Description:
The ultimate cure that could heal any disease? Crazy.
That's exactly what research scientist Marian Creighton has always believed about her father's quest, even if it does stem from a desire to save her sister Ellen from the genetic disease that stole their mother from them. But when her father falls into a coma after drinking a vial of holy water believed to contain traces of residue from the Tree of Life, Marian must question all of her assumptions. He's left behind tantalizing clues that suggest he's crossed back in time. Insane. Until Marian tests his theories and finds herself in the Middle Ages during a dangerous peasant uprising.
William Durham, a valiant knight comes to Marian's rescue and offers her protection . . . as his wife. The longer Marian stays in the past, the more she cares about William. Can she ever find her father and make it back to the present to heal her sister? And when the time comes to leave, will she want to?
About the Author:
Jody Hedlund (www.jodyhedlund.com) is the bestselling author of more than thirty historical novels for both adults and teens, including Come Back to Me, and is the winner of numerous awards, including the Christy, Carol, and Christian Book Awards. Jody lives in Michigan with her husband, busy family, and five spoiled cats. She loves to imagine that she really can visit the past, although she's yet to accomplish the feat, except via the many books she reads.
My Thoughts:
I've read several books around time-travel, so I thought I had a pretty good idea what to expect . . . But this one was a bit different than the others! I haven't read anything from Jody Hedlund for a while and was intrigued by the time-travel aspect, so decided to give it a go. And I really enjoyed it!
I will say that I found the beginning of the story a little slow to start. The back cover description gives enough detail/info for the first few chapters to seem a little "eh" to me. I really wanted to get to the whole "going back in time" thing. But, the extra time in the beginning did allow for more character development, and with Marian being as intentional as she is, jumping right into anything didn’t suit her character. I found the questions she mused regarding an “ultimate cure” to be very astute and I’m curious to see how the possible answers play out in the following books. This one is listed to be the first in a series, though it stands alone just fine, and aside from a few unanswered questions, is a complete story in itself.
I would have to do some checking to know for sure, but I’m fairly confident that this is the first story Ms. Hedlund has published that has a contemporary storyline to it, which I found interesting. She did quite well with both eras, though historical is definitely where her talent with writing shines through. I greatly enjoyed the trip to the past, seeing it through both William and Marian’s eyes - especially with Marian having some knowledge of the history, but also experiencing it firsthand.
Frankly, aside from the slow opening, the only reason I’m not rating this book higher is because I didn’t particularly like Marian. I did like her better as the story progressed, but she often seemed flat and dull. If the story itself hadn’t been so intriguing, I don’t know that I would have finished the book, based on Marian alone. And while I liked William, I didn’t get to know him super well, with a lot of his perspective involving war or thoughts of wooing his wife. Which is maybe mostly what men from the Middle Ages would have pondered . . . .
Anyway, if you enjoy novels based on time-travel and are looking for something a little different, I would recommend this book.
I just had a thought, while I was getting this ready to post . . . isn't it crazy that now, thanks to the internet, social media, blogs, etc. we can share our thoughts on any subject we desire, and people hundreds or thousands of miles away can read them? How wild is that? 100 years ago, the only people who could do that were possibly newspaper reporters . . . .
That to say, thanks again for stopping by and reading some random thoughts from this opinionated book-lover!
Have a lovely day!
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