“Through the Shadows” by Karen Barnett

As San Francisco rises from the ashes, an age-old battle looms between corruption and the promise of new beginnings.

The devastating earthquake is just two years past, but the city of San Francisco is still trying to recover. Destruction of this magnitude is not so easy to overcome—and neither are the past regrets shadowing Elizabeth King’s hopeful future.

Hoping to right her wrongs, Elizabeth dedicates herself to helping girls rescued from slavery in Chinatown brothels, even if it means putting her own life at risk to sneak through the gloomy alleys and rooftops where dangers lurk.

Putting her life on the line for a worthy cause is admirable. But opening her heart is even more terrifying. So when Elizabeth meets attorney, Charles McKinley—a man who dreams of reforming San Francisco’s crooked politics—Elizabeth begins to doubt: Can she maintain her pretense and hide her past? Or will her secret jeopardize both their futures?

I love a good underdog story, and Karen Barnett’s newest book in the Golden Gate Chronicles series is a great one.  There are people who need champions of all sizes, shapes, and colors in this story, and Charles is idealistic enough to take on their cases.

Elizabeth is a different story.  She’s opinionated and stubborn but broken, and I think that’s why she makes such a fantastic lead.  Her story is a common one, and that’s why she’s so easy to relate to.  Setting her against the backdrop of the corruption following the Great Earthquake makes her even more fascinating.

I enjoyed catching up with Ruby and Gerald, too.  I love when an author brings characters from earlier books into later ones and moves their stories forward, and that’s the case with Elizabeth’s siblings.  Reading more of their story felt like meeting an old friend in an unexpected place.

Not enough has been written about the San Francisco earthquake, and I’m glad that Barnett’s chosen to do so.  Her smooth writing and attention to detail bring Through the Shadows to life.

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Karen Barnett is the author of Beyond the Ashes, Out of the Ruins, and Mistaken. Named the 2013 Writer of Promise by Oregon Christian Writers, Karen lives in Albany, Oregon, with her husband and two kids. When she’s not writing novels, she loves speaking at women’s events, libraries, and book clubs.