Jukebox by Nidhi Chanani

Information

Goodreads: Jukebox
Series: None
Source: Library
Published: 2021

Official Summary

Grab some coins for the jukebox, and get ready for a colorful, time-traveling musical tale about family and courage.
A mysterious jukebox, old vinyl records, and cryptic notes on music history, are Shaheen’s only clues to her father’s abrupt disappearance. She looks to her cousin, Tannaz, who seems just as perplexed, before they both turn to the jukebox which starts…glowing?

Suddenly, the girls are pulled from their era and transported to another time! Keyed to the music on the record, the jukebox sends them through decade after decade of music history, from political marches, to landmark concerts. But can they find Shaheen’s dad before the music stops? This time-bending magical mystery tour invites readers to take the ride of their lives for a coming-of-age adventure.

Review

The summary for Jukebox suggests that Shaheen and her cousin go on a magical time-travelling adventure that will teach them–and readers–all about music history. Readers expecting to experience meaningful, in-depth looks at history, however, will be disappointed. The jukebox turns out to be more about selling a premise than about actually teaching history. And even the backstory given to explain the presence of the jukebox seems slapped on, providing just enough detail to get the story moving, while not providing enough to flesh out the characters or make readers care about them. The lack of detail in this story, in almost all respects, makes Jukebox a rather forgettable tale.

Stories with time travel have great potential to not only teach readers about a certain historical moment, but also to bring a unique sense of adventure to the tale. Where will the girls go next? Why? Will they make it back home alive? In this case, however, the time travel aspect is not particularly well thought-out, nor is it integrated into the story. The main idea seems to be that the titular jukebox will bring the listener back to the year an album came out, maybe around where someone is singing the song. But there is no real rhyme or reason to where the girls go, nor is every moment significant. At one point, for instance, they find themselves in the middle of a lindy hop dance competition, which is interesting, but not historically notable. At another point, the jukebox takes one of the girls to an ERA March, but the book never explains what the ERA is or why it matters. All the time travel happens this way, with the girls dropping in to see people and places that the story never actually engages with. There seems to be little point to time travel, however, if readers do not even know what they are looking at.

The backstory to the jukebox discovery is just as disappointing. Basically, Shaheen’s father disappears one day, so she goes looking for him, along with her cousin. Eventually, it comes out that she has been struggling with their relationship because all he does is talk about music and he does not even do things like read the Angie Thomas book she recommended to him, so she believes he clearly disappeared because of her. Their struggles, however, are glossed over at the end as they reunite. Other aspects that are thrown in, such as Shaheen’s anxiety and her cousin’s decision to come out as bi, are also glossed over simply because the book is too short to engage meaningfully with all the issues it wants to raise.

The art for Jukebox is cute, and probably the one aspect of the book that I really enjoyed. However, the lack of engagement with history, the slapped on backstory, and the rushed ending all work against making the book something I would recommend or read again. I wish I could say that at least kids might be inspired to learn more about the historical moments mentioned, but I do not think the book really gives enough detail for them to know what it is they would be interested in knowing more about. Jukebox has a wonderful premise. It just does not deliver the story it promises.

Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds

Information

Goodreads: Opposite of Always
Series: None
Source: Library
Published: 2019

Summary

When Jack meets Kate at a college party, it’s love at first sight. But then Kate dies. And Jack finds himself stuck in a cycle of time travel, repeatedly living the months between his first meeting with Kate and her death. Can he find a way to save her without ruining the rest of his life?

Review

Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds is an uneven book with a slow start and a fast-paced finish. It begins in media res, with the protagonist Jack running from the law. Once it starts back at the beginning, however, readers are treated to long stretches of nothing but Jack and his new crush flirting. I almost DNF’ed this book about a third of the way through. I had nothing else to listen to on audio, however, so I kept with it and, eventually, found myself actually interested in the outcome of the story. Some readers may enjoy this more than I did. However, for me, Opposite of Always kept the best for last–a move that risks losing readers at the start.

Opposite of Always is decidedly a book for people who love romance. The gist of the story is that our hero Jack falls in love with a college girl named Kate. However, when Kate dies, Jack finds himself sent back in time to the moment they met. He has to keep repeating the same couple of months, each time ending with Kate’s death. Jack keeps trying to change the future, but he often messes up events instead. This may sound interesting, but Jack has very little in his life besides Kate and he spends most of his time mooning over her, plotting how to save her, flirting with her, and ditching his friends and family for her. He’s unhealthily obsessed, and it gets to a point where it’s not clear it’s even romantic anymore.

