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The Time Travel Journals #1
Shipbuilder
Imagine being there before the Titanic set sail.Now imagine being there before she’s even built.Sam Altair is a physicist living in Belfast, Ireland. He has spent his career researching time travel and now, in early 2006, he’s finally reached the point where he can send objects backwards through time. The only problem is, he doesn’t know where the objects go. They don’t show up in the past, and no one notices any changes to the present. Are they creating alternate time lines?To collect more data, Sam tries a clandestine experiment in a public park, late at night. But the experiment goes horribly wrong when Casey Wilson, a student at the university, stumbles into his isolation field. Sam tries to rescue her, but instead, he and Casey are transported back to the year 1906. Stuck in the past, cut off from everyone and everything they know, Sam and Casey work together to help each other survive. Then Casey meets Thomas Andrews, the man who will shortly begin to build the most famous ship since Noah’s Ark. Should they warn him, changing the past and creating unknown consequences for the future? Or should they let him die?The construction of White Star Line’s Olympic-class ships forms the backdrop for a passionate love affair between Tom and Casey, who must overcome the many differences inherent between an Edwardian Irish gentleman, and a member of America’s Generation Y. The fictional love affair grows alongside real lives from the Andrews family of Comber, Lord William Pirrie, Bruce Ismay, and the thousands of skilled men who built the remarkable ocean liners of the early twentieth century.
268 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 26, 2011
10 people are currently reading
632 people want to read
About the author
Marlene Dotterer
7 books81 followersMarlene Dotterer grew up as a desert rat in Tucson, Arizona. In 1990, she loaded her five children into the family station wagon, and drove north-west to the foggy San Francisco Bay Area. To stay warm, she tackled many enterprises, earning a degree in geology, working for a national laboratory, and running her own business as a personal chef. She’s a frustrated gardener, loves to cook, and teaches natural childbirth classes. She says she writes, “to silence the voices,” obsessed with the possibilities of other worlds and other times.
She is married to The Best Husband in the World, and lives in Pleasant Hill, California.
She is married to The Best Husband in the World, and lives in Pleasant Hill, California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
January 5, 2026
What if you unexpectedly traveled through time to Belfast, Ireland in 1906? The ship Titanic is not even a gleam in her designer’s eye yet, but you have full knowledge of the events of April 14, 1912. Should this information be imparted to those responsible, and perhaps change some future events unwittingly (such as possibly your own existence?). What if you became very personally acquainted with many of the people involved...possibly even found true love?...
I highly recommend this for any history lover who enjoys reading books about the Titanic.
I highly recommend this for any history lover who enjoys reading books about the Titanic.
March 9, 2015
I've never read a historical romance before, but all the good reviews had me intrigued. I'm so glad I picked it up because I LOVED it. The romance felt real, there was no cheesy-ness or love triangles. It was interesting reading about the ship building, and the night on the Titanic was pretty cool.
I just found it really fascinating, and I cant wait to read the second one :)
I just found it really fascinating, and I cant wait to read the second one :)
September 17, 2019
I'm fascinated by the Titanic, I love time travel, and I adore Thomas Andrews, so I wanted to read this book as soon as I learned it existed. I do not, however, like romances, so I lost interest any time the romance between the main character and Thomas Andrews was a thing. But getting through the romance was worth it for all the information about the building and development of the Titanic. I learned a lot of things I didn't know before (and I have a fair amount of weirdly specific Titanic knowledge to begin with).
December 31, 2012
I received this book as part of a giveaway on the author's blog. I rarely review books, but I was moved enough by 'Shipbuilder' to do one.
I'll just jump right in and say that I loved the movie 'Titanic' and I've always been fascinated by this tragedy, but after all this time, I did not expect there was anything new to be said on the issue. I was so wrong. This love story that crosses time itself worked to not only cast the disaster in a new light, it gave me tons of insight into a time and a society that I never thought about before.
