Into the Dim

Gr 8 Up—Hope Walton's life has been turned upside down by the sudden presumed death of her mother, a well-respected history lecturer. When her stepfather gives her a letter from the Scottish aunt she's never met inviting her to come visit, Hope jumps at the chance. Once at her aunt's huge estate, she discovers a family secret: her mom was one of a group of time travelers and may be stuck in England in the year 1154. Hope agrees to go along on a dangerous rescue mission. Once they are in England, however, nothing seems to go right, as their plans are foiled by another group of time travelers ostensibly bent on keeping her mother there. One of them is Cam, a young man for whom Hope has developed an undeniable attraction—but she is unsure of his motives. While the historical details are interesting and generally accurate, the crux of the story takes a bit too long to get started. Though this isn't the fun romp through time that it might appear to be at first, there is plenty of action and adventure to keep readers mostly engaged through the long, drawn-out ending. The author's portrayal of Eleanor of Aquitaine strains some credulity but is mostly well done and helps the famous historical figure come to life.