Review: Revisiting wonderful characters!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 25, 2013
Read from April 23 to 24, 2013BOOK SYNOPSISSeattle, 1941. Grace Vandenberg, 21, is having a bad day. Minutes after Pearl Harbor is attacked, she learns that her boyfriend is a time traveler from 2000 who has abandoned her for a future he insists they cannot share. Determined to save their love, she follows him into the new century. But just when happiness is within her grasp, she accidentally enters a second time portal and exits in 1918. Distraught and heartbroken, Grace starts a new life in the age of Woodrow Wilson, silent movies, and the Spanish flu. She meets her parents as young, single adults and befriends a handsome, wounded Army captain just back from the war. InThe Show (Northwest Passage), the sequel toThe Mine (Northwest Passage), Grace finds love and friendship in the ashes of tragedy as she endures the trial of her life.My ThoughtsIn the summer of 2012 when I first started this series by the author by reading book 1,The Mine (Northwest Passage), the main characters of Grace Vandenberg and Joel Smith were the focus of the story. Now in reading book 3 in the series,The Show (Northwest Passage), which starts in 1941 with Grace finding a letter left to her by Joel, the main focus is on Grace and what takes place after she manages to follow Joel back to the year 2000.There is a sense of urgency throughout this story as we follow Grace to Seattle in her search for Joel.Having found that she could only afford to travel by bus Grace buys a ticket and sets out, her traveling companion that she sits next to is an elderly lady by the name of Penelope Price and as they chat Grace comes to the eye opening realization that not only has she no idea how to find Joel but she also does not have a place to stay once she gets to the city of Seattle nor the means to take care of herself once she gets there.Like Joel before her Grace is a stranger in a strange time and place, also like him she manages to befriend someone who is kind hearted enough to offer her not only a place to stay but a way to make some money which would give her a bit of cash to spend on clothing and other items that she needs to blend in better with everyone else in the year 2000.Grace is lucky, she finds out that her best friend from 1941 is still alive and upon tracking down her address she sets out to reacquaint herself with Katie. Once she and Katie are reunited the hope that she is one step closer to finding Joel is rewarded as not only does Katie know where he is but she helps Grace travel there and sets up a meeting with the young man at his hotel where once again the time travelers find themselves together in a joyous reunion.All is well, Joel and Grace get married, spend two glorious years together as a family with their twin daughters and then in late 2002 they decide to spend their 2nd anniversary dressed up in period costumes at a gala thrown at the Paladium theatre. That is where the true story begins, Grace needs to go to the ladies room when she feels discomfort in one of her eyes. She ends up however getting the surprise of her life when she finds what was once a 2002 modern restroom has become something out of the turn of the century and when she leaves the restroom itself and returns to the theatre lobby she is shocked to find herself stranded in 1918.The heartrending anguish that Grace feels is also felt by the reader, her disorientation and her complete and utter horror at finding herself stranded 84 years in the past with her young daughters and Joel out of her reach will not only make you weep for her but will make you want to hug her and make everything okay as well!Grace is once again fortunate enough to keep her wits about her, she remembers that in this time her uncle lives in Seattle and upon being taken to a nearby hospital she insists that he be called to come to her assistance. Luckily when he does not only does he offer her a place to stay until she can make her own way but he continues to help her with her everyday needs as well as makes her feel safe and cared for. Grace finally sees that if she is to keep her sanity that it is in her best interest to try and make a new life and new friends; which include her uncle, his wife and daughter and their injured neighbor John Walker; who end up being her staunchest allies and support system when she finds out another shocking bit of news that affects her physically as well as emotionally.This is a truly lovely book, once again the author has taken quite a bit of historical information and made it relevant to the story in a way that is both informative as well as good background to make one feel Grace's plight much more clearly.I have true affection for these characters,it warmed my heart when she found herself witnessing the birth of the romance between her parents who died much too young and while Grace herself was just a child. The other secondary characters whose intertwining connections are revealed a bit at a time are also some that will endear themselves to the reader as they surely did to Grace.Not only is the book one that takes the art of time travel to a different level with the method that activates the portal but it also treats you to an emotional story that you will remember fondly for a long time to come.To truly experience what it means to overcome a huge loss and to then experience a slow rebirth of hope that leads to what can only be called a trial by fire you must readThe Show (Northwest Passage)as it will teach you that one must never give up because without the strong belief that things will work out we may never make it happen!Really enjoyed this heartwarming tale of true love and you will too.[Kindle copy from author in exchange for honest review]