May Bedloe is the seamstress for her famous actress cousin, Comfort Vertue. May has been with Comfort since her parents passed away and feels secure in her routine and Comfort's knowledge of May's irregularities. May has always been very direct in her speech and has a hard time with anything that isn't exactly the truth. May's life changes when the steamboat she and Comfort are travelling on explodes on the Ohio River in 1838. May and Comfort lose everything. Comfort is soon snapped up by benefactress and abolitionist Flora Howard who will have Comfort speak for her cause. May is not included in this plan; so she decides that she will find employment on her own. May is hired on Hugo and Helena's Floating Theatre; but she needed to use the money Flora gave her to go home in order to get established. May soon finds herself an integral part of the Floating Theatre and comes into her own. When The Floating Theatre and Comfort's speaking tour cross paths, Flora uses May's place on a boat traveling from south to north for her own deed of transporting people to freedom, jeopardizing May's place in the Theatre.

The Underground River is a different look at how the Underground Railroad functioned and some of it's players. Interesting characters and the unique setting pulled me in. May's character has several quirks and might be on the autism spectrum if she lived in the present. Her directfulness and untouched insight gave a very honest look at the people around her; abolitionist Flora Howard is a bully using others to further her own cause, even Comfort kept May hidden and kept putting her down in order to raise herself up. The true heroes, Leo, Donaldson and Hugo shine through May's eyes. Though the book is about the Underground Railroad, the process and danger of the transport is really only half the story. Most of the story revolves around life on the river and the theatre. Through May's perspective, we get a good look at how the towns along the river in the North and South are all pretty similar except for the presence or absence of slavery and peoples attitudes about it. There is also an intimate look into theatre life and the distinctiveness of a riverboat theatre. The teamwork, diligence and creativeness of the entire crew is apparent. I do wish May had been a willing player in the transport instead of being blackmailed, she had the compassion for the job and believed in the cause, but the fact that she is being forced marred my view a bit. Overall, an exciting and insightful historical fiction read about the Underground Railroad and Theatre life.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.​

This book was a bit slow in the beginning. I really enjoyed the historical detail and the characters were interesting enough that I kept wanting to learn more! I enjoyed reading about the floating theater, it was something I had never heard of before. The story line flowed easy enough to keep me interested.

While there were moments in this book that were well-written and interesting, most of the story was disengaging and lackluster. This is a very complex era of American history and this story was, overall, disappointing. The dialogue was painful and the characters were very flat. There was a lot of potential in this book but I felt bored.

It’s 1938 when The Underground River begins and Mary tells her story. It’s also 10 years before the Civil War begins where the Ohio River is the boundary separating free blacks from those not.

Martha Conley has definitely done her homework and was able to place me right there, I could visual and feel the tension that existed between the north and south. The feel of the landscape was clear as well as the way of life. I knew nothing about River Theatres and I found that aspect quite interesting.

It isn’t until the last half of the book where most of the action takes place that is described in the synopsis above. I kinda wish that started a little sooner and went on longer to really show this part of history. I'm sure there are more people like me that have heard of the underground railway but never the river being used as paths to freedom.

Again the author definitely knows her history and I'll be checking out her other books.

A riveting historical read that is well written and utterly engaging.. I loved the historical detail that was put into it.

According to its description, The Underground River by Martha Conway is a story of slavery, particularly of those who helped slaves escape. That story is in the book, but it does not enter the book until almost half way through. The first half of the book is about a riverboat theater and the cast of characters who call it home. That misdirection combined with a less than engaging main character sadly make this not the book for me.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2017/09/the-underground-river.html

Reviewed for NetGalley

Sorry, could not finish this book! Thank you for approving me, but I felt that this book wasn't my cup of tea!

This was a thoroughly entertaining and compelling novel which I very much enjoyed. It has an unusual setting – a floating theatre on the Ohio River, the natural border between the free and slave states, and is set in the pre-Civil War era. The floating theatre travels up and down the river from small town to small town bringing excitement to the communities that cluster along the riverbank. The story is told through the eyes of May, an accomplished seamstress, who finds employment on the boat and is gradually and reluctantly drawn into the Underground Railroad by helping slaves cross the river. May is an interesting character, slightly autistic and socially inept, who has lived all her life in the shadow of her flamboyant cousin. But when their lives diverge May comes into her own and watching her develop gives added interest to the narrative. All the characters are colourful and interesting and rarely feel stereotypical - although there are indeed some villains around. With a background of slavery and the abolitionist movement, the novel doesn’t shy away from weighty themes although the emphasis is on May and her personal story. The period detail feels accurate and reading about the floating theatre and the logistics of putting on entertainments and plays fascinating indeed. All in all this is historical fiction at its best and a really engaging read.

Firstly thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for an ARC of this book.

This is the 2nd book I have read by Martha Conway and very different from Sugarland.
It is very well written and atmospheric. The descriptions of the boats and people is very good.
The character building is very good and you feel very connected to May, Hugo and the cast and crew of the Floating theatre.