I'm not a fan of endless treatises in a fictional work about the mechanism of time travel, so this book was just my speed. It's more about people and history and though the science is credible, it doesn't suck the air out of the book. The way I see it, spending pages and pages trying to convince me of the authenticity of something that doesn't exist isn't necessary for every time travel story. Give me just enough so I don't get thrown out of the story and I'm fine with that.
When Casey and Sam arrive in Ireland, their struggles to find a way to simply survive really affected me. I loved that they didn't magically teleport and immediately find someone who would understand and help. Quite the opposite, in fact. They had to be crafty, hard-working and resourceful, and even that wasn't enough. No, until Casey runs into the kind and generous Thomas Andrews, she and Sam are failing miserably at staying out of the poorhouse. But Tom changes everything, and our girl falls for him.
Casey pretends to be a boy to get a job, and the problems she endures to keep up her deception create real tension for her and others. This world is dangerous for any woman on her own, so karate trained or not, she endures some harrowing moments. Worse, Casey's an open sort and I was so annoyed with her for talking about being an atheist in a religious time, but the conflict really brought the problems of Protestant / Catholic Ireland into sharp relief, so I'll forgive the author for that.
The book's not perfect, of course. I felt that while Casey's well drawn, I had no real instinct of who Sam was before the garden. Sure I liked him, but he was bit flat, much like Thomas Andrews in the beginning. The problem there is that in order to honour his historical records, the character comes off a bit stiff at first, a bit too perfect. But once we get into the relationship between Tom and Casey, and start heading for that climax in the middle of the ocean, he turns into a real person and the book goes full steam ahead.
I know I loved a book when the climax made me shed tears. I was worried and tense as if I hadn't seen the movie. The way the author cut back and forth at the end between a rising crisis and a waiting game was brilliant. The epilogue was a bit flat for me, but we needed it. And yes, by the end, you do want this story to go on. I want to know what other changes the world saw because of Sam and Casey and I can't wait for the sequel.
This is a self-published book, but unlike some I've read, grammar and editing issues never threw me out of the story. The book is both physically beautiful and an easy read. It's a shame that the author couldn't find a publisher for such a good book, but I'm certainly glad she decided to give an audience the chance to find it. I would thoroughly recommend this to anyone who loves time travel stories, love stories, or alternate histories. Somehow, Marlene had the skill to blend all three into something new and special. Writers like this don't come along every day.
I'll just jump right in and say that I loved the movie 'Titanic' and I've always been fascinated by this tragedy, but after all this time, I did not expect there was anything new to be said on the issue. I was so wrong. This love story that crosses time itself worked to not only cast the disaster in a new light, it gave me tons of insight into a time and a society that I never thought about before.
I'm not a fan of endless treatises in a fictional work about the mechanism of time travel, so this book was just my speed. It's more about people and history and though the science is credible, it doesn't suck the air out of the book. The way I see it, spending pages and pages trying to convince me of the authenticity of something that doesn't exist isn't necessary for every time travel story. Give me just enough so I don't get thrown out of the story and I'm fine with that.
When Casey and Sam arrive in Ireland, their struggles to find a way to simply survive really affected me. I loved that they didn't magically teleport and immediately find someone who would understand and help. Quite the opposite, in fact. They had to be crafty, hard-working and resourceful, and even that wasn't enough. No, until Casey runs into the kind and generous Thomas Andrews, she and Sam are failing miserably at staying out of the poorhouse. But Tom changes everything, and our girl falls for him.
Casey pretends to be a boy to get a job, and the problems she endures to keep up her deception create real tension for her and others. This world is dangerous for any woman on her own, so karate trained or not, she endures some harrowing moments. Worse, Casey's an open sort and I was so annoyed with her for talking about being an atheist in a religious time, but the conflict really brought the problems of Protestant / Catholic Ireland into sharp relief, so I'll forgive the author for that.
The book's not perfect, of course. I felt that while Casey's well drawn, I had no real instinct of who Sam was before the garden. Sure I liked him, but he was bit flat, much like Thomas Andrews in the beginning. The problem there is that in order to honour his historical records, the character comes off a bit stiff at first, a bit too perfect. But once we get into the relationship between Tom and Casey, and start heading for that climax in the middle of the ocean, he turns into a real person and the book goes full steam ahead.
