While not perfect, this was a good story about a young Indian widow who leaves her homeland to travel with her English mother-in-law back to England. It’s a story of the journey through grief, of selfless love, determination, and prejudice (both racial and social).

I admired the heroine’s strength and watching her own self-discovery of that strength as she faced her grief, her struggles with prejudice and ultimately her reconciliation of her Indian heritage and her new English circumstances.

I did feel the story was a bit too long and drawn out and a bit draggy in spots, however overall it was a satisfyingly good read.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #Barbour for the ARC. The opinions are strictly my own.

What a fabulous retelling of the biblical story of Naomi and Ruth. The characters are well written and everything is well thought out. Hope to read more by this author soon.

A very good story. It hints at the Biblical story of Ruth and Boaz, but is truly it’s own fictional tale. The characters are rich and the author gives good insight into what drives them. I read this in an afternoon and evening, finding it hard to put down.

Barbour Publishing, via Netgalley.com, granted my request to read and review this book. The review is my own opinion and not required.
I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. The good, is that the story was very interesting and kept my attention throughout. The characters were quite well developed. The story flowed well.
The reasons I did not give 5 stars on a book I did enjoy are these: minus one star for editing. It needs more editing. The biggest gaffe, in my opinion, was when the color of the dress changed within a few sentences. The second, and biggest reason is that this is listed as a Christian book, loosely based on the book of Ruth in the Bible. That claim is a big stretch of the imagination. Another thing that bothered me was the use of a British swear word.
Again, the story was interesting. I did enjoy reading it on it's own merit, but as far as being a Christian book, it missed the mark by quite a bit. The only hints of being Christian were that they attended church and the Mother-in-law prayed. So much more could have been included and that was disappointing. Would I read it again, maybe but I have so many new books I just don't know.

I loved this book! Rena, an Indian widow, gives up everything to take care of her mother-in-law. This book makes you think of Ruth and Naomi in the Bible and how they suffered. Like Ruth, Rena followed Nell to a strange place where she wasn't accepted by the people. This is the story of courage, determination, love, and faith. It is such a beautiful love story that you just can't put it down.

Wow! Just finished Shadow Among Sheaves by Naomi Stephens last night. I love the way that Christian fiction has changed over the past however many years. Loosely based on the story of Ruth in The Bible, Shadow Among Sheaves is the story of Rena (from India) and her mother in law, Lady Nell Hawley (England). Wow, this story just captivated me from the beginning. Author Stephens really captures the cultural and religious differences between Rena's belief systems and her sweet mother in law, Nell who is a Christian. I love the tone of this book. There are so many Christian novels that use a story to shower the reader with condemnation or conviction and this is not one of those stories. I found myself relating to both Rena and Nell (actually Nell's faith resembles my mom's unshakable faith). The story is beautifully written and does not follow the Biblical story exactly, so the reader does not know what to expect throughout the modernized story of Ruth. None of the characters are perfect (except maybe Nell, she is adorable!)

The writing really shows the reader what it is like to come from everything and end up with nothing. Rena came from a wealthy family of influence and power in India and Lady Nell Hawley lived a life of wealth and influence. After Rena's husband passed away, within a short time Nell's husband also passes away. The horrible place that they wind up leaving in a storage room at a brothel is actually a step up from gutters and alleys for the two women. Rena's love for her husband keeps her going so that she can provide a way to take care of her mother in law. As the plot develops, the tension builds... Really good character development, writing, and flow. It inspired me to re-read Ruth in the Bible!! To spot the similarities and differences. Well done, I can not wait until the next book from Naomi Stephens!!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Naomi Stephens, and Barbour Publishing for this ARC for me to read. As always my opinions are my own!!

