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Dana's Valley
Erin Walsh thinks her family is as close to perfect as it can be. When one grim diagnosis is all it takes to shake her family to the core, she wonders if they can ever go back to they way they were. Erin's attempts to go about life as usual feel empty and as each member of her family seems to struggle alone, she is about ready to give up on God. However, Erin has yet to learn that God will never give up on her.
290 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2001
About the author
Janette Oke
305 books3,549 followersJanette 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
July 24, 2017
*flops* Ohmygoodness that was beautiful. I might try to write a decent review...eventually. :P
July 11, 2016
This book touched my heart in such a vibrant way. It reminded me about so many truths about God that I take for granted. It wrote out one of my favorite Psalms in such a way that made me cry (mind you, I almost never cry for any media). It's one of my favorites. It's a must read!
January 21, 2020
A beautifully hard book to read... haven't cried so hard over a book in my life. Worth the tears.
Did Not Finish
August 17, 2024DNF
Although this is very good it’s very sad. I’ll have to pick this up again later.
Although this is very good it’s very sad. I’ll have to pick this up again later.
September 27, 2020
This heartbreaking story is a glimpse into what a family goes through while a loved one is failing from cancer. Told through the eyes of the youngest sister, we glimpse into how each one of the family members struggles throughout the illness. I read this book in one day, since it was such a good book, and the characters became like members of my own family. This is an excellent Christian and faith-filled book that would be enjoyed by anyone with a belief in God.
February 2, 2012
I laughed. I cried. And I found so much to be grateful for in my own life. Incredible book. I just wish it didn't end! What happens with Graham and Erin??
October 25, 2021
Extremely sad, but several characters show great faith.
May 11, 2025
Nothing I write will do justice to this story. It's such a heavenly story of grace under fire. Narrated by the sister of Dana, Erin Walsh, it tells the miraculous story of a family dealing with grief and acceptance.
After Dana's diagnosis of cancer, the Walsh family does their best to hold their family together. However, everything they've worked toward seems to crumble. Once cheerful and happy baby of the family, Corey is now grieving and the oldest of the four Walsh kids Brett, has been deeply affected and eventually moves out only stopping to leave a note explaining the background surrounding his sudden choice. Erin, Dana's sister, is now also struggling. Her big sister who was once her best friend is slowly slipping away and there's nothing she can do about it. Erin's faith is also failing and she has no idea how to handle this situation.
Dana, a teenage girl full of grace and beauty, does not care about herself, but only cares about others. Her prayers for her friends and family while she herself is suffering endlessly leave me in tears every time I read this beautiful novel. Her firm foundation in faith and her unfailing trust in Jesus is amazing and unshakable.
It feels almost impossible to explain the impact this book has made on me. Before reading this, I don't think I've ever cried over a book as much as I have this one. And I cry over a lot of books, so that says a lot. The compassion, grace, and humility that Dana has is so beautiful and she goes about quietly, without asking for attention. This book is a little miracle.
I would probably recommend this novel for the older high school crowd and above. It mentions strong topics concerning faith, medical diagnoses, family, grief, and love. Definitely a heavy read but I guarantee this beautiful stunner of a novel will leave you in tears and give you a whole new perspective.
After Dana's diagnosis of cancer, the Walsh family does their best to hold their family together. However, everything they've worked toward seems to crumble. Once cheerful and happy baby of the family, Corey is now grieving and the oldest of the four Walsh kids Brett, has been deeply affected and eventually moves out only stopping to leave a note explaining the background surrounding his sudden choice. Erin, Dana's sister, is now also struggling. Her big sister who was once her best friend is slowly slipping away and there's nothing she can do about it. Erin's faith is also failing and she has no idea how to handle this situation.
Dana, a teenage girl full of grace and beauty, does not care about herself, but only cares about others. Her prayers for her friends and family while she herself is suffering endlessly leave me in tears every time I read this beautiful novel. Her firm foundation in faith and her unfailing trust in Jesus is amazing and unshakable.
It feels almost impossible to explain the impact this book has made on me. Before reading this, I don't think I've ever cried over a book as much as I have this one. And I cry over a lot of books, so that says a lot. The compassion, grace, and humility that Dana has is so beautiful and she goes about quietly, without asking for attention. This book is a little miracle.
I would probably recommend this novel for the older high school crowd and above. It mentions strong topics concerning faith, medical diagnoses, family, grief, and love. Definitely a heavy read but I guarantee this beautiful stunner of a novel will leave you in tears and give you a whole new perspective.
May 27, 2017
I've always been a fan of Janette Oke, but seriously. Dana's Valley blew every other book she's ever written out of the water and into the desert.
I cried, I laughed, I fell so in love with the characters that when something bad happened to them I would tear up. When I was half-way through the book I felt like I'd lived with the characters forever and when I was finished I was crying because I wanted more. I wanted more of the book but it was over. I had read it all. And it all broke my heart.
Read this book. You'll love it more than anything else.
I cried, I laughed, I fell so in love with the characters that when something bad happened to them I would tear up. When I was half-way through the book I felt like I'd lived with the characters forever and when I was finished I was crying because I wanted more. I wanted more of the book but it was over. I had read it all. And it all broke my heart.
