In the Shadow of the River by Ann H. Gabhart, Book Review

 

Book Summary:

In 1881, Jacci Reed is only five years old when a man attempts to kidnap her from the steamboat her mother, Irena, works on. Badly wounded during the confrontation, Irena takes Jacci aboard the Kingston Floating Palace, a showboat tied up beside them. There, Jacci's actor grandfather tends to her mother and Jacci gets a first taste of the life she will come to lead.

Fifteen years later, Jacci is an actress aboard the Kingston Floating Palace, and largely contented with her adopted family of actors, singers, and dancers. Especially Gabe, who has always supported her, and the gruff grandfather she has come to know and love. Jacci's mother has been gone for years, but the memory of the altercation that ultimately took her life--and the cryptic things Jacci has overheard about her past--is always there, lurking in the back of her mind.

When someone on the showboat tries to kill Jacci, it's clear her questions demand answers. But secrets have a way of staying in the shadows, and the answers she craves will not come easily. Gabe only hopes they come in time for him and Jacci to have a future together.

My Review:

This historical Christian fiction novel completely swept me away. I was immediately entranced by the riverboats, Irena and her young daughter Jacci, and why they were hiding. The mystery woven throughout the story kept me hooked and I was page turning as quickly as I could read. I loved the show boats, the productions they put on, and the family they made with each other. Each character felt real to me by the end of the book. Jacci, Duke, Gabe, Marelda, Captain Dan, the list goes on and on. Gabhart transports the reader into the showboat family and makes them feel a part of everything that is happening. The theme of faith is woven throughout the story and it was just the right touch to this historical Christian fiction novel. The unique setting of a showboat on a river was unlike anything I have read before and made for a great historical read. I highly recommend In the Shadow of the River to any fan of historical Christian fiction! I received a copy of this book for free; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

You can pick up your own copy via Amazon.