Book Review and Giveaway - Through the Shadows by Karen Barnett

Book Synopsis:

As San Francisco rises from the ashes, an age-old battle looms between corruption and the promise of new beginnings.

The devastating earthquake is just two years past, but the city of San Francisco is still trying to recover. Destruction of this magnitude is not so easy to overcome---and neither are the past regrets shadowing Elizabeth King's hopeful future.

Hoping to right her wrongs, Elizabeth dedicates herself to helping girls rescued from slavery in Chinatown brothels, even if it means putting her own life at risk to sneak through the gloomy alleys and rooftops where dangers lurk.

Putting her life on the line for a worthy cause is admirable. But opening her heart is even more terrifying. So when Elizabeth meets attorney, Charles McKinley---a man who dreams of reforming San Francisco's crooked politics---Elizabeth begins to doubt: Can she maintain her pretense and hide her past? Or will her secret jeopardize both their futures?

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My Review:

 

Through the Shadows is the third book in Karen Barnett's Golden Gate Chronicles.  It is set primarily in San Francisco in 1908, a couple of years after the earthquake, as the city was rebuilt.

 

This novel, like the previous books in the series, features the King family.  Elizabeth King is a former budding concert pianist who cut her career short after a complicated and unhappy relationship.  She finds herself in San Francisco, working at a Mission that helps save very young girls from brothels in Chinatown.

 

Her life and work also connect her to Charles McKinley, an idealistic young attorney who wants to make a difference in the lives of the community.

 

This is a sensitively told story dealing with issues that are very relevant today, like immigration and choosing love over fear.

 

Elizabeth and Charles are warm, sympathetic characters, and there are other great supporting characters like Donaldina (head of the Mission) and George (a friend from Chinatown) that readers will care a lot about, too.  It is wonderful to catch up with the rest of the King family (including Ruby's dachshund Otto!) in this book.

 

There is a strong Christian message of choosing to trust God's grace and accept his love for all people.

 

The historical details of San Francisco in the early 1900's are fascinating, and sure to interest fans of historical fiction.  I enjoyed this book, and recommend it to other readers.

 

Author Bio:

 

Karen Barnett is the author of Beyond the Ashes, Out of the Ruins, and Mistaken. Named the 2013 Writer of Promise by Oregon Christian Writers, Karen lives in Albany, Oregon, with her husband and two kids. When she's not writing novels, she loves speaking at women's events, libraries, and book clubs.

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Giveaway:

 

The author is hosting a giveaway here:  Through the Shadows giveaway.

 

I received a copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for an honest review.