In the Shadow of the River by Ann H. Gabhart

In the Shadow of the River
by Ann H. Gabhart

ISBN-13: 9780800741723
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Revell
Released: May 9, 2023

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
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.


My Review:
In the Shadow of the River is a Christian historical romance with a mystery. The first part was set in 1881, when Jacci's five years old and her mother prevented an unknown man from kidnapping her. No one's quite sure who the man was or what he intended to do with Jacci, but her mother hid her with Jacci's grandfather on a showboat. The story jumped to 1896, when Jacci's twenty years old and an actress on the showboat. Her best friend, a man whom she's long thought of as a brother, wanted her to see him as a possible husband. He's always been there to help cheer her up, protect her, or make her feel cared for and loved. When another actress made a move on him, Jacci finally started seeing him as a man. The threat from the past isn't completely gone, though. As Jacci learned more about her complex past, she felt confused about who she is. And someone wants to harm her, but who, exactly?

The main characters were engaging, complex, well-developed, and acted realistically. Historical details about the time and life on a showboat were woven into the story and brought it alive in my imagination. The main characters prayed and grew in their faith in God. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable historical.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.