What this means is that the first third or so of the book is literally just Jack and Kate flirting. And it’s not amusing. It’s the kind of flirting that is (presumably) only sweet or funny if you are actually there, doing the flirting. For onlookers, it’s boring. Jack, I am afraid, is not as witty as he thinks he is, nor is Kate. Having to hear their exchanges in person, via text, and over email is excruciating. It’s the main reason I almost DNF’ed the book.

Once the time travel bit starts happening, things start to pick up. Jack spends less time recounting every text he sends to Kate and starts trying to do things to save her. Most of his plans are incredibly bad plans–which actually makes it kind of hard to root for him. He makes stupid, risky choices that harm and alienate his friends, and expects them to forgive all because it’s for Kate. It’s not a good look for Jack and at some point, he stopped (for me) being a sympathetic character. He was just a character who repeatedly makes bad choices. One would think that travel and the ability to have do-overs would improve Jack’s people skills, but it really takes a lot for him to realize his best option is every case is honesty, empathy, and transparency.

Still, by the end, I was actually wondering what Jack would do to solve his problems and end the cycle of time travel. Unfortunately, I only stuck around to the end because I didn’t have another audiobook, so, in another version of events, I would have stopped listening very early on. I am bumping up the star rating for the ending, but I rather wonder how many other people will make it that far.

The Song of Glory and Ghost by N. D. Wilson

Information

Goodreads: The Song of Glory and Ghost
Series: The Outlaws of Time #2
Source: Giveaway hosted by Shannon at It Starts at Midnight
Published: April 2017

Summary

Sam Miracle failed to kill the Vulture when he had the chance.  Now he and the Lost Boys are stuck in time while Peter Eagle attempts to learn the skills that will one day make him Father Tiempo.  But when Peter is injured, Sam’s best friend Glory will be the one who has to learn to wield the sands of time and help Sam take down the Vulture for good.

Review

“Take up the life that is yours.  Walk the lonely winding roads to the deaths that are yours.  Live with open hands.”

I admit I am a little confused that this book wrapped up the Vulture arc.  Book One left me with the impression that Sam and his friends were about to embark on a Horcrux-like quest to find one of the Vulture’s six other gardens so that they could defeat him.  I assumed that this would take several books.  Instead, I found that this book moves from focusing on Sam to focusing on Glory and has the duo end the Vulture without their having to find another time garden at all.  This was all very unexpected and my state throughout reading was largely one of bafflement.

I have seen other readers remark that they find N. D. Wilson’s fantasies challenging and do not understand them.  I find N. D. Wilson’s works sophisticated and believe that they possess more depth than many middle-grade books being written today.  However, I have never been confused by Wilson’s work until now.  Perhaps I was reading too fast, but I really felt that I did not understand the dynamics of time travel or the ways in which the characters were manipulating time to slow down, speed up, hide, and so forth.  I just decided to take it on faith that it all made sense and followed the action without trying to figure out how it was all working.

This book really focuses on Glory, and that is a relief.  Wilson has always impressed me with his remarkable diversity of female characters.  They are strong, all in different ways.  But that did not come across for me in Book One.  Here, however, we get two lovely depictions of womanhood: Millie, who loves to cook and rule over her household domain, and Glory, who loves to adventure and fight.  They are very different, but both valuable and valued.  And Glory?  She is way cooler than Sam, whose main ability is as a sharpshooter, but only because he has snakes attached to his arms.  That is, Sam does not really possess skills; he is merely magically enhanced.  Glory earns her skills.

(As an aside, there is a third female character whose name I forget.  And I cannot figure out why she is included in this book.  Her main function is to follow the heroes around and get in the way because she thinks they are cool.  Typically characters appear in MG and YA books to forward the plot in some way, so I am not sure what is happening here.  Is her presence some sort of statement?  An indication that “ordinary” people can be in stories, too?  An experiment to see what will happen if random characters show up and do nothing?  I have no idea, but am welcome to hear other interpretations.)

