong faith as the foundation from which decisions are made and difficult experiences are faced. That perspective is subtly woven throughout her novels.

After Love Comes Softly was published, Oke found her readers asking for more. That book led to a series of eight others in her Love Comes Softly series. She has written multiple fiction series, including The Canadian West, Seasons of the Heart and Women of the West. Her most recent releases include a beautiful children's picture book, I Wonder...Did Jesus Have a Pet Lamb and The Song of Acadia series, co-written with T. Davis Bunn.

Janette Oke's warm writing style has won the hearts of millions of readers. She has received numerous awards, including the Gold Medallion Award, The Christy Award of Excellence, the 1992 President's Award for her significant contribution to the category of Christian fiction from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, and in 1999 the Life Impact Award from the Christian Booksellers Association International. Beloved worldwide, her books have been translated into fourteen languages.

In recent years, Janette and her siblings lovingly restored their parents' prairie farm home, and it now serves as a gift shop and museum of prairie life. Please see below for a special invitation to the Oke Writing Museum and The Steeves' Historical House. She and her husband live nearby in Alberta, Canada, where they are active in their local church. Visits from their families, including their grandchildren, are their delight.
—[http://www.janetteoke.com/ME2/Sites/d...]

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5 stars
3,479 (42%)
4 stars
2,873 (35%)
3 stars
1,533 (18%)
2 stars
254 (3%)
1 star
47 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 291 reviews
Profile Image for Shirley Chapel.
631 reviews127 followers
March 19, 2022
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.

Profile Image for Candace Morrill.
4 reviews11 followers
April 1, 2022
I read this series 20 years ago, and love them even more this time around.
Profile Image for Abby Burrus.
Author 1 book62 followers
October 13, 2022
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!
Profile Image for Melissa.
1,296 reviews65 followers
January 26, 2011

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 |
Profile Image for Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls).
1,734 reviews3,884 followers
February 23, 2016
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

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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.
Profile Image for Alexis Villery.
225 reviews11 followers
April 15, 2011
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.
Profile Image for Sydney.
453 reviews111 followers
February 8, 2021
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.
Profile Image for Rebekah Morris.
Author 107 books240 followers
November 23, 2020
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.
Profile Image for Karen.
239 reviews
April 19, 2013
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.
Profile Image for Kellyn Roth.
Author 27 books1,067 followers
June 9, 2017
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
Profile Image for Heather McC.
934 reviews7 followers
July 26, 2019
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.
Profile Image for Hilary.
2,005 reviews55 followers
February 5, 2014
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.
Profile Image for Rae.
109 reviews72 followers
July 7, 2021
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.
Profile Image for Natalie.
2,808 reviews98 followers
April 10, 2016
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.
Profile Image for Thereadingbell.
1,393 reviews32 followers
February 2, 2020
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.
Profile Image for Megan.
166 reviews30 followers
August 27, 2020
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.
Profile Image for Loretta Marchize.
Author 6 books34 followers
May 19, 2018
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
Profile Image for Anna.
685 reviews
February 18, 2020
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.
Profile Image for Leslie Books and Socks Rock.
743 reviews21 followers
August 12, 2017
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!
Profile Image for Christina DeVane.
395 reviews41 followers
April 5, 2018
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.
Profile Image for Carolyn Pina.
196 reviews3 followers
September 8, 2015
This was Book 3 of a series of 4. I won't be reading Book 4. In this book, the Bible verses increased, as the story, itself, became boring.
Profile Image for Amber.
585 reviews2 followers
June 7, 2020
These books have a lot of history and nature descriptions in them. Very enjoyable reading.
January 31, 2024
I loved the first, but this third was even better. My heart broke and I understand the struggles all too well. I don’t think I’ve ever cried as much during a book as I did the ending.
My biggest complaint with the second book was the disconnect between Wynn and Elizabeth. I appreciated that it wasn’t like that in this one.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 291 reviews

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