In the Shadow of the River by Ann H. Gabhart

In the Shadow of the River

Ann H. Gabhart

Historical Romance

If all the world's a stage, Jacci will play her part.

She only hopes her story does not turn out to be a tragedy.

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 that same showboat 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.

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My Thoughts

Ann Gabhart has such a knack for telling stories about tenacious women. This time around we actually get the story of two such women. Jacci Reed and her mother Irena are the epitome of tenacious. We meet them when Jacci is just five and follow them until Jacci is well into adulthood.

The story is at times gut-wrentching yet it is also intriguing. They both live their lives on a river boat. Irena is a maid but Jacci is a performer on the Kingston Floating Palace. I found it very interesting to peek behind the curtain and see how life is behind the stage.

Along with the interesting aspects of stage life there is also a dark side to this story. Evil is lurking in the shadows and Jacci seems to be the intended target. She finds herself in some narrow escapes that lead to more questions than answers.

I enjoyed this story immensely. Strong characters. Interesting plot line. And an ending that was unexpected but satisfying.

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