The main attraction of this book, however, is really the prose.  Wilson has a talent for writing breathtaking and provocative lines.  Take this example from Empire of Bones: “Cowards live for the sake of living, but for heroes, life is a weapon, a thing to be spent, a gift to be given to the weak and the lost and the weary, even to the foolish and the cowardly.”  Wilson writes stories that encourage readers to be good people.  He is inspirational.  And that is a rare and precious thing.

I really did not like enjoy the first book in this trilogy, The Legend of Sam Miracle.  I thought Sam was a boring protagonist and Glory all but a nonentity.  I did not initially plan to read the sequel.  However, the writing in this book, along with Glory’s glorious transformation, makes me hopeful that the third installment will be worth reading.

The Door to Time by Pierdomenico Baccalario, Trans. by Leah D. Janeczko.

INFORMATION

Goodreads: The Door to Time
Series: None
Source: Purchased
Published: 2004

SUMMARY

Eleven-year-old twins Julia and Jason have just moved with their parents into the old Argo Mansion, situated on an isolated cove.  There they discover the house is full of old treasures and that its previous inhabitant Ulysses Moore may have left a series of clues leading them to a grand adventure.

Review

The book presents itself as the files of Ulysses Moore and only if you read the copyright material do you discover Pierdomenico Baccalario as the actual author.  This presentation, coupled with the narrative structure of the book, initially had me convinced that Scholastic had hired a series of ghostwriters to churn out quick time travel series to make money.

The premise of the book is nothing new.  Twins Julia and Jason move to a house full of antiques and secret passages.  A local boy, Rick, becomes their friend and volunteers to show them around and help them explore the old mansion.  Rick then starts crushing on Julia.  All of this is very standard.  (Indeed, I could not help but think of Carlos Ruiz Zafon’s The Prince of Mists.)  Then, of course, they begin a treasure hunt as it seems previous owner of the house Ulysses Moore has left a trail of coded messages for them.  And there’s a standard villain who wants to stop them.

The cover material suggests that this series is clever and engaging and will have readers solving puzzles.  But the readers themselves are seldom offered any puzzles to solve; this is mostly done by the characters and the story does not really feel interactive.  Besides, the characters solve every puzzle with astonishing ease.  It’s all very much as if the author just wants to hurry up this preliminary junk already and get to the time travel stuff.  Seriously, if the characters are stuck for more than ten minutes on a clue they start sniping at each other and dramatically declaring they want to give up.  Fortunately for them, I suppose, none of the puzzles are difficult or, if they are, a magic clue ends up in their hands or someone among them randomly possesses the specialized knowledge to solve the problem.

Normally a book like this would help draw out the drama by adding in bits of everyday life.  Perhaps the treasure seeking must stop for bedtime or a family trip to town.  Maybe someone is going to have a friend over or will go on a date.  But no outside characterization happens here; everything revolves, uninterrupted, around the puzzle-solving.  This means that we mostly see the characters in context of their ability to solve puzzles and do not otherwise learn much about them.

What we do see of them is a little awkward.  Jason is established as a dreamer who very often has flashes of convenient insight that allow him to solve a problem without any work.  Rick is…well, the author tells us he’s a natural leader, so I guess it must be true.  We certainly do not see enough of him in action to judge for ourselves.  Julia is somewhat problematic.  I think she’s supposed to be relatable as a girl because she’s into the city and friends and she does stuff like sunbathe while the boys explore.  But every time you think she’s falling into a female stereotype, the author goes, “Just kidding!  She’s sunbathing but only for a short time because she can’t sit still!  She’s full of action!  She’s athletic!  She does stuff!”  But also, she’s a girl.  And she’s going to whine like a girl and do other stuff that apparently females do.  It’s as if the author is not entirely sure how to write a female character.  And it doesn’t help that the only other female characters are 1) the overly protective mother stereotype, 2) the female villain stereotype, and 3) a shop owner who would be interesting if she only had a larger role.

This story simply is not original enough to make me want to read twelve more books in the series and the characters aren’t compelling enough, either.  I suppose it must have sold well or there would be no point in publishing twelve more installments.  The series, however, simply is not for me.

