The title, Shadows of the White City, fits this book so perfectly.  Nearly every character in this novel has a shadow of the past and or present that lingers alongside them throughout the pages.  Like most shadows, they cause doubt, insecurity, grief, addictions, obsessions, a longing for love and belonging. Set in Chicago during the World's Fair the plot is centered around the disappearance of one of it's characters and the ongoing search to find her again.  This is not a fluffy, light hearted read...being a mother of daughters, frankly... it kept me awake at night.  There is a strong message of learning to trust in God and believing that he is working on our behalf even when we aren't seeing "results' of his hand.  

If you enjoy books set during the World's Fair or stories with a bit of romance and a mystery to solve then I think you would enjoy Shadows of the White City.

Thank you Bethany House and Net Galley for the free copy of this book. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Set in the midst of the Chicago World's Fair, Shadows of the White City by Jocelyn Green, weaves a story of Sylvie's family. Sylvie chains to be an independent woman who does not need a man to be happy. She has worked the family's bookstore, taken care of her father (who returned from Andersonville prison a broken man) and her mother (who grieved over the loss of who her husband was). When she sees a man taking his daughter to an orphanage, she volunteers to care for little Rosalie. She spends the next thirteen years dedicating her live to Rosalie's care. There are also renters who live on the 3rd & 4th floors above the bookstore who have become like family. Kristof teaches Rose violin.

At seventeen, Rose is asserting her own independence and wants to learn more about her Polish family. After meeting a Polish actress, Rose disappears. Has she run away? Did Ivan, a suitor, take her? Did some gangsters take her as insurance for the debt one of Sylvie's renters owed? As Kristof helps Sylvie search for Rose, affection grows beyond friendship for them. 

This story teaches that family is more than shared blood. It is love that makes us family. We also learn we must sometimes let a loved one go, for them to choose to come back.

This is one of my most anticipated releases for 2021, as I am a fan of both Jocelyn Green and all things Chicago. So if this book disappointed me, I knew it was going to be a hard fall! But it truly wasn't.
Set during the Chicago World's Fair of 1893, Shadows of the White City continues Sylvie's story from Veiled in Smoke- and she's now 43 and the single parent of an adopted teen.
Shadows of the White City was a lot of things:
-dripping with information, it is a very detailed and descriptive look at the World's Fair, per Green's usual style.
-it is a mystery as the characters search for a missing person.
-it is a (dare I use the words "middle aged?") love story, gentle and respectful.
-it is a thoughtful, probing look into motivations of our own hearts, shines the gospel on them, and gives us the tools to love with a more selfless, pure, faith-based love.

I liked that the characters were older, because they were more grounded and mature as they interacted and made difficult decisions; nothing about their story was about their raging hormones or physical attractiveness, which is a nice relief from a lot of romances. The secondary characters were anything but flat. Each of them added their own challenges to the story and had interesting growth. Having read all of Jocelyn Green's published fiction, I think the Windy City ones are some of my favorites, because although they don't protect you from the dark underbelly of the times, they are less graphic and gritty than her earlier works. We are told that young women disappear into brothels never to be found again, but we don't have to go see it for ourselves. This makes a far less traumatizing book for the reader and one of the reasons I enjoyed it. Shadows had a completely happy ending (even in the romance. Unlike *some* of Green's books😂), which is a huge plus for me.

I loved seeing 1893 Chicago, although I imagine not every reader will care for the extent of the detail as much as I did. Shadows of the White City reminded me of everything I love about Jocelyn Green's writing. I love the thoughtfulness of it, I love her characters, I love the theology and the way she writes. I wouldn't have changed anything about this book.

I received an advance copy from Netgalley and the publisher but I was not compensated or required to leave a positive review. All opinions are entirely my own.

SHADOWS OF THE WHITE CITY is the second novel in The Windy City Saga by JOCELYN GREEN, but it can easily stand alone.
In 1880 Sylvie Townsend saves Rozalia Dabrowski from the orphanage where her father, Nikolai Dabrowski, is about to leave her. She brings her up as her own daughter, but when Rose is seventeen she starts looking for her Polish relations. This results in problems and Rose's disappearance in 1893,  against the backdrop of the Chicago World Fair, where Sylvie is a tour guide and where her friend and tenant, Kristof Bartok, is lead violin in the Exposition Orchestra. 
The book is largely about families and relationships, particularly about caring enough to let go, bringing in the  story of the Prodigal Son where Kristof's  brilliant brother, Gregor, is concerned.
Whereas Sylvie, as a forty three year old spinster, is unsure of herself and her abilities as a mother and tends to be controlling, she shows unconditional love towards Rose, as opposed to those whose love is purely selfish.
We get a good idea of the vastness of the Exposition, the huge crowds, a lot of them foreigners, and the hopelessness of looking for someone who does not seem to want to be found. We also see the poverty of the immigrant communities and those who are out of work due to the countrywide recession.
Sylvie and her friend Beth Wright bravely search the brothels, much to Kristof's horror, as he sees himself as Sylvie's protector. His language proficiency is a great help in the search.
Young girls seem to be disappearing in the crush of visitors and Sylvie is afraid her beautiful daughter has been abducted for nefarious  purposes. She is suspicious of everyone, particularly Ivan, who seems to have been stalking Rose before she disappeared.
I like the way the author takes us right into the characters' emotions and feelings of confusion about where they belong.. There is a great Christian message here, but I will leave it to you to read about it!
I am not going to tell you any more, excepting to say that it is an inspiring and exciting read, with a strong message of hope in spite of some of the subjects that are dealt with, and I highly recommend this lovely book to anyone who enjoys historical, romantic suspense,
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bethany House Publishers. The opinions in this review are completely my own.,