Oh my stars! I have a lot of feelings for this book, so buckle up if you want to hear them.

This is one of the best fictional books I've ever read. Legit, I'm not even joking. I've never read Conway's works before, but I love 1) theatre and 2) learning about the Underground Railroad, so this was a win-win for me.

First of all, The Underground River's characters are really superb. May Bedloe is unlike any other character I've ever read - high praise, especially for a historical fiction book. Her relationship with Comfort, Hugo, and the other actors on The Floating Theatre are really wonderful to watch and be a part of. Secondly, Conway's commanding of the text and its themes are really breathtaking. I enjoyed her correlations between conversations characters were having and their actions at the same time: for example, Leo and May's conversation about slavery while Leo is fishing for catfish: "I looked at him then but he was staring down at the glassy water as if hoping to spy the whiskers of the fish he was chasing. I couldn’t think what to say. Like the child-sized manacles in the empty slave hold, it’s worse when you let yourself imagine it. The bottom of the Ohio was muddy and dark, the way catfish liked it. It must be cool down there. The fish stayed well hidden." (view spoiler) I really enjoyed these moments and Conway's delicate crafting of the text. It made the story rich and multi-faceted, which I really enjoyed!

Thirdly, as an actress myself, I really enjoyed the parts of the story where May learned, through Hugo, the magic of theatre. One quote in particular really stuck with me:
"Think back on when you’re sitting in an audience. At first you’re aware that you’re on a plush seat, or a hard bench, or maybe you’re standing in the pit, but in any case there are people around you who, just like you, paid to be in this place, and you spend some time looking at them, what they’re wearing, who they’re talking to, and so forth, maybe even listening to what they’re saying.” He went to the next curtain and began rolling it up. “You might know some of them, but even if you don’t, you know that you are all from the same place and speak the same language and so on. Then the bell rings and the actors come out on the stage and the scene begins—let’s say it’s a country scene and maybe it’s in Italy or somewhere else far off—and for a moment, even as the players start their speeches, you are still you and the town you live in is still just outside the closed theater doors. But then, rather quickly if the actors are any good, something happens and somehow you drop into the fiction of the Italian countryside, and there you are. You forget all about the people around you because the only people that exist are the actors onstage, and the only world is the world they are playing out for you. You’ve lost yourself in the fiction. Afterwards, do you feel cheated? No. You might have liked the performance, you might have hated it, but it doesn’t strike you as a lie . . . it’s more like a window. And you’re complicit. You wanted to look in that window and you did."


This quote really rang true in my heart and brought a smile to my face. Martha brings the magic of theatre to life in those simple words!

There are multiple other things that constituted this book to getting its five stars: humour, ("We landed in Carney, Kentucky, a town that was either dying or already dead, depending on your level of optimism.") romance, (Hugo's support of May and his eventual revelation to her) and simple one-liners about life, loss and love. The Underground River is truly a treat for anyone who loves historical fiction, or who loves a well-researched and well-written account of theatre and the Underground Railroad.

My only complaint about this book which I feel compelled to mention is one or two period-appropriate cuss words. I personally was not riled by these words, as they were always period-appropriate and never detracted from the scenes, but added to the authenticity of them. However, other readers may want to know about them before they read them. Only one or two!

In short, The Underground River is really a fabulous read. It earned five stars, and, a place on my 'favourites' bookshelf - a coveted place few books have earned! If you're thinking about this book, just do yourself a favour and read it.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review.

Thanks Touchstone and netgalley for this ARC.

Innocence lost, love blooms, and healing between friends and lovers make the struggles in the novel relatable today.

Thanks Touchstone and netgalley for this ARC.

Innocence lost, love blooms, and healing between friends and lovers make the struggles in the novel realatable today.

I liked this story. May Bedloe and her actress cousin, Comfort, are on a boat when it sinks. Both manage to survive. Comfort finds a job with abolitionist Mrs. Howard, and May finds a job on a Riverboat Theater as a seamstress. May is enjoying her new job when she meets her cousin and Mrs. Howard again a little later in the book. Through blackmail, she becomes involved in helping slave babies escape to freedom. I thought this book was good, but it becomes even better when May becomes involved in helping these babies. I felt the escapes were very well written, and I could sense May's fear of getting caught. This is historical fiction at its best. It was also interesting to learn about the Riverboat Theater. Highly recommend!

Mary tells her own story beginning in 1838. She is a seamstress to her cousin Comfort – actress – who trails her along wherever opportunity strikes in getting a role.

As Mary reveals her story, she mentions her mom who was an excellent dressmaker, detailed oriented German, who passed her skills very well onto her.

Mary seems to be skillful and smart in her profession, for example, coming up with an idea of sewing little tea sachets and selling at theater. At the same time, knowing how other people perceive her as a bit naïve. A bit confusing character, but brilliantly presented in action than words.

She doesn’t know how to lie, but once she gets involved in the underground slavery movement she is forced to learn how to deceive people.

There are moments brilliantly written in this story, but most of the story is rather disengaging. The painful subject of slavery is set against some very trivial dialogue.

When May's cousin Comfort abandons her to work as a face for the abolitionists, May finds work as a seamstress upon a riverboat theater. Where she once relied upon Comfort to interact with other people, she is forced to develop her own voice and viewpoints and learn to become part of a group. The people who live and work on the riverboat are a mottled assortment, full of personality and life. As May is finally learning to trust herself and others, her cousin's benefactress approaches her, asking her to ferry the newborn children of slaves across the river to freedom.

This was a fun, lively story. Although a bit predictable, the characters were interesting and dynamic. May was a bit naive and slow to grow, but overall she was a likeable character. I think this book would be a big hit under I would definitely pick up another book by this author.

I had a really hard time getting into this book. It was very detailed, very descriptive, and the characters were rounded out and well-written, but it just wasn't for me. If you're really into this particular era of history, you will probably enjoy it immensely.