Shadows of the White City by Jocelyn Green - A Book Review

   


Shadows of the White City makes the most of its setting during the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago. The author skillfully weaves details of the Fair into a story whose ups and downs often feel like a modern day fair ride. Sylvie Townsend is a natural born caregiver, first caring for her ailing mother and war-damaged father, then for a young Polish girl whose mother had passed away and whose father could no longer care for her. Now that seventeen-year-old daughter was running headlong in pursuit of her birth relatives leaving her adopted mother feeling unloved and worried. Jocelyn Green explores the theme of what it means to love, and what love both requires and allows. This exploration also occurs as Sylvie's friend, for whom she is also landlord, struggles to know how to best love his wayward brother.

I recommend this book to those who love well-written historical fiction, and especially to those who have experienced difficulties in familial relationships. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Shadows of the White City from Bethany House via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.