I know I loved a book when the climax made me shed tears. I was worried and tense as if I hadn't seen the movie. The way the author cut back and forth at the end between a rising crisis and a waiting game was brilliant. The epilogue was a bit flat for me, but we needed it. And yes, by the end, you do want this story to go on. I want to know what other changes the world saw because of Sam and Casey and I can't wait for the sequel.
This is a self-published book, but unlike some I've read, grammar and editing issues never threw me out of the story. The book is both physically beautiful and an easy read. It's a shame that the author couldn't find a publisher for such a good book, but I'm certainly glad she decided to give an audience the chance to find it. I would thoroughly recommend this to anyone who loves time travel stories, love stories, or alternate histories. Somehow, Marlene had the skill to blend all three into something new and special. Writers like this don't come along every day.
February 14, 2012
BLURB from Goodreads
Imagine being there before the Titanic set sail.
Now imagine being there before she’s even built.
Sam Altair is a physicist living in Belfast, Ireland. He has spent his career researching time travel and now, in early 2006, he’s finally reached the point where he can send objects backwards through time. The only problem is, he doesn’t know where the objects go. They don’t show up in the past, and no one notices any changes to the present. Are they creating alternate time lines?
To collect more data, Sam tries a clandestine experiment in a public park, late at night. But the experiment goes horribly wrong when Casey Wilson, a student at the university, stumbles into his isolation field. Sam tries to rescue her, but instead, he and Casey are transported back to the year 1906.
Stuck in the past, cut off from everyone and everything they know, Sam and Casey work together to help each other survive. Then Casey meets Thomas Andrews, the man who will shortly begin to build the most famous ship since Noah’s Ark. Should they warn him, changing the past and creating unknown consequences for the future?
Or should they let him die?
MY REVIEW
Oh, wow where do I start? I loved this whole book, the concept of the time travelling, and of course one of my favourite subjects in it The Titanic.
Casey is the "innocent bystander" in this really just walking through some gardens where the scientist Sam Altair is setting up his time travel experiment wanting to send a tree back in time. Casey happens to suddenly be near that tree so Sam runs out to warn her and they both end up being sent back in time.
There they have a choice of trying to prevent certain events from happening. Quite by accident Casey meets Thomas Andrews the man behind the design and building specifications of the Titanic. After much deliberation and discussion Casey and Sam decide to try to intervene and if nothing else prevent some of the lives being lost on the Titanic. I do not wish to give-away too much of the actual story, you will have to read the book to find out what happens to Casey and Sam and how they become involved with Thomas andrews and the Titanic.
I loved the descriptions in the book, the details, the history and the plot/stories made up around the actual true history of Titanic. I enjoyed the fact that Thomas Andrews was in fact a real person, such a shame we cannot go back in time to save everyone that perished the awful night that the "unsinkable" ship sank.
I loved learning about the fashions of the time, all those extra buttons etc as well as the customers and social etiquettes of the time too. What women were expected to do and more importantly not to do.
I would recommend this to those who like books with, romance, and historical elements to it too.This book is the complete story although I suppose there could be a bk two that would follow the young present day Sam, but I would be worried it would spoil this first excellent book. So to sum that one up I am a bit unsure if I would really want a bk 2 or not having said that if one came out I would definitely have to read it.
So did I like it? Love it Yes. Would I recommend it? Yes
Imagine being there before the Titanic set sail.
Now imagine being there before she’s even built.
Sam Altair is a physicist living in Belfast, Ireland. He has spent his career researching time travel and now, in early 2006, he’s finally reached the point where he can send objects backwards through time. The only problem is, he doesn’t know where the objects go. They don’t show up in the past, and no one notices any changes to the present. Are they creating alternate time lines?
To collect more data, Sam tries a clandestine experiment in a public park, late at night. But the experiment goes horribly wrong when Casey Wilson, a student at the university, stumbles into his isolation field. Sam tries to rescue her, but instead, he and Casey are transported back to the year 1906.