This is an interesting retelling of the story of Ruth, using a Hindu girl named Rena, her English mother-in-law, Nell, and an English Lord named Barric. Rena fell in love with Edric, an English Officer, and she married him after only knowing him for three months. Rena came from a proud Brahmin family, and she was unused to English ways. Edric died after only being married for a short time, and his father Alistair died a few months later, so Nell left India for England, taking Rena with her, as Rena wanted to take care of her mother-in-law.
Alistair’s estate was left to a distant male heir in Australia, as it was the custom in the 1850’s with titled property, so Rena and Nell had to find work, which was made harder due to British men,women and children having been slaughtered by certain Indian people in their quest for independence (Rana’s father had helped the English and the ruler there protected the English people.) so Rana and Nell were ostracized by everyone they met.
Rana and Nell slept in ditches and barns until Rana begged for a place to stay in exchange for Nell working in the kitchen of the Gilded Crown, a place with a reputation for prostitution and thievery.
Rana and Nell are starving for food until Rana begs to pick up the leavings from a field owned by Lord Barric.
You will have to read the story for yourself to see what happens to them!

Not since I read Jane Eyre as a teenager have I been so captivated with a book. The characters are genuine and compelling and Stephens’ writing is lyrical, often haunting in its beauty. I knew that the premise was a retelling of the biblical story of Ruth and Naomi, but I did not expect such masterful writing, such poetry, to accompany the retelling. Of the loss of both her father-in-law and her husband, Rena (the “Ruth” character) thinks, “[they] seemed to live and linger in these moments, filling up the quiet and pressing outward, as if both men were pushing at them from behind a glass wall.” Later, in her grief, Rena’s thoughts of the unexpected death of her young husband are that, “Death often sidled up to the strong.” I have read the story of Ruth and Naomi often, but Shadow among Sheaves reminded me that Ruth was not only a foreigner, not only considered a pagan, but also an enemy to her husband’s people, the last being something I had never considered. The book’s setting is England in 1861 as Lady Hawley (Nell) and her Brahmin daughter-in-law (Rena) return from India after the death of both Sir Hawley and his son Edric, who served in the British military in India. This setting is just a few years past The Indian Rebellion of 1857, and emotions still run high against Indian people. In addition, Nell and Rena find themselves desperately poor and unable to open doors which funds might otherwise lubricate. As in the biblical story, Rena finds herself in the fields seeking grain for food. The Boaz figure is retold as Lord Barric, an earl, who is also a distant relative of Rena’s father-in-law. The story runs deep with themes of grief, separation, romance, and betrayal, before concluding—such a satisfactory conclusion!—with love and joy. This is a book I will long remember and highly recommend. Five solid stars from me!

In an elegant writing style, Naomi Stephens moves Ruth & Naomi’s story to a brooding gothic setting to share the tale of determined heroine Rena, who sacrifices her dreams, her dignity, and her future to be true to her mother-in-law Nell. Rena suffers prejudice and ill-treatment by many before she is finally befriended, accepted, and loved. This is a quiet tale of those who rise above the ugliness of life to reach for what is true, noble, right, pure, and lovely. A treat for inspirational historical fiction lovers!

Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this story!

Quotes I liked . . .

“You think your desert sands are everything, but there is a whole world beyond this heat. Someday I will take you to England. We’ll pluck apples from the trees and lie in the grass all evening while we eat them. And then I’ll whisper in your ear all the ways I love you.”

“But Nell. . .” Rena whispered after a moment, as if hearing his questions. “I could not watch her board that ship alone, with nothing. She begged me at the docks to stay behind in India. But Nell is my family too, as much as my parents, and I must take care of her.”

“No. I have spent more than enough time being taken care of. We all must suffer now and then, and I am strong enough to bear it. There is no other option than to endure.”

In the end, Rena’s own words had persuaded her to follow Nell to church that morning. “Your home is my home,” she’d said all those weeks ago, when she’d begged to remain at the woman’s side. “And everything you are and everything you love—that is all I ever wish to be.”

“She realized she’d stopped breathing. Blessed. The word clanged around inside of her. Blessed to mourn? To feel empty? Blessed to be poor and starving, she added bitterly, to have nowhere else to turn?”

“But I miss the sand that gathers between the tiles in the entryway of our home, and the hibiscus that grows outside my chamber. I miss the way my father’s study smells in the early evening, of spices and ink, and the way the endless heat drags on for forever, hazing the horizon until the monsoon season comes. And if you look just right from the outer terrace, you can see men and women as they walk to the market, or the crimson coats of soldiers as they pass. . . .”