September Sky by John A. Heldt

Information

Goodreads: September Sky
Series: American Journey #1
Source: Received from author in exchange for an honest review
Published: 2015

Summary

Former reporter Charles Townsend and his son Justin, recently dropped out of college, take a cruise to Mexico in hopes of finding themselves but instead find the adventure of a lifetime.  A new acquaintance invites the pair to travel into the past, the only requirements being to bring back a detailed report of the people and places they see and to promise not to meddle with history.  When Charles and Justin arrive in 1900 Galveston, Texas, however, Charles knows he cannot sit around and do nothing when an ancestor finds himself accused of murder and when the entire town stands ready to be wiped off the map by an oncoming hurricane.

Review

John Heldt begins his new series with a strong effort, packing September Sky with all his signature elements–time travel and romance, of course, but also compelling characters, historical detail, and enthusiasm for bringing the past to life.  The story is, furthermore, a satisfying one, the kind that gives a sense of completeness at the close, and provides relief–thank goodness the world does not always go completely awry!  Any fan of Heldt’s will find this a worthy addition to his body of work.

Typically the protagonists in a Heldt novel go on a personal journey as well as on a journey through time.  So far each book has featured a very different, but always compelling story–we have seen a middle-aged woman facing a mid-life crisis, a college graduate and a college senior looking toward the future, twin sisters out for a good time, and a woman out of time all face their secret fears, their personal problems.  In this book, we meet something new yet again–a father and a son hoping to find direction in their lives, but also hoping to rebuild their relationship.

Heldt’s stories, though typically featuring a historical disaster, are always, in the end, character-driven.  The father-son relationship takes center stage in September Sky, as it rightly should, but all the characters receive Heldt’s sensitive treatment–even the minor ones, in the end, are always revealed as three-dimensional, as fully human, and thus somewhat surprising.  No one ever falls into the trap of becoming a stereotype.  These are characters drawn so realistically that one might expect to look up from the pages to find them walking down the street.

And what lovely characters they are.  Conventional wisdom dictates that every story needs an antagonist, but though this story involves a murder mystery, even the villains come across as understandable–it is not that their actions are excused, but that their personalities are drawn with such detail, that readers can fathom the motives for their actions perhaps before they do themselves.  They seem real and human, flawed but not necessarily evil.  As for the rest–why, they’re the type of people you’d love to befriend and spend an afternoon with.  Some might think goodness boring but Heldt proves that good characters can live just vibrantly as the bad.

September Sky is a pleasant time-travel romance, one that invites readers to take a trip into the past and just enjoy the life surrounding them.  Though it ends with a natural disaster, its  highlights are the small moments, the ones that illustrate just how much the people of Galveston stand to lose when the hurricane hits.  It is a book that does not seek to educate about history so much as to share an appreciation of the past.  That attitude, that feeling that the author simply says, “Come, let us stroll through 1900 Texas for awhile,” then stands back to give you the space you need to look around, maybe meet a friend or two, is what gives September Sky its own special charm.

The Mirror by John Heldt

Information

Goodreads: The Mirror
Series: Northwest Passage #5
Source: Received from author
Published: March 2014

Summary

The year is 2020 and to celebrate their birthday, twin sisters Ginny and Katie Smith attend the local fair, where a fortune teller predicts they will embark on a mysterious journey.  The girls laugh off the woman’s fear–until they enter the House of Mirrors and suddenly find themselves trapped in 1964.  The fortune teller told them they would have one chance to return and the girls desperately want to do so.  But living in the past is not really so bad, especially once the twins start to fall in love.  But even if the twins can change the past, should they?

Review

The Mirror is a fitting close to the Northwest Passage series.  Many of the loose ends come together and readers get glimpses of a few of their favorite characters from previous books while enjoying a brand new adventure.  As with all the Northwest Passage books, the plot may run fairly smoothly, but the real charm lies with the actors.  Ginny and Katie prove just as likable as their predecessors.  They are young and lighthearted and prone to making the sorts of mistakes teenagers make, but their hearts are always in the right place.  Reading about them is like reading about girls you may know in real life.

Perhaps it is a bit misleading to say that most of the charm comes from the characters, however.  Surely just as important to these stories is the time travel.  John Heldt makes history come alive, no matter what period he chooses.  Previous selections have featured the age of swing and the Great Fire of 1910, but these time Heldt transports readers to the 1960s.  Social change is all around and the Smith twins are right in the middle.  They get to experience the rush of attending a Beatles concert while still grappling with the Civil Rights movement and Vietnam.  Growing up in the past, it seems, is not always a “simpler time.”

While it is bittersweet to close the pages of the final book in the Northwest Passage series, this story seems to have run its course.  I look forward to following Heldt in his future writing endeavors.

The Fire by John Heldt

Information

Goodreads: The Fire
Series: Northwest Passage #4
Source: Received from author
Published: August 2013

Summary

Twenty-two year old Kevin Johnson has dreams of going to grad school, but first plans to give himself a well-deserved vacation on an old family estate.  His ancestors harbored a time travelling secret, however, and soon Kevin finds himself in the midst of the Great Fire of 1910.

Review

The Fire returns readers to the magical world of John Heldt’s Northwest Passage series, a place where the past intersects with the present and characters have the ability to change not only their destinies, but also the destinies of the people they love.  Though the plot may seem familiar from previous installments of the series, the characters make the story their own.  Smart, caring, confident, and thoughtful, these are people with whom readers can feel comfortable, like talking with friends.

Though the cast proves varied and each character possesses enough depth to stand on his or her own, even when they appear only infrequently, the three standouts are protagonist Kevin Johnson and the two women he comes to love.  Kevin, a recent college graduate, may seem at first a standard college kid– naively optimistic and perhaps a little overconfident–but he also shows real maturity, a trait not often granted to his age group.  In fact, he sometimes seems meant to travel back to 1910, not because it is in his genes but because he seems so seriously focused on working hard, making a career, and building a family.  And here we all thought millenials were entitled narcissists glued to the Internet.

The two women who help Kevin clarify his goals in life are Sadie and Sarah, respectively an orphan determined to better herself and a clever schoolteacher attempting to forge her own way.   Though both find themselves drawn to the handsome stranger in town, neither ever falls into the trap of building their identity around the  man they desire.  Even Sadie, less confident in her abilities and charms than Sarah, continues to work toward her own dreams, apparently knowing that vision is very attractive indeed.  Their intelligence, dedication, selflessness, and kindness inspire Kevin, so that their friendships are mutually beneficial.  Even if you are not a fan of love triangles, this may be the literary relationship you were looking for–the one where the players already know themselves and do not expect someone else magically to complete them.

All this plays out against the charming background of 1910 in the western United States.  Kevin jumps back in time from the year 2013, so readers get to experience the thrill of exploration through his eyes–it is a little like walking into Diagon Alley for the first time.  Horses still draw wagons, men and women alike observe strict social codes, and the old red light district is actually in operation.  Even as Kevin delights in the novelty, however, he comes to realize that the past is not strictly idyllic–women experience pressure to leave their careers for marriage and do not yet have to vote.  Also, Kevin happens to know from history that the nation’s largest wildfire is about to rage through the town.

Fans of history, time travel, and romance are all sure to find something to please in The Fire.  Filled with vibrant characters determined to live life to the fullest–even if that means changing the course of history–the book by turns delights, surprises, and touches.  Readers will be eager to follow Heldt on his next literary journey.

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The Journey by John A. Heldt

Goodreads: The Journey
Series: Northwest Passage #2
Source: Received from author for review

Summary: After the death of her husband, Michelle Preston Richardson attends her high school reunion in the hopes of reconnecting with her past and finding direction for her future.  A spontaneous visit to an abandoned mansion, however, sends her back in time to 1979—her senior year of high school.  As a secretary at Unionville High, Michelle has the opportunity to guide her past self to a brighter future while working towards her own second chance at life.

Review: Heldt’s follow-up novel to The Mine plays with the same premise of time travel, but strikes a more thoughtful and mature note as it chronicles the journey of a middle-aged woman bent on reclaiming her life, rather than that of a young man who still feels he has everything before him.  The tone of reflects this; the book has a slow, quiet air about it, as if it does not want readers to rush hastily through the story it tells, but rather wishes they would drink a cup of tea and savor it.  I think most readers will.  The majority have probably made choices in life they wish they could undo, but only Michelle has received the chance to try.  Through her, readers have the opportunity to watch a life go right.  And it feels really good.

So, no explosions, no chase scenes, no fights or sudden outbreaks of illness.  No terrible feuds or underhanded scheming.  Nothing that readers might expect to find in an “interesting” story.  This is actually a story about good people trying to do good things—and it works.  Readers will care about these characters because they seem worth caring about.  They are so incredibly average, the type of people readers might have grown up with or gone to school with.  But they all have a story to tell, a personal journey to make.  They are full of life, love, and potential—and Heldt celebrates that.  Celebrates the ordinary things that make us all who we are.

The Mine was good, but The Journey really shows growth for Heldt as an author.  It has a beautiful poignancy about it that resonated with me even after I had finished reading.  I look forward to reading more from Heldt in the future.

Published: November 2012

If You Like Time Travel, Then Read….

If You Like, Then Read is a feature where we offer reading suggestions based on books you already like, scheduled once a month. If you have more suggestions, feel free to tell us in the comments! You can check out the rest of these lists here.  

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Sixth-grader Miranda lives in New York City, poor but happy with her mother.  Suddenly, however, her best friend Sal seems withdrawn, the emergency spare key to her apartment disappears, and she begins receiving mysterious letters.  Increasingly Miranda believes the letter writer knows the future and wants her to prevent a tragic death–but she may already be too late.  The 2010 Newbery Medal winner.

Waterfall by Lisa Bergren

In this first book in the River of Time series, modern teenager Gabi Betarrini finds herself suddenly catapulted back in time to medieval Italy.  She finds the constricted role of women insulting and stifling and everyday life absurdly dangerous, but a hot Italian knight plays a huge role in convincing her the era might not be so bad after all.  Read Zita’s review.

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain

Twain’s 1889 novel follows the adventures of a nineteenth-century American engineer as he travels back to sixth-century England.  He utilizes his modern knowledge to convince the people of the Middle Ages that he possesses magical powers.  Though comedic in nature, the book also serves as a critical social satire addressing many of the problems of Twain’s day.

The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens

Kate, Michael, and Emma have grown up in a series of orphanages.  When they are transferred to the mysterious orphanage at Cambridge Falls, they discover a magical book that transports them back in time to a struggle between the local people and an evil witch.  At first the three only want to return home, but they soon realize the fate of the children of Cambridge Falls rests in their hands.  The first of the Books of Beginnings.  Followed by The Fire Chronicle.  Read Krysta’s review.

Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone

This debut novel follows the romance of Anna, who lives in 1995 Chicago, and Bennett, who lives in 2012 San Francisco, as they attempt to battle time and space to continue their relationship.  The time travel sounds unique in that Anna and Bennett live only less than two decades apart and could actually have the opportunity to meet each other within their own timelines.  Check out Brittany’s review at The Book Addict’s Guide.

 

The Mine by John A. Heldt

Goodreads: The Mine
Source: Received from author

Summary: College senior Joel Smith enters a mine in the year 2000 and emerges in May 1941.  Without money or friends, he has to learn quickly how to survive in the past.  Through good luck and hard work he soon finds himself not merely settling into his new life but also forming meaningful relationships—including one with an enchanting woman named Grace.  However, as Pearl Harbor looms in the distance, Joel has to decide whether his newfound love with Grace is worth risking everything—and perhaps changing history.

Review: The Mine invites readers to go on a journey into the past and discover all the things that made the 1940s special.  Those who, like Joel, seem to have been born into the wrong decade, will relish mentions of classic singers and actors and delight in the details of a carefree society unknowingly on the brink of war.  The unhurried pacing conspires with the readers to allow them to linger in the beauty of a bygone era and imagine that they, too, have entered another world.

The characters, like the setting, beg the readers to get to know them better.  From Joel’s lighthearted friend Tom Carter to his dynamic 21-year-old grandmother, each exudes a friendly, welcoming air, and a hint of something more than meets the eyes.  They live and breathe of the page, fully three-dimensional.  They make the readers care about them.

Readers invested in the cast will, of course, fret over the nature of time travel and the damage Joel could wreak on history and even his own future with a misplaced word.  Despite hints of such catastrophe, no danger ever arises.  The plot does not suffer from the lack of action, however, for the story is more romance than thriller.  Watching Joel fall in love both with Grace and the 1940s is, quite simply, magical.

Heldt makes the past come alive in this charming romance.  Readers will almost hear Glenn Miller as they explore Seattle and enter its dance halls, theatres, and shops.  Anyone interested in historical fiction should give Heldt and The Mine a try.

Published: 2012