Stuck in the past, cut off from everyone and everything they know, Sam and Casey work together to help each other survive. Then Casey meets Thomas Andrews, the man who will shortly begin to build the most famous ship since Noah’s Ark. Should they warn him, changing the past and creating unknown consequences for the future?
Or should they let him die?
MY REVIEW
Oh, wow where do I start? I loved this whole book, the concept of the time travelling, and of course one of my favourite subjects in it The Titanic.
Casey is the "innocent bystander" in this really just walking through some gardens where the scientist Sam Altair is setting up his time travel experiment wanting to send a tree back in time. Casey happens to suddenly be near that tree so Sam runs out to warn her and they both end up being sent back in time.
There they have a choice of trying to prevent certain events from happening. Quite by accident Casey meets Thomas Andrews the man behind the design and building specifications of the Titanic. After much deliberation and discussion Casey and Sam decide to try to intervene and if nothing else prevent some of the lives being lost on the Titanic. I do not wish to give-away too much of the actual story, you will have to read the book to find out what happens to Casey and Sam and how they become involved with Thomas andrews and the Titanic.
I loved the descriptions in the book, the details, the history and the plot/stories made up around the actual true history of Titanic. I enjoyed the fact that Thomas Andrews was in fact a real person, such a shame we cannot go back in time to save everyone that perished the awful night that the "unsinkable" ship sank.
I loved learning about the fashions of the time, all those extra buttons etc as well as the customers and social etiquettes of the time too. What women were expected to do and more importantly not to do.
I would recommend this to those who like books with, romance, and historical elements to it too.This book is the complete story although I suppose there could be a bk two that would follow the young present day Sam, but I would be worried it would spoil this first excellent book. So to sum that one up I am a bit unsure if I would really want a bk 2 or not having said that if one came out I would definitely have to read it.
So did I like it? Love it Yes. Would I recommend it? Yes
October 16, 2013
A five star rating from Big Al's, a mid-4-star rating on Goodreads and Amazon, just $0.99 for the Kindle version, AND it's a story about time travel and the Titanic? Sold. And it was worth far, far more than the purchase price.
The basics of the story are simple - Sam Altair, a physicist studying time travel at Queens College in Belfast in 2006, accidentally sends himself and a young student, Casey Wilson, back one hundred years to 1906. As you might imagine, there are huge issues that they must overcome simply to survive, from finding shelter and clothing, to appearing as ward and guardian (because young ladies certainly were not out in the world on their own), to finding jobs without references or training. Once those have been taken care of, Casey and Sam must decide whether to tell anyone of their origin, as well as debate whether they've gone back in their own history or started a new alternate timeline, and what can they do to change what they know.
Of course, this being Belfast in 1906, the obvious choice for what to change is simply the Titanic. Through a few random encounters, Casey and Sam soon set themselves up to do just that through their friendship with Thomas Andrews, the man who designed the ill-fated ship and her sisters Olympic and Britannic. I won't go any further into the plot for spoilers, but rest assured that this is handled fantastically.
What really made the book for me was the sense of place and time that the author brought to 1906 Belfast. Religion was a HUGE divisor at the time, as matters between Protestants and Catholics were getting worse all the time, and Casey ends up being affected by her own actions in her attempt to remain atheist. The reality of life for the poor in 1906 is illustrated clearly when Casey and Sam first arrive and join their ranks, and their elevation back to middle class is a relief yet handled appropriately. The descriptions of the Harland & Wolff shipyards are phenomenal, and I could see everything incredibly clearly, right to some of the famous photographs that were obviously used in the author's work.
The only nitpick I can find is that at one point later in the book when talking about the maiden voyage of one of the ships, it is described as going to Cobh on its way out. Unless the Irish themselves continued to refer to the town as Cobh even while it was officially named Queenstown at that time, that would be incorrect. The town is now back to Cobh and I visited it earlier this year, hence why the name was jarring to me as I knew it had been called Queenstown at the time of the Titanic.
