Review: perfect for anyone who enjoys sci-fi, historical fiction, and/or the time travel genre
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 1, 2013
Deciding to take a quick break right before college graduation,  Joel and his best friend Adam embark on a road trip.  While driving through Montana, Joel decides to explore an abandoned gold mine.  A strange glow from the walls of the mine catapults him into the past.  On his own in 1941, Joel's first thought is to find his way back to the present.  But upon meeting Tom and his family and friends, he finds himself facing the dilemma of all time-travelers; should he intervene to save them from their future and risk altering the course of history?Not being a serious fan of sci-fi and time travel, this novel did not, at first glance, look like my usual choice of reading material.  But after a second reading of the blurb, I decided it might be interesting.  Once I started reading, I could not put it down.  This was a fascinating historical fiction using time travel as the means of transporting the reader (and the protagonist) back to pre-WWII America.  Anyone who has ever contemplated what it would be like to go back in time will appreciate the question raised by the novel.  Is it safe for a time traveler to alter the past?  If you know that someone is going to die, is it okay to change their fate?  In this story, the grandfather (actually, grandmother) paradox plays a major role in the storyline.  As I was reading, I found myself trying to guess ahead to how the author would end the story.  With all my conjecture, it was still a nice surprise.The 1940s setting is very well done.  I particularly enjoyed Joel's exploration of the contrast between the past and present.  The idea of going back in time to see one's hometown as it once was is intriguing.  His quandary upon realizing that the Pearl Harbor attack  and subsequent entry to the war is only months away was thought-provoking.  Joel was seeing the faces of the young men who had only been names on a memorial plaque for him before.IMHO, the romance angle is more of a subplot to a well-written time travel story.  This is perfect for anyone who enjoys sci-fi, historical fiction, and/or the time travel genre.5 starsI received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.