This was my first book of Ms. Heal’s and I was very impressed to say the least!  What a fun book!  It has so many different aspects, suspense, mystery, history, social issues, and humor, challenges faced at different stages of life.  She blends and weaves all these into a very enjoyable and interesting story! I must say I have never read a fiction book quite like it!  I especially liked the interaction between the characters.  The humor and conversations made them very real!  Some were so clever I even read them to my husband!

Abby is a personal tutor to teenager, Merri.  They accidently stumble upon a computer program that allows them to go back in time and see the day to day lives of those in past.  There are only certain places it will work and it reveals details of those who have lived at that location.  A true life version of “If Walls Could Talk”!   Something I have always wished I could experience!   When they share this information with their friend John and he becomes involved in their exciting adventure.

They accept a job house sitting a beautiful Victorian home and looking out for two 85 year old twin sisters next door, Eulah and Beulah.  The pair, dubbed the “Old Dears”, is hilarious in their antics and ideas.   Very quickly Abby and Merri log into their program and find the house they are staying in was the twin’s childhood home.  In fact, they learn more than they are comfortable with about the sister’s past.  Through the twist and turn of events and their computer, they are taken back to the time of Lewis and Clark find themselves even witnessing a murder! There were so many times I wished I could grab their laptop and control the program myself. Not to mention take it a few places of my own!

Ms. Heal didn’t just include history, she brought it to life with detailed descriptions of not only the daily lives of the people, but also the thoughts and feelings they might have experienced.  At points I truly felt “transported” back to that time.  She also touched on the important subject of domestic violence.  It isn’t just a problem now but has been throughout history too.  Something I had not considered.

I thought her involvement of the elderly sisters as respected, valued and loved was wonderful. It sends a strong message that our senior citizens and their life experiences are not only important, but also how very enjoyable spending time with them can be.  A much needed point to be made in a time with the elderly are neglected and not appreciated and esteemed.  Their love and delight in being with the John, Abby, and Merri, reminded me of how many older people are longing to open their hearts and homes to the younger generation.

Though not a major part of the book, Merri’s dealings with her mother’s constant working and overlooking her and her father’s neglect and drug abuse shows the effect such parenting failures have on children.

So many wonderful things in one book and a surprise ending too!   I look forward to reading Ms. Heal’s first book and her future ones!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. I am not required to write a positive review.

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