carpline's reviews
108 reviews

So good, amazing characters and such an interesting portrayal of a family in times of political conflict and afterward

This book had a lot going for it: a really interesting world, solid character design, an original and comprehensible time travel construction. But ultimately it failed to deliver a plot and stakes that would make me as the reader invested in the characters’ lives. I enjoyed the Beth chapters much, much more than the Tess chapters, even though the Columbian Exposition is one of my all time favorite pieces of history. I wish I cared more about the story.

I really loved the way that this book was told. It understands exactly how it feels to be a child, and that comes out perfectly in Leo’s narration— his self importance, his moments of humiliation, his childish notions of witchcraft, and his lack of understanding of the adults around him, who are emotionally shut off. It also understands how the passage of time distorts the memory of our feelings in the moment, as the older Leo recalls the events that happened in the summer of 1900 with a greater adult understanding and nostalgia for more innocent times before the two world wars— and war is present in the story, as abstract and distant as it can be. I really loved the subtlety of the story telling, and would definitely recommend this book.

A very endearing story that told a lot of stories not common in historical fiction. The characters were charming even though the dialogue and narration fell a little flat. I wanted the world to feel more lived in, but I will be reading the rest of the series.