Though the writing and style of this novel are fantastic, I just couldn't bring myself to give it better than a 3. I found the plot slow moving and excessively padded; we all know the story, and sometimes it felt like the author was slowing it down just to draw it out. Honestly, I had a hard time getting through it. I also felt that some of the relationships lacked depth; it's ultimately a story about undying, unyielding love and devotion, and I wasn't really getting that.

Beautiful writing, so much so that I really wanted to like it... but I just didn't.

Very well written. The almost poetic way this author writes pulled me in and held me captive the whole time.
The story had a "raw" quality to it that made it feel real, and gave the characters a realistic feel to them.
For me the romance part of the story never really captured me, and I felt that there was a bit left unsaid and underdeveloped.
This book does contain a couple swear words (not blasphemy), and some derogatory words.
I really appreciate how the author showed the perspective of a Indian person during the Victorian area, and how the Hindu perspective may have seen the English lifestyle.
I wish I could have seen more of Rena's faith development.
Though some of the things in the story bothered me, I really enjoyed the way this author wrote.
I was given a copy of this book from the Publisher through Netgalley. My opinion and review is my own.

Shadow Among the Sheaves by Naomi Stephens is a novel based on the story of Ruth and Naomi from the Bible. The story begins in England in July 1861. Rena and her mother-in-law Lady Hawley have arrived from India. Rena was born and raised in India as part of a wealthy family. She married Nell’s son, Edric Hawley who was in the English military. After he and his father passed away, she decides to go with Nell to England as that had been the plan for her and Edric. They arrive with nothing and begin to visit the relatives of lady Hawley and are turned away quickly and sometimes cruelly because of the extreme racism against Rena. The end up living in the back room at a Brothel where Nell cleans and Rena searches for work. She ends up picking up the grain left behind in a field; she is caught but the overseer tells her he will not have her arrested but she can only continue for that one day. When the owner of field learns what happened he allows her to continue gleaning from his fields. Will this solve their problems and will they be able to leave the brothel for better housing? Rena finally begins attending church with Nell but will she become a Christian?
I enjoyed this book very much. Being familiar with the story of Ruth I was expecting a happy ending but there is a bit of a surprise at the end. The story does not mirror the story of Ruth but is an updated version that is very similar. The writers descriptions drew me in and I could feel the cold and imagine the pain of cracked and calloused hands not used to hard labor. I believe it will appeal to a wide audience of Christian readers and give it 5 of 5 stars.
I received an advance copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Shadow among Sheaves is the debut novel by Naomi Stephens. It is a retelling of the Biblical story of Ruth and Boaz. I love that story and love to read various rewritings of it. I was so excited to have the opportunity to read and review this book. I was not a bit disappointed. I found Lord Barric and Rena to be likeable characters. The Great Rebellion of 1857 is not a piece of history I am not familiar with, so I was intrigued with reading a new era.

Shadow among Sheaves is getting a well deserved five plus stars from me. Miss Stephens is definitely a very talented author and I can not wait to get my hands on her next release. I am curious to find out where her imagination will lead her readers to next.
Shadow among Sheaves is a must read. I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy Ruth and Boaz’s story, as well as those who enjoy clean historical fiction.

I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

I am of a divided mind as I write this review about this book. I want to be fair to the author, because there are several things that I liked about this book. But there’s also some things that bother me, and I want to be fair to whoever reads this review. I’m going to begin by addressing the things that I liked.

I think that Naomi Stephens writes in a flowing, elegant style. Her descriptions of the settings in this book were vivid. Her incorporation of her research into this time period in the story was great. Her writing style drove me to finish this book. I did get invested in Rena’s story. I hurt for both she and her mother-in-law and the poverty and extreme prejudice they experienced. The author did a wonderful job in presenting Rena as a complex, caring, strong young woman. There’s some strong writing in this book and I loved that part of it. I will read another of this author’s books.