Read this book. You'll love it more than anything else.
March 28, 2008
Only read the first chapter, but 22 pages was enough time spent. The plot was non-existent, the characters bland and privileged, and it was pretty obvious from the getgo that there was going to be some death or sickness to make the boring girl character lose faith in God. Which, really, wasn't the problem. I've read good books with meandering plotlines about people with no personality, no life, a quiet life, etc. etc. But even charmed, sweet people can be written so that they're *interesting*. If they're interesting, then it doesn't matter if the plot is predictable.
So, this book was pretty mediocre to me, but standard to upper-quality fare for contemporary inspirational fiction.
So, this book was pretty mediocre to me, but standard to upper-quality fare for contemporary inspirational fiction.
Read
February 10, 2009It took a while for me to get into this book but I was crying at the end...very touching story but sad too.
January 25, 2011
Don't read this if you don't like to cry; this book made me cry more than any other book I remember reading--I sobbed as I read it.
July 1, 2021
I was a little surprised with this novel being set in modern times. I thought Janette Oke only wrote stories around frontier life!
In the beginning I thought the story was set in the 50s or 60s based on the family's lifestyle of corded phones, kids doing chores before school, a stay at home mom who cooked all the meals and the family sat down together. Dad checks homework before the kids go off to school. And the kids all get along so well!
But then other clues hinted at maybe the 70s or early 80s. Wrong again. When computers and the internet were mentioned it's obvious the story is much more modern.
Since this story is written by both Janette and her daughter, I kinda wonder if Janette wrote this years ago to be set in the 60s or 70s but then her daughter may have done some editing to bring it forward. But it seems like there's a disconnect between how the family lives and what the more normal way of life is in the year 2000. It's almost utopian.
With the time setting confusion set aside, the story itself is endearing. Following this family through a crisis with their children and how they try to maintain their faith in God is inspirational. Some may think it a little boring but personally it was a page turner for me. Couldn't put it down. It played out as a Hallmark drama movie.
I often caught myself as likening this story to a Richard Paul Evans novel or even a Judy Blume novel. It just didn't seem to have the usual Janette Oke flair. I love Evans and Blume so this was ok for me. It just doesn't seem like the usual Oke books I'm used to. Her daughter's input definitely had impact on this story.
In the beginning I thought the story was set in the 50s or 60s based on the family's lifestyle of corded phones, kids doing chores before school, a stay at home mom who cooked all the meals and the family sat down together. Dad checks homework before the kids go off to school. And the kids all get along so well!
But then other clues hinted at maybe the 70s or early 80s. Wrong again. When computers and the internet were mentioned it's obvious the story is much more modern.
Since this story is written by both Janette and her daughter, I kinda wonder if Janette wrote this years ago to be set in the 60s or 70s but then her daughter may have done some editing to bring it forward. But it seems like there's a disconnect between how the family lives and what the more normal way of life is in the year 2000. It's almost utopian.
With the time setting confusion set aside, the story itself is endearing. Following this family through a crisis with their children and how they try to maintain their faith in God is inspirational. Some may think it a little boring but personally it was a page turner for me. Couldn't put it down. It played out as a Hallmark drama movie.
I often caught myself as likening this story to a Richard Paul Evans novel or even a Judy Blume novel. It just didn't seem to have the usual Janette Oke flair. I love Evans and Blume so this was ok for me. It just doesn't seem like the usual Oke books I'm used to. Her daughter's input definitely had impact on this story.
November 10, 2023
This is a profound telling of cancer slowly tearing a family apart as teenaged Dana battles for her life. Masterfully told from the point of view of twelve-year-old sister Erin, this shares vividly a girl’s confusion, anger, resistance, fears, and concerns. I was impressed that the authors did not give adult-depth processing to Erin as she narrated her story, yet they succeeded in showing how each person in the family struggled with faith, guilt, and anger, alternately distancing themselves, then desperately trying to create some sort of unified family life.
I saw firsthand how parents might break themselves trying to pay the bills, nurse the very sick child, and care for the other family members. My own mother was struck with polio when I was four, so I recognized some of the household disorder, abandonment, confusion, loss. I was dismayed by sports-minded Erin’s responses to the situation, but a middle schooler tends to be self-preoccupied, and the family often shut her out of her sister’s room which made it easier and easier to distance herself from the deepening horror.
I loved Erin’s care for her brothers and her clear inability to resolve either of their problems, making her mad at the adults for not seeing the brothers’ needs.
Though it starts slowly, this book portrays grace, forgiveness, and restoration of relationship as a family walks through the valley of the shadow of death. I wept at parts and grieved at other sections.
I would strongly recommend this to any family entering a cancer battle for a family member.
I saw firsthand how parents might break themselves trying to pay the bills, nurse the very sick child, and care for the other family members. My own mother was struck with polio when I was four, so I recognized some of the household disorder, abandonment, confusion, loss. I was dismayed by sports-minded Erin’s responses to the situation, but a middle schooler tends to be self-preoccupied, and the family often shut her out of her sister’s room which made it easier and easier to distance herself from the deepening horror.
