My Review:
I love the story of Ruth from the Bible. I like to read retellings of it as well. When I read the synopsis for this book I saw that it contained Victorian elements and the Ruth character is from India (two things which I’m very interested in). "Shadow Among Sheaves" by Naomi Stephens is a book I ended up having mixed feelings on.
Naomi Stephens is a great writer and I love her descriptions. The pace moves fairly quickly, only lagging in a few parts. I love the concept of this story. Ms. Stephens deals especially well with describing the Indian culture and how that would clash with Victorian England. It’s crazy how much prejudice the people in England had against the Indians (even if a person was from the highest class in India). Both cultures are well researched.
But, there are two things that give this book a lower rating for me. I mistakenly thought it would also be a Naomi and Ruth story as well as a Ruth and Boaz. I really wanted to know more about Nell’s (the Naomi character) life and thoughts. I desired to see more of the beautiful relationship Naomi and Ruth share in the Biblical account.
Secondly, I just did not like the Boaz character in this story (Lord Barric). He says and does some really mean and hurtful things towards Rena (Ruth). I understand why he did them, but he just doesn’t seem like a hero character to me.
All in all, it was fun to see how this retelling would play out. I enjoyed the plot, setting and descriptions, but I just didn’t love the book overall. I would still recommend that you try it out for yourself!
Content: I give this book a PG-13 rating. Some examples of the content are: the main characters live in a brothel for a while (but do not become prostitutes); there are some violent descriptions of the Indian Mutiny; mention of prostitution and concubines; talk of lovers; a man swears, but the word isn’t actually written; a man hits a woman; a married couple is naked in bed together; the word “dammit” is used.
Rating: I give this book 3 stars.
Genre: Christian fiction; Historical; Romance; Victorian
I want to thank Barbour Publishing, Shiloh Run Press, Naomi Stephens, NetGalley and Celebrate Lit for the complimentary copy of this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express in this review are my own. This is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR 16, Part 255.
About the Author:
Naomi Stephens is a bookworm turned teacher turned writer. She received a B.A. in English from Concordia University in Ann Arbor and an M.A. in English from Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne.
In bookstores, Naomi gravitates towards 19th-century British novels—the broodier the better (i.e., Jane Eyre)—but she can also be found perusing the young adult, mystery, and fantasy sections. Anything that keeps her turning pages past midnight.
Though she has called many places home over the years, she currently lives in Ohio with her husband, her two children, and a rascal of a dog named Sherlock. When not writing or having adventures with her family, she can be found drinking tea, practicing photography, and pining for London.
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Thank you for your thorough and objective review. I liked that the main Ruth character was used to underscore the prejudice against the people of India in Victorian England. It's unfortunate that the Ruth and Naomi relationship was neglected (it's a beautiful story in the Bible) in favor of the inclusion of an unlikable character (Lord Barric). Overall, it appears that this is a creatively and well-researched novel that fell short of its mark. That happens!
ReplyDeleteYes, the author handles the subject of the prejudices so well! I agree. And some books are just not for me, but others will love it! Thanks so much for your comments!
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