Shadows of the White City Review

Reader friends, you are in for a treat! Today I am sharing with you a must read for 2021 – Shadows of the White City by Jocelyn Green. Oh my goodness this is such a fantastic book. Now, if you are new to The Windy City Saga, then you need to start with book one. Technically this could probably be read as a standalone, but I think it’s important to know the back story to Sylvie and her family. Check out my review of Veiled in Smoke.

about the book

Shadows of the White City (The Windy City Saga Book #2)
Author Jocelyn Green
Published by Baker Books
on February 2, 2021
Genres: Fiction, Christian, Historical, Religious, General
Pages: 400

The one thing Sylvie Townsend wants most is what she feared she was destined never to have--a family of her own. But taking in Polish immigrant Rose Dabrowski to raise and love quells those fears--until seventeen-year-old Rose goes missing at the World's Fair, and Sylvie's world unravels.
Brushed off by the authorities, Sylvie turns to her boarder, Kristof Bartok, for help. He is Rose's violin instructor and the concertmaster for the Columbian Exposition Orchestra, and his language skills are vital to helping Sylvie navigate the immigrant communities where their search leads.
From the glittering architecture of the fair to the dark houses of Chicago's poorest neighborhoods, they're taken on a search that points to Rose's long-lost family. Is Sylvie willing to let the girl go? And as Kristof and Sylvie grow closer, can she reconcile her craving for control with her yearning to belong?

my perspective

Jocelyn Green has once again penned a novel so moving, so thoughtful, and so well written that I could not stop thinking about it. Her attention to detail is simply amazing to me. Even the small stuff throughout the book is well thought out, and serves a purpose in the story. Her tireless research is evident on every single page. And her well crafted characters are some of my favorite.

Not only does Green allow readers to feel the storyline, she invites them to pause and contemplate things as they go. For example, there is a moment where Sylvie has found something that makes her realize maybe her true intentions for having Rose around are purely selfish. And while that may be a surprise to me as a reader, and certainly Sylvie as a character, it did make me stop for a moment. I could see both sides of the story at that very moment, and I wondered if I had similar things in my life that I thought I was doing for the benefit of another, but deep down had selfish motivations. It’s scenes like this that allow readers to experience the story, not just read it.

I like to jot down notes as I’m reading, and one thing I wrote was that when Sylvie was giving tours around Chicago, I really felt like I was on the tour. The details are just so extraordinary, and again this is just another way that Green makes the story alive for readers. Along with the twists and turns. Oh my goodness the last probably 1/4 of the book I was hanging on the edge of my seat. I thought one thing and Green took me in a different direction. Then another twist came, and after awhile I just stopped trying to figure it out and enjoy the ride!

I think what I enjoy most from Green’s novels are the faith themes. This was not at all in your face, but more like someone sharing their own testimony. In these pages you will learn the important of relying on God rather than yourself, trusting that God can take of others, and waiting on God’s timing. It really hit home for me.

Shadows of the White city is full of friendship, a slow building (yet still sweet) romance, trials, temptations, and even a peek at the aspects of historical Chicago we tend not to think about. I highly recommend reading this beautifully written novel. It will take your breath away.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

about the author

Have you read any of Jocelyn’s books before? Which one is your favorite?