Part One
Who Am I?
“I do not refrain from showing my struggles here, my regrets, my mistakes, my tears.”
- It All Starts with Words
- Companion for Life, Now and Beyond
- My Fellow-Sojourner In This Life
- Life Across the Ocean
- Through Thick and Thin
A memoir by Azeb Melaku
Pearls in the Valley
Where darkness lost its grip. A mother's honest journey through grief, and the pearls she found there.
Gather the pearls
Azeb found her pearls in the Word of God, glittering in the dark of grief. Pick up the pearls in this valley, one by one.
Tap a pearl to hear what it says.
0 of 5 pearls gathered
Who this book is for
The one who grieves
“This book is for the deeply grieving individual who, confused, angry or numb, does not know where to look, or what to do to look ahead.”
The one who walks beside them
“Here, I offer hints to the good Samaritan who wants to run to rescue the grief-afflicted and offer something encouraging, something uplifting.”
The one who is asking why
“Where is God when it hurts?” “Can anything good come out of my loss?” “Why me/us?” Where there is no clear answer, the book offers grace to persevere.
Inside the book
Three parts, from the ground Azeb stands on, through the valley itself, to the people who gather around the grieving.
Part Two
I Call You “Precious”
“My open heart reveals the innermost chamber of a mother's love for a child gone too soon.”
- The Life of My Dandelion
- “Where Is God When It Hurts?”
- The Many Ways We Carry Loss
- Grace in the Midst of Pain
- Our Pain Is Not in Vain
- Pearls in the Valley
Part Three
The Human Landscape of Grief
“People are broken by their loss but unfortunately grieve even more deeply because of what others say to them in the name of comfort.”
- Where Are They When It Hurts?
- The Struggles of the Sufferer
- Grievers and Comforters
Parting Words
A Brief Life Is Not an Incomplete Life
The book closes with a conclusion, a reflection on children gone too soon, and an appendix of Scripture studies.
“Darkness will not be the last word; in the deepest parts of life, God is unfailingly faithful.”
Golden Oil Ministries and Love Your Neighbor
From the Preface
I randomly pulled a notebook from the shelves close to our home telephone and flipped quickly through the pages to find a blank one. I wanted to jot down what my callers, some from a far continent, had just said. Those were the days when my family succumbed to total confusion and pain following our youngest daughter, Miriam's passing. I listened carefully to what friends and family, intimate or mere acquaintances, said to comfort us, whether in person or in a sincere phone call. During those moments, I was sensing that I had to record everything I was hearing, especially the good things. I did not want to forget them. Like one withdraws money saved up for rainy days, I sensed I could draw strength from each word some day.
Azeb Melaku
Words from those who read it first
“No one is equipped to face grief alone. Thankfully, no one has to.”
Pastor, East Somerset Baptist Church, Somerset, KY
“A powerful and engaging must-read book that persuasively proves that our deepest scars can become our greatest and highest crowns.”
Tibebe EsheteSecretary and Missional Advocate, Bridge Global Forum for Ethiopian and Eritrean Christians
“Some books attempt to explain grief. Pearls In the Valley bears witness to the God who walks with us through it.”
Darvie FenisonPastor, East Somerset Baptist Church, Somerset, KY
“Hope-filled and compassionate, this book will comfort those who grieve and equip others to walk alongside them with greater understanding and grace.”
Marcia StraussRetired SIM Missionary
“Azeb points readers to the sovereign God who remains faithful and trustworthy even when life does not make sense.”
Taeme DestaPastor, Addis Kidan Evangelical Church, Denver, CO
“A great door of comfort and hope for those of us who have passed through or are currently walking a similar path.”
Habte AdanePastor, Christ Tabernacle Church, Dallas, TX
“Go close enough to hear them before you speak.”
Yared TilahunGolden Oil Ministries and Love Your Neighbor
Hear Azeb tell her story
A conversation with Hasset Chenu on Mental Health Addis Talk, in Amharic, about an hour long.
Published September 7, 2026 by Mental Health Addis. Watch on YouTube
Reader reviews
Read this book? Tell the next reader what you found in it.
Hold the pearls in your hands
Pearls in the Valley: Where Darkness Lost Its Grip, by Azeb Melaku.
- Price
- US $30.00
- ISBN
- 978-1-963762-42-7
- Author
- Azeb Melaku