However, here’s the part I struggled with. This book was loosely based on the story of Ruth in the Bible. I didn’t mind that it did not follow the story exactly. I felt that the author’s portrayal of the relationship between Rena and her mother-in-law was compelling and tender. In my opinion, I felt that she missed the relationship between Lord Barric and and Rena. This could have been so much more than it was. It focused more on the sensual side of the relationship to the point that I thought it almost, but not quite, took it out of the Christian fiction category. Their relationship had the potential to be a real, true love based on mutual respect and trust. I would like to have seen more emphasis on tenderness, kindness, and true redemption rather than desire. Please understand: There’s nothing inappropriate in this book. I was disappointed in the portrayal of the relationship between Barric and Rena.

I’m giving this book four stars because I still feel that the author’s writing style deserves it.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Shadow among Sheaves by Naomi Stephens is a beautifully written story based on the Biblical story of Ruth and Boaz. A debut novel done well with believable characters and situations. The story takes place during the revolts that took place in India and there is much prejudice and mistrust against Rena because she is of Indian decent. When both her husband and her father-in-law die, she follows her mother-in-law to England hoping they will be taken in by family. Rena sacrifices much for love, her reputation and her own family. When Rena is caught gleaning in Lord Barric's fields and he discovers who she is he allows her to continue against much concern.

Rena come across many unscrupulous and prideful people who make her life very challenging. Can she find protection and romance. I really enjoyed this book and hope Ms. Stephens decides to continue this as a series, maybe a book about Charlie or William.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and all opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed Shadow Among Sheaves. The re-setting of the story of Boaz and Ruth into England with an Indian widow was thought provoking. The characters were well developed and the writing was vivid. Over all I found the story engaging and would recommend it.

I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

***My review will be live at my blog link (below) on March 11th.

I never know what to expect when I start reading a book from a new author. Thankfully, this book met every expectation for a deep, challenging, beautiful read. The characters, the story and the history are woven together perfectly with enduring romance and faith. I look forward to more books from Naomi Stephens!

Shadow among Sheaves
by Naomi Stephens
Barbour Publishing, Inc.

Shiloh Run Press

Christian , Romance

Pub Date 01 Apr 2019


I am reviewing a copy of Shadow Among Sheaves through Shiloh Run Press and Netgalley:


The Great Rebellion of 1857 was remarkably bloody. At the time of the rebellion the imperial influence Britain had on India led to brutal clashes on each side. No one could understand why Reena, an Indian Woman would mary a British officer. They could not understand her decision to follow her Mother in Law to England after her husbands tragic death.


Once Reena and her Mother in Law show up in Abbotsville. Lord Baric does what he can to help him against his better judgement.


I give Shadow Among Sheaves five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

Shadow among Sheaves
By: Naomi Stephens
The Great Rebellion of 1857 has brought discord between the British and the people of India. Despite the tensions, Rena an Indian woman and Edric a British soldier falls in love. An accident occurs leaving Rena and her mother in law widowed. Rena doesn’t feel welcome going to her parent’s home but instead decides to follow her mother in law back to England. England does not welcome Rena. Edric’s second cousin Lord Barric takes pity on Rena and her mother in law and choices to aid them. Lord Barric and Rena face the backlash of this decision together and find their hearts pulling them towards something more.
This play off of Ruth and Boaz was an endearing read. Perhaps though because I am familiar with Ruth and Boaz’s life, I was a bit bored. There were obvious differences, however, I knew what was coming so there was not much to look forward to. It was a well-written book and the author did a wonderful job pulling you into the story.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion which I share here. https://simplyannehere.wordpress.com

Shadow among Sheaves by Naomi Stephens is a debut novel that I really enjoyed. I am always happy to find a new author especially in the Historical fiction category. This book is a compelling read based on the Biblical story of Ruth and Boaz. That alone was the draw for me. The story is beautifully written, and the plot was like eating assorted chocolates. I never knew what I was biting into, but my palate exploded with enjoyment. It is truly refreshing to read a book when you have no idea which way the story is winding. Although the story resembled the Biblical story of Ruth in faith and message it was unique with a cast of interesting well-developed characters. A favorite quote: “We are so much more than our reputation,” she finally managed to reply, her face warming. “Stories cheat; truth is found only in friendship.”
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.