I loved Erin’s care for her brothers and her clear inability to resolve either of their problems, making her mad at the adults for not seeing the brothers’ needs.
Though it starts slowly, this book portrays grace, forgiveness, and restoration of relationship as a family walks through the valley of the shadow of death. I wept at parts and grieved at other sections.
I would strongly recommend this to any family entering a cancer battle for a family member.
May 14, 2025
I listened to the abridged 3-hour audiobook with my almost 12-year-old daughter over just a couple days. We both would give it more stars if we could! I would love to listen to (or read) it again in a year or so with my two younger children. The narrator did an excellent job with the different voices. It's a beautiful story of faith and a family going through an extremely difficult time, and obviously very sad. But sad doesn't mean bad - in fact quite the opposite! It was full of encouragement that this life is not the end, that we will ALL die, and what are we doing with the life that we have to bless others.
May 28, 2021
This book is so precious to me and cathartic it’s spoken to me at many times in my life throughout many different illnesses experienced by myself and my family and most recently when a dear friend died suddenly of cancer within a week of diagnosis. The Hope and faith shown in this book has encouraged me so much. The story is a tear jerker so please have tissues handy but at the same time the tears can be healing. This is a piece of writing which has changed my life by helping me deal with difficult situations it is by far my favourite book by Janette Oke.
August 17, 2022
I had not heard anout this book until hearing Janette Oke tell about this being the first book she and her daughter Laurel did together. I came home and ordered it. I have been a fan of Janettes books since the 80's. This book was so different from the rest. A very touching story of what happens to a happy, close family of faith when one of those members becomes sick. The toll it takes on each member both family wise and individual, and for some their faith is tested. Both heartwarming and sad I found this to be one of my favorites of hers ( and Laurel's) and that says a lot.
July 20, 2020
Very different from Janette Oke's other books. It's the story of a family's journey with their daughter who has cancer.
I listened to this on audio on Hoopla. I did not think that the narrator was a good fit for this book. She also narrates The Boxcar Children series and that's all I could hear when I listened to this book.
I listened to this on audio on Hoopla. I did not think that the narrator was a good fit for this book. She also narrates The Boxcar Children series and that's all I could hear when I listened to this book.
November 29, 2021
Many twists and turns, good narrative, good character development, good plot. How various people (representing several generations from children to seniors) deal with terminal illness, grief and loss, survival, impact on family relationships and perception of self; Gods never ending promise and faithfulness.
July 30, 2024
I like Janette Oke, though this book is probably my least favorite of hers. This heartwarming story shows the struggles that a family endures while their daughter struggles for her life against cancer (leukemia). Christians proclaim that "all things work together for good," but it's challenging to embrace that during difficult times when it seems God doesn't hear or care.
May 20, 2025
Books don't really make me cry... but oh my, this one. I read so much of the last part with tears in my eyes and running over. Probably at least some of the reason because it was so similar to my mom's cancer journey and death, nearly 6 years ago. Some of the faith content was really good, but some of it was a little too trite, but I can imagine it would be hard to write that perfectly.
January 22, 2017
Heartbreaking
This was a wonderful heartbreaking story of God's love and goodness and the family that lived it. Having been through something similar it made me cry. But through the tears and sorrow we always have God's blessings.
This was a wonderful heartbreaking story of God's love and goodness and the family that lived it. Having been through something similar it made me cry. But through the tears and sorrow we always have God's blessings.
December 29, 2017
When I started reading this one I had no idea that it would turn out the way it did. I strongly advised to have a box of Kleenex it's close by and you get to the ending. What extreme amount of faith all of these characters had even though at times they felt like they had none.
January 19, 2018
I cried many a tear while reading this book, but the tears were worth it because I was also prompted to have 2 spontaneous worship sessions. I love the eternal perspective of the parents. The conversations are so realistic that I could see my own family sitting down and having the same ones.
August 12, 2020
Giant tears are still blurring my vision as I write this review. Beautiful story of faith. I haven't cried over a book this much in a long while. Highly recommend - just know it's heart wrenching. ❤️😭😭😭
August 8, 2021
This was a more difficult story to read. But, the author's achieved their combined talents to bring the focus off ourselves during both joys and trials in our lives. When we place our hope and trust in the Lord, He carries us through and helps our faith to grow.
December 13, 2021
I could have used this book so many times in my life, but truly this book with its message of God's love, mercy and compassion and what it truly means to TRUST in God's good and perfect will, is one that everyone needs to read/
May 1, 2023
Oh my….. I be never written a review before, but I knew I had to with this book. I’ll admit that it was a little slow and taxing at times, but overall, the message, the faith-strengthening lesson makes it a 5-star. Grab your tissue and experience a blessing
June 21, 2017
Checked out at the local public library to read another storyline by this author. A revealing perspective of a Christian family dealing with their oldest daughter's struggle with Leukemia.
August 18, 2017
A beautiful example of trusting God through trials of life and seeing his hand even in tragedy.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews