TEST
Is it possible to travel through time and not remember your previous life? I didn’t think so, but apparently for Amelia Baldwin it is possible and apparently is exactly what has happened. While I was able to follow most of the story fairly easily, this little twist threw me off and left me somewhat confused in the end.
It is 1997 in Winona, Minnesota. Amelia Baldwin is working as a costumer for a vaudeville show at an old opera house. While there, she sees a portrait of Michael Hayak, who is depicted as the opera house’s benefactor at the turn of the last century. Amelia senses a feeling of recognition and deja vu when she looks at the painting. But how can this be? She attributes it to her fascination with the history and fashions of the 1800’s. Immersed in her thoughts, Amelia steps out onto the stage and falls through the stage floor. When she awakens, she’s gone back in time nearly a hundred years, to the year 1900.
It’s 1900 and Michael Hayak’s wife, Christina, has just died, leaving him to run his farm and raise his daughter, Katie. When he sees Amelia, he displays anger at her and asks her where she’s been. Amelia has apparently taken on the appearance and life of another (or so I thought) Amelia Baldwin, which explains why the townspeople know her name.
The Amelia Baldwin of 1900 is a seamstress who was Christina Hayak’s best friend. Before she died, Christina asked Amelia to help Michael with raising Katie. But, due to circumstances, Amelia ran off before Christina died. So when Michael sees the modern-day Amelia, he assumes it is the 1900 Amelia and that she has forgotten her promise to Christina. What is a girl to do? Keep a promise she doesn’t remember making to a man who seems to despise her? Can this couple fall in love and find happiness or will Amelia be taken back to the present?
When Amelia is escorted home from her accident and sees Michael in the flesh for the first time, the first thing she says to him is his wife’s name. How did she know it? Even Amelia questioned that. How she came to have someone else’s memories was never explained. Amelia does remind herself she finds it odd that she has the 1900 Amelia’s feelings of deja vu as well as the fact that she remembers her life in the future. I guess I just didn’t get it. The author leads the reader to believe that she is both the 1900 and 1997 Amelia. So what I don’t get is how can an adult leave a time period as an adult, go to the future and “grow up” and become an adult (the modern Amelia remembers growing up in an orphanage) and then go back in time to a period where only two days have passed since the 1900 Amelia supposedly went to the future. Confused? I sure was – and still am.
I found many aspects of the story entertaining, but am left feeling as lost as Amelia was when she woke up in 1900. If this element had been handled better, the book would have been a better read overall. No doubt some time travel fans will probably enjoy it, so give it a whirl if you like.
Grade: C-
Book Type: Time Travel Romance
Sensuality: Warm
Review Date: 05/09/99
Publication Date: 1999
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Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.