In the Shadow of the River


 
 
 
 
 
 Endorsements
 
 Praise for When the Meadow Blooms
 
 “With its pastoral setting and reflective characters, this cozy read explores the uncertainty present in every new beginning.”
 
 Booklist
 
 “When the Meadow Blooms by Ann H. Gabhart is an engaging tale of heartache, first loves, and spiritual lessons that leave the reader entertained and educated.”
 
 Interviews & Reviews
 
 “When the Meadow Blooms is a touching, wholesome story about second chances and the possibility we all have for growth.”
 
 Manhattan Book Review
 
 Praise for Along a Storied Trail
 
 “Fabulous! This beautifully written book brings a little-known part of American history to life with characters so real they leap off the pages into readers’ hearts and linger there long after the last page is turned.”
 
 Amanda Cabot, bestselling author of Dreams Rekindled
 
 “Adventure, a romantic triangle (or two!), plus an unexpected natural disaster roil up, spilling into a dramatic, heart-pounding conclusion. Along a Storied Trail might be Gabhart’s best book yet.”
 
 Suzanne Woods Fisher, author of The Moonlight School
 
 “This is a story of resilience that is not only representative of the 1930s, but a story of resilience that we so deeply need in our times.”
 
 Susie Finkbeiner, author of The Nature of Small Birds and Stories That Bind Us
 
 “Gabhart’s skillful use of period details and the Appalachian landscape lend plenty of atmosphere to accompany the lessons of hope, compassion, and fortitude amid hardship. This is her best historical inspirational yet.”
 
 Publishers Weekly, starred review
 
 “Gabhart crafts an absorbing story that deeply explores the rich tradition of storytelling.”
 
 Booklist
 
 
 
 
 Half Title Page
 
 
 
 
 Books by Ann H. Gabhart
 
 In the Shadow of the River
 
 When the Meadow Blooms
 
 Along a Storied Trail
 
 An Appalachian Summer
 
 River to Redemption
 
 These Healing Hills
 
 Words Spoken True
 
 The Outsider
 
 The Believer
 
 The Seeker
 
 The Blessed
 
 The Gifted
 
 Christmas at Harmony Hill
 
 The Innocent
 
 The Refuge
 
 HEART OF HOLLYHILL
 
 Scent of Lilacs
 
 Orchard of Hope
 
 Summer of Joy
 
 ROSEY CORNER
 
 Angel Sister
 
 Small Town Girl
 
 Love Comes Home
 
 HIDDEN SPRINGS MYSTERY AS A. H. GABHART
 
 Murder at the Courthouse
 
 Murder Comes by Mail
 
 Murder Is No Accident
 
 
 
 
 Title Page
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Copyright Page
 
 © 2023 by Ann H. Gabhart
 
 Published by Revell
 
 a division of Baker Publishing Group
 
 Grand Rapids, Michigan
 
 www.revellbooks.com
 
 Printed in the United States of America
 
 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
 
 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
 
 ISBN 978-1-4934-4132-7
 
 Scripture used in this book, whether quoted or paraphrased by the characters, is taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
 
 This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
 
 Published in association with Books & Such Literary Management, www.booksandsuch.com.
 
 Baker Publishing Group publications use paper produced from sustainable forestry practices and post-consumer waste whenever possible.
 
 
 All the world’s a stage,
 
 And all the men and women merely players:
 
 They have their exits and their entrances;
 
 And one man in his time plays many parts.
 
 William Shakespeare, As You Like It
 
 
 Chapter 1
 
 ◆ JULY 15, 1881 ◆
 
 JACCI REED’S MOTHER shook her awake, then put her fingers lightly over Jacci’s lips.
 
 “Shh. We have to get off the boat.” Her mother’s eyes were wide in the light of the lantern she held.
 
 Jacci wanted to ask why, but instead she sat up and felt for her shoes with her toes.
 
 Her mother shook her head and pulled her off the bed. “No time.” But she didn’t fuss when Jacci grabbed her sock doll.
 
 Her mother left the lantern on the table without even blowing it out. At five, Jacci had been warned so often about a candle or lantern being upset and catching the boat on fire that now she feared the room might explode in flames before they got out of the door.
 
 Her mother led Jacci out into the passageway. “Not a sound.” She sounded scared.
 
 Jacci’s mother never got scared. She was always the one to help Jacci not be afraid when thunder boomed over the river or floods made the steamboat bounce in funny ways. So now Jacci bit her lip and didn’t cry out when her mother squeezed her hand so tight her fingers hurt. The fear coursed between their hands and Jacci’s heart pounded up in her ears. Maybe the boat was on fire already and they would have to jump in the river to escape.
 
 But she didn’t smell smoke as she hurried to keep up with her mother’s fast steps. Her nightgown flapped against her legs. Her mother never let her go out on the steamboat deck without putting on a dress. Ever.
 
 She couldn’t swim. Maybe she wouldn’t have to. They were at the dock. She’d watched the crew tie up their steamboat earlier and listened to the roustabouts sing while they unloaded barrels and crates. She’d stayed hidden up on the top deck while the fancy men and women headed out down the gangplank. The women wore hats with ribbons and feathers. The men carried gold-knobbed canes.
 
 Even better than