Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Revell, June 2021.
How acquired: Revell Reads Blogger Program, for review.
First lines: “Your father is in a coma.”
(Goodreads synopsis below.)
My thoughts: It took me a good 70 pages to really get into this book. Marian is a research scientist, who rushes to England upon learning her father is in the hospital in a coma. Her father is also a scientist and has been on a quest to find holy healing water from the mythical Tree of Life, in hopes of curing Marian’s sister of a genetic disease. Those first 70 or so pages contain a lot of dialogue, mostly between Marian and her father’s colleague, about her father’s research and the science behind it. Then things start happening – her father’s home is vandalized, Marian is attacked in the street in broad daylight – and she begins to realize her father has apparently stumbled upon something real, and a rival lab will do anything to get a hold of it. And that’s when I began to get interested. As Marian’s life seemed to be in danger, I began to suspect everyone around her, including her father’s colleague, of being a spy for the rival lab. I did not, however, suspect the person who in the end turned out to be the spy!
Then the time travel element began, and I was quickly completely enthralled. Once Marian is in the past, in 1381, her first few days are brutal, as she finds herself imprisoned in a convent. Yes, you read that right. You’d think a convent would be a safe place, but Marian probably still has the scars to prove it is not. Fortunately, Will, a knight in not-so-shining-armor, comes to the rescue. After a harrowing night during a peasant uprising, Marian finds herself married to Will and ensconced in his home.
There is definitely no romanticizing the Middle Ages here, but Marian seems to adjust extremely well to life without electricity, toilets, running water, etc. There’s occasionally a mention of how she missed having a bathroom in the house, and how hot the clothing of the time is, but the author does not really address the culture shock aspect, which is one of my favorite parts of time travel stories. And yet, I found myself not really caring about that as the slowly building relationship between Marian and Will kept me so entranced.
I hadn’t read anything by Ms. Hedlund prior to this book, but I loved her writing. The POV switches between Marian and Will, and her characterization was wonderfully done, especially on Will’s side as we learn more about his life and the emotional burden he is carrying. He is often bewildered by Marian and how outspoken and headstrong she is, unlike his deceased wife and other women of his time.
As the time approaches for Marian to return to her life in the present, her existence in two times begins to take a toll on her, and she is torn between the past and the present. I was gripped with a sense of helplessness, as I didn’t see how this story could possibly have a happy ending, and I desperately wanted Marian and Will to be together forever.
Romance and adventure, with a bit of suspense thrown in at the end – it all boils down to a fantastic read.
Goodreads synopsis: 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?
Bestselling
author Jody Hedlund is your
guide down the twisting waters of time to a volatile era of
superstition, revolts, and chivalry in this suspenseful story.
