The Valley of Decision

Amazing book could not put it down

I first read this book during final exam week in college over twenty years ago; I've read it about ten times since then. As a history teacher that was reared in a steel mill family just outside Pittsburgh, I find the account of the industry and people who populate the area where I grew up to be accurate and interesting. However, what really captures me each time I read it is the humanity and reality of the characters throughout the chapters. I read it again whenever I need to be reminded of home, whenever I want a good "cry" over a book, or whenever I need to be reminded that there is a bigger purpose to life than just what I want; mostly, I read it just because I consider it to be one of the top five books I've ever read.

I just bought my third copy of this amazing book. I first read it nearly 30 years ago, when it had been re-released in paperback, and had the presence of mind to buy a second copy. One copy is now gone, and one is in tatters. This is a book to which I return when I need my spine stiffened and my resolve strengthened. It makes me laugh, it makes me cry, and it makes me think. The people in this book are as real to me as if I had met them in person instead of in Ms. Davenport's words, and I constantly return to visit them, finding new and interesting aspects of each character each time. I am grateful for Marcia Davenport's presence in my life, and grateful that I found another copy of one of my all time favorite reads!

I found The Valley of Decision in a box of old books in a yard sale. I started to read it one evening when I was bored, not expecting much. Was I surprised. The writing is tight and clean. The plot has more twists than a pretzel. And the characters are so real and believable you'd think the book was a biography rather than fiction. This is the story of 3 generations and spans the time from the end of the Civil War to the beginning of WWII. It is the story of extreme wealth and utter poverty. It is the story of morals and pride and what happens when the two collide. I was so impressed with the book that I came here in the faint hope that I could find other books by Marcia Davenport. I will be definitely increasing my Davenport library. I even found on the web that this book was made into a movie in 1945.Well worth reading.

This is the best book I have ever read on the background of the Steel City. Being a native of the area I found it to be an accurate and fascinating read on the area. To me the storyline of the maid and the son of the steel mogul was very well done. I found I could not put it down and find I want to read this novel over and over again. I recommend it for anyone interested in the steel industry and pittsburgh in particular.