Review: REVIEW - The Mirror
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 9, 2014
5 out of 5 for this reader folks!Know what I love about being a reviewer for this site??  Discovering authors that I likely would of never read, and providing amazing reviews for talent that should be bragged about.  Well let me tell you, John A. Heldt is one of those authors.  The Mirror is the 5th book in his time travelling series called The Northwest Passage and once again, I was blown away.  The writing is crisp and refreshing, the mental images and emotions are clear and greatly felt.  Pieces of real history come to life!  There is a side of romance webbed within the story as well (I do love romance driven stories, and unless it's non fiction, it has to have little something something going on for me to like it), BUT it wasn't the romance that drew me in.  John writes believability so well and that helps in this connection I feel with his characters and story line.Okay .. so now that I have gushed like crazy, let's get to the story! ;)We start in 2020, at a country fair near Seattle.  Twins Ginny and Katie (twin daughters of our previous time travelling couple Joel and Grace) have opted to have their fortunes read.  After being warned that they are about to embark on an adventure of a lifetime, they check out the House of Mirrors.  Next thing they know, it 1964 and they are faced with the reality of "Toto we are not in Kansas any more!"Both girls are familiar with time travel, as their parents have spoken of their own experiences, so they decide to handle their situation logically.  Realizing that they do have a way back after all, they decide to make the best of it and all that 1964 has to offer.  Well before they know it, they are dealing with issues that are completely foreign to the rather liberal lives they live in 2020.  Girl dress modestly, dating is a ritual, first and second base are a big deal, THE BEATLES (enough said there right?? LOL), Civil Rights movements, Vietnam and one topic that really stood out ... interracial relationships.Of course, no John A. Heldt book would be the same without running into a much younger family member that doesn't realize they are actually interacting with great grand daughters (can you imagine??).  The girls soon begin to understand that not only are times so very different, but there is a fine line that they must walk to make sure they do not mess with "the future" .. OR ... "the past"!The only crummy thing I am going to say is that this series ends here!  I know it is ending for the right reason, and it is going out on a high note, but I dislike the feeling of saying good bye to a cast of characters that I really enjoyed reading about.  There were many moments that I became emotionally invested in throughout this entire series.  I do take heart and feel good that while all had ended quite nicely in this series, it is still on my shelf waiting for a rerun!One of the best time travelling series I have ever read!  Well done John! :)HAPPY READING! :)