"Shadow Among Sheaves" by Naomi Stephens
I recently had the privilege of reading another new release for Celebrate Lit. Before we jump into my review, here is some basic information about the book and its author.
About the Book
Book: Shadow Among Sheaves
Author: Naomi Stephens
Genre: Christian Historical Fiction
Release Date: April, 2019
A timeless, beautiful allegory of the Biblical love story of Ruth and Boaz
The Great Rebellion of 1857 was a remarkably bloody business. At a time when Britain’s imperial influence in India was sparking brutal clashes on both sides, no one could have expected Rena, an Indian woman, to marry a British officer—nor do they understand her decision to follow her mother-in-law to England after her husband’s tragic death.
Once the two widows are in Abbotsville, the stern yet compassionate Lord Barric attempts to help them despite his better judgment. Soon he is torn between the demands of reputation and his increasing desire to capture Rena’s heart for his own.
About the Author
Naomi Stephens is a bookworm turned teacher turned writer. She received a M.A. in English from Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne and now lives in Ohio with her husband, her two children, and a rascal of a dog named Sherlock.
My Review
The description of "Shadow Among Sheaves" immediately caught my attention. In part, the author's bio was a draw, because I lived in Fort Wayne, Indiana for several years. I used to drive past the IPFW campus on a regular basis, since it was near our home. More importantly, however, I enjoy historical fiction set in the Regency and Victorian eras, and I have read several excellent books which could likewise be classified as Biblical allegorical fiction. It's a tricky genre! It can easily grow imbalanced, either slanting toward trying too hard to remain true to the original story or careening headlong toward reckless theology. While I wouldn't urge readers to discard all theological studies in favor of fiction, rest assured: this book hits the sweet spot, delivering both a compelling story and a beautiful tribute to the original Biblical story.
Rena, a young Indian woman from the highest caste, hastily eloped with a young British officer with whom she fell in love. After his untimely death and the subsequent death of her father-in-law, she insists upon accompanying her impoverished mother-in-law, Nell, back to England. The two women quickly discover, however, that Rena is viewed as not only an outsider, but also with great suspicion and prejudice following the Great Rebellion of 1857, an uprising among Indian members of the British army in which many British officers were killed.
For Rena, who enjoyed great freedom and privilege as the treasured daughter of a wealthy and influential family, the contrast could hardly be greater. As a widow who has chosen to align herself with her British mother-in-law, however, she has fallen from grace in her first culture and is no longer truly welcome in India, either. Nell and Rena find themselves helplessly entrapped in poverty, a plight often explored in novels set during this era, due to the nature of entailed estates and uncharitable relatives. In desperation, Rena finds them a temporary living situation in a tavern and begins to forage for food, which brings her to the fields of a local landowner, Lord Barric, who reluctantly allows her a place among his field workers. As the young woman bowed by grief, once little more than a shadow among his sheaves of wheat, hesitantly and reluctantly emerges from her self-imposed solitude, Lord Barric is drawn to her, despite the warnings of his steward and uncle. Will he become a savior for the desperate women or will he plunge Rena into ruin once and for all?
Readers, this is a book which will pull you into the Victorian era and drag you (quite willingly) through the Dickensian suspense of characters steeped in grief and teetering on the razor's edge of ruin. Rena and Nell are entrapped in a proper Gothic dilemma hinging upon their protectors' premature deaths and the conditions of an irregular will. Only an Austen-worthy hero can possibly save them. The characters have depth, the dialogue felt plausible, and the plot twisted predictably only because I am familiar with the story of Ruth. I read it not only once, but twice, and will gladly read it again! I'm stingy with rave reviews, but this is a debut novel which easily earns five stars, two thumbs up, and a spot on my "favorites of 2019" list. I am ecstatic to have a strong new voice in Christian fiction and eagerly anticipate Naomi Stephens' next book.
I read an Advance Reader Copy of this book provided through Celebrate Lit. All opinions contained in the review are my own.
Giveaway!
To celebrate the release of her debut novel, Naomi Stephens is giving away a $25 Amazon gift card and a copy of this highly recommended book. Click here to enter the giveaway!
Additional Blog Stops
Don't just take my word for it! Click here to visit Celebrate Lit's site for a listing of other blogs on which the book has been reviewed, more opportunities to enter the giveaway, and an excerpt from the book.