I love reading historical fiction but this time, not so much. I found The Underground River too dry; so much so that I had a very hard time getting into the story and reading it. So much so that I couldn't finish this book.

It's rare but when I have to post a review such as this one, I ask that readers of this blog put aside my review. This is a well loved author who is known for great books. Check out The Underground River for yourself, make your own opinions!

I received this book for free. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are my own. Thank you to Ms. Conway, Touchstone Publishing, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I received this ARC from netgalley.com in exchange for a review. I unknowingly requested and received copies of this book under two different titles, The Underground River and The Floating Theatre.

Set aboard a nineteenth century riverboat theater, May works as a seamstress. Traveling up and down the Ohio River and stopping in many different towns, May becomes involved in rescuing and transporting run away slaves to the north.

The majority of the book is about May working and living on the riverboat, the slavery aspect is always in the background (it's 1838) but it doesn't really play into the story until the last half of the book.

It was a slow building story, there were pages and pages and pages of descriptions of the boat and theatre. I felt it was over explained and dull reading. I would have liked more depth of character building than scene descriptions.

3☆

My standard for determining if historical fiction is good is that I should learn something new from the book. The Underground River surely met that standard. The story line flows smoothly (more than the Ohio River did!). All of the characters are well drawn and like-able. My only criticism is that the first half of the book moved slowly. But it held my interest the entire time as the plot continued to develop. I highly recommend this book.

In the wake of being aboard a steamboat that sinks, May searches for her cousin. She is astonished when her cousin declares May unnecessary. This young woman must make her own way in the world, and comes to know more about herself and the changing world around her.

May is such an entertaining character. She is partially deaf, struggles with telling a falsehood, and is precise in what she says or does. Her dealings with new people are awkward and all the more enjoyable because of it. Watching her learn, make mistakes, and grow as an individual was the best part of the book.

The cast and crew of the riverboat made excellent supporting cast. The plot moved along at a good pace, although the 'underground' detail didn't come into play until much later than I expected.

All in all, this is a well told historical tale with a main character I could relate to. Its clean and interesting, exactly the kind of book I would happily recommend to other readers.

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.

Martha Conway takes readers back to 1830's when tensions between North and South were beginning to fester, as abolitionists rise to criticize the actions of the slave trade. Atmosphere, historical research, interesting location, and yet this book failed to make me attach to the story line and the characters. A really important topic, but I was bored out of my mind. Lots of readers appear to have enjoyed it, but I am going to have to be satisfied to be in the minority.

This is wonderful historical fiction set during the 1830s on the Ohio River. Some might find May's initial reluctance to get involved with moving babies baffling but it's not surprising given the atmosphere and her own circumstances. Her emotional and psychological journey, paired with the physical one, is so carefully crafted and realistic. There's been a lot of writing (both fiction and non-fiction) about the Underground Railroad; Conway has found a niche that I had not seen explored, Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Highly recommend this to those who enjoy this genre. You'll find yourself really taken by May.

This is really May Bedlow’s story; the author has us walking in her shoes, from the first page to the end. A young woman who cannot tell a lie, or when she does she is reciting the Greek alphabet, or will she learn with all that happens in her life.
Can you imagine being on a steamboat and having it blow up around you, and then having to swim for your life, thank goodness she knew how, and then she helps others.
It does take over half the book to set up the side story of helping rescue babies across the Ohio River and to freedom. What a concept, when you think about the sacrifices these mothers made for their infants, a heart breaking decision for sure.
May has a gift with a sewing needle, and because of that she is at the right place at the right time, and it becomes her life to live on a show boat, making all the costumes and helping put on the performances.
Watch what happens when evil rears it ugly head and greed tries to take over, will our girl survive, and will this be then end of these daring rescues?
I received this book through Touchstone Publishing and was not required to give a positive review.

Let me start off by saying even though this is a new to me author this won't be the last book I read by, Martha Conway. The book is unlike any I have read in a long while. This book is absolutely amazing and held my attention gripped in it's claws right from the start. Taking place for the majority on a nineteenth century riverboat theater a small flatboat ,Hugo and Helena’s Floating Theatre. It lazily cruises the river between the northern states and the slave owning southern states.
May is hired as a seamstress,office manager,and when she goes to town she is to pass out hand bills advertising the shows. Now these floating theater shows do sound very interesting. I would have enjoyed seeing one myself. Unknown to May , and here's the interesting part,she get's blackmailed into working with a network of shady characters who ferry babies given up by their slaves mother's,so the babies can have a better life and a chance at freedom. She does this in the early morning hours when she should be sleeping to get her rest for her "real" job. This becomes very tiresome for her. Will she be able to keep up this pace without slipping up and making a mistake or saying something during the day, especially when others start to become suspicious of her behavior? When a 14 year old slave mother refuses to leave her baby but isn't taken with him what is to happen next? Read how it all goes down. The dynamics of this book are just incredible!
Pub Date 20 Jun 2017
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy in exchange for my honest review.

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.