39. Both Sides of Time by Caroline B. Cooney

Both Sides of Time by Caroline B. Cooney
ISBN: 0385321740
Random House Children’s Books, New York, 1995
210 pages

Teaser: Annie longs for her mechanic boyfriend to be more romantic and attentive to her and while waiting for him to restore a truck, “falls” back in time 100 years into a romantic triangle, just like her father is having in her current time.

Summary: Annie is a dreamer, who wants Sean to be romantic, thoughtful and attentive to her, not his truck. When she goes to the old Stratton Mansion, about to be demolished, she falls back in time to a romantic period where she is waited on and catches the eye of a true gentleman, who sweeps her off her feet. The catch is that he is already married, but that doesn’t seem to stop either from falling for each other. Annie compares her dream relationship to the real relationship that her father is having and finds herself falling into yet another era, older than the first. With each fall, she loses someone she loves and needs and can’t seem to find her way back to what she wants or reality.

Evaluation: I found the first “fall” to be okay, perhaps a dream that she was having while bored and waiting for her boyfriend to finish working on his precious truck. The fall may have been triggered from the recent discovery that her father was having an affair. The descriptions of the past and her journey were detailed and romantic, until she falls again to an even older era. I find the second fall to be a bit much and seems to symbolize that Annie is losing touch with reality and slipping into a deeper search for what she wants and getting farther and farther away. In her dreams, Annie finds the finer things in life and fewer responsibilities, but in reality, she wants the challenges of doing for herself and fighting for what she believes in. Plots of murder follow each fall and Annie becomes involved in defending the accused. Annie finally comes to believe in hard work, like her mother and working for her own money. The book ends with Annie opening her eyes to see where she will be next.

Challenge issues and age recommendation: The book suggests that Annie would kill for what she wants. In her “fall” her beau also says he will have his way with her to taint her and then she will have to marry him. Younger readers might be at risk of believing that these values are justified and following such actions. I would recommend this book for readers 14 and up.