Anthea James, national talk show host and political activist, appeared to have it all. Underneath her surface perfection, however, lay a past fraught with scandal and heartbreak.

After the death of her mother, Lenore Hamlyn was sexually abused by her drunken father. After his death, Lenore was taken in by her kindly Irish landlady, Nan Reilly who, unbeknownst to Lenore, ran the most notorious brothel in Sydney. Nan came to love Lenore as her own daughter, but while never asked to prostitute herself, Lenore became an unwilling accomplice to the sex trade through helping Nan run the business. Despite the protective shell built up against any man, Lenore fell in love with wheelchair bound David Kershaw who broke her heart. In a fit of shame over his disability, David left Sydney without saying goodbye. After losing David's baby, Lenore was sent overseas by Nan to become educated, networked and empowered. So she did-and became the beautiful, successful and powerful Anthea James.

At the peak of her career, David Yarrow from American Media Network came to Australia, asking her to work with the company on a special project. Anthea immediately recognised him as her beloved David, the only man she had ever loved. Although realising that there was something special about her, David didn't recognise the powerful Anthea James as the young girl he had once made love to. Further complicating their budding relationship was the arrival of his good friend's love-stricken daughter, Kelly, who followed David to Australia in the hopes of developing their relationship into something more.

Underlying the workaday world was the dirty undercurrent of people smugglers-people who lured young girls to Australia with the promise of a better life and then held them captive, forcing them into unpaid prostitution. When Anthea began to investigate this disturbing trade, she stirred up a hornet's nest of power and influence, and the issue became dangerously more personal.

Shadows of Power is a story of courage, strength of character, and the power of love lost and recovered. Underlying the romance are the serious issues of people smugglers and prostitution, sex slaves and corrupted power, which serve as a cynical reminder of the privileges of the rich and powerful.

Although the events are not always realistic and are fraught with coincidence, the characters are well crafted, engaging and real, and I found Shadows of Power difficult to put down. Bacia writes with strength, passion, and an immovable conviction that what she wants to say is something that needs to be heard. Both a tender love story and a political platform, Shadows of Power is an engaging and thought-provoking book.

Reviewed By: Melinda Stanners
© June 2004