Review: In the Shadow of Gold by Michael Kenneth Smith

Tracing a legendary Confederacy treasure through the twists of time, In the Shadow of Gold is a sparkling piece of historical fiction by author Michael Kenneth Smith. As the president of the Confederacy races away from imminent capture, the treasury of the retreating Southern army takes another set of dubious tracks. A subject that has been hotly debated for decades by treasure hunters and historians alike, this is the dramatic reimagining of what happened to that long-lost trove of Confederate gold.

A tangled string of intertwined plots brings a group of fascinating characters into focus, helping to full realize the time period of the story. In particular, Ellie the compassionate runaway has the powerful energy of a Mark Twain character, guiding the thematic elements of the novel, though often away from the primary action.

Yancey, on the other hand, is the unlikely lynchpin in a mysterious treasure hunt that remains “unsolved” to this day. Slowly tucking away the treasure like a thieving squirrel, Yancey is an exciting protagonist, surviving close calls and betrayals with catlike grace and a sharp mind. Allies are made and lost on his gradual interstate heist and recovery, but his determination to pull off a legendary caper is admirable, and undeniably relatable.

Aside from the ups and downs of the main lost treasure plot, the author paints a remarkably clear picture of the post-Civil War South – the confusion, uncertainty, shifting allegiances, and instability from which new worlds can be built. Questions of ownership, possession, human rights, and governmental oversight are woven through the plot, but they reflect essential conversations still happening to this day. The bold discussions of race relations, particularly in Ellie’s plot line, are nuanced and insightful, but not heavy-handedly forced into the course of events.

On the technical side, the dialogue flows smoothly, with urgency and authentic energy, as well as subtle colloquialisms that feel natural among the immersive narration. The storytelling is often declarative and militaristic, confident in its descriptions and its manipulation of language. There are few grammatical errors to be found, and the author masterfully manipulates readers’ emotional peaks with well-conceived chapter endings. The relationships are sincere and humanizing, especially the one that develops between Yancey and Ellie in the second half of the book.

That being said, some of the emotional leaps and connections can feel overly convenient or rushed, making the story fit together nicely, but coming across as unrealistic, even for historical fiction. On the whole, the organic nature of this book’s powerful and fearless prose makes it compelling and difficult to forget. The creativity on display from start to finish, along with smooth temporal jumps from past to present, all while maintaining a constant clarity of place and time, is impressive. The final Author’s Notes are a perfect cap to the story, reminding readers that the mysterious pretext of this novel is quite real.

As with so many legends of lost treasure, some suspension of disbelief is required to play along, but the adventure is deftly woven into a convincing work of historical fiction. Michael Kenneth Smith has brought this dramatic era of American history to life, writing a novel that is both riveting to read, and thought-provoking long past the final page.

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