Book Review: Today\’s Shadows by Becky Melby

The third book of the Lost Sanctuary Series by Becky Melby is Today’s Shadows in which two women-a century apart-are connected by a house and much more.

In the year 1911 Maggie Parker is maid, cook and housekeeper for the Hamilton family, one of Racine, Wisconsin’s most affluent families. To keep her sanity in the eccentric household Maggie pens the autobiographical tales of a character named Magdalena Mouse and dreams of traveling the world.  Little does Maggie know that her writings will have a profound effect on a future generation. 

Fast forward to present day and Heather Conrad is looking forward to turning over a new leaf traveling to Racine to housesit for her former boss, Natalie Brooks, and work on a new business proposal to jolt her career back into gear. The minute Heather arrives, however, those plans take a dramatic turn. In addition to minding a maze of a Victorian-era mansion, Heather finds herself also caring for boss Natalie Brooks’ seven-year-old daughter Izzy and contending with some suspicious people who seem to be following them.

Today’s Shadows is a work of inspirational fiction with a dash of suspense and the prerequisite happy ending. Ms Melby creates a dynamic cast of characters while cleverly weaving the stories of Heather and Maggie in a truly original narrative. Plot twists and the transitions in time period make Today’s Shadows absorbing and difficult to put down.  The story also has a beautiful message in viewing God as a loving father, especially in the absence of one’s own earthly father. The only critiques one might acknowledge are some off-putting descriptions (i.e. a protruding “black tongue” to refer to the disk tray on a DVD player) and some overly simplistic language. Otherwise, Today’s Shadows is definitely worth reading if you are looking for a uniquely good story with a strong message of love and faith.