I read this book in just over 24 hours, and it was phenomenal. Anyone interested in time travel, the Titanic, or just life in turn-of-the-century Ireland would find this book a great read. The ending was fantastic, the changes that Sam and Casey had made are touched upon, and the opening is left for the next book in the series. However, I'm tempted to not read it because this one was just so perfect, I'm not sure that a novel set in the future (even with time travel) as well as alternate universes can live up to this one.
The basics of the story are simple - Sam Altair, a physicist studying time travel at Queens College in Belfast in 2006, accidentally sends himself and a young student, Casey Wilson, back one hundred years to 1906. As you might imagine, there are huge issues that they must overcome simply to survive, from finding shelter and clothing, to appearing as ward and guardian (because young ladies certainly were not out in the world on their own), to finding jobs without references or training. Once those have been taken care of, Casey and Sam must decide whether to tell anyone of their origin, as well as debate whether they've gone back in their own history or started a new alternate timeline, and what can they do to change what they know.
Of course, this being Belfast in 1906, the obvious choice for what to change is simply the Titanic. Through a few random encounters, Casey and Sam soon set themselves up to do just that through their friendship with Thomas Andrews, the man who designed the ill-fated ship and her sisters Olympic and Britannic. I won't go any further into the plot for spoilers, but rest assured that this is handled fantastically.
What really made the book for me was the sense of place and time that the author brought to 1906 Belfast. Religion was a HUGE divisor at the time, as matters between Protestants and Catholics were getting worse all the time, and Casey ends up being affected by her own actions in her attempt to remain atheist. The reality of life for the poor in 1906 is illustrated clearly when Casey and Sam first arrive and join their ranks, and their elevation back to middle class is a relief yet handled appropriately. The descriptions of the Harland & Wolff shipyards are phenomenal, and I could see everything incredibly clearly, right to some of the famous photographs that were obviously used in the author's work.
The only nitpick I can find is that at one point later in the book when talking about the maiden voyage of one of the ships, it is described as going to Cobh on its way out. Unless the Irish themselves continued to refer to the town as Cobh even while it was officially named Queenstown at that time, that would be incorrect. The town is now back to Cobh and I visited it earlier this year, hence why the name was jarring to me as I knew it had been called Queenstown at the time of the Titanic.
I read this book in just over 24 hours, and it was phenomenal. Anyone interested in time travel, the Titanic, or just life in turn-of-the-century Ireland would find this book a great read. The ending was fantastic, the changes that Sam and Casey had made are touched upon, and the opening is left for the next book in the series. However, I'm tempted to not read it because this one was just so perfect, I'm not sure that a novel set in the future (even with time travel) as well as alternate universes can live up to this one.
March 28, 2012
Do you ever surprise yourself by getting so drawn into a book that you are gritting your teeth when the characters are, crying when they are and in the end, you close the last page and wonder what happened to them "after"? This is the book for you if that's what you like!
The Time Travelers Journals: Shipbuilder by Marlene Dotterer is a one of a kind book that brings romance, science fiction and historical events all together into a whirlwind of suspense, love and desire. You fall immediately into the story as Physicist Sam Altair walks away from his office with a time machine with the intent of proving to the scoffers that his experiments really can and will work. Casey Wilson is a beautiful red head a continent away from her home of Berkley, California to study her passion of horticulture at the infamous Queen's University in Belfast, Ireland. Some would say it was the wrong place at the wrong time, others would say it was divine intervention. Sam and Casey only know their encounter leaves them 100 years earlier in a time far different from their own.
Faced with the inability to easily travel back to their "home time" of 2006, they must adapt to the world around them. An American finding work in a struggling Ireland, and a woman at that, leaves Casey resorting to means she feels guilt for but thankfulness as well as she manages to put a roof over their head, provide Sam with much needed medical care and eventually a connection to work of his own. In the process of this incredible transport back in time, Casey and Sam find themselves caught up in the days and years before the launch of the Titanic and faced with the choice of calling out a warning or keeping quiet the truth they know of the future and it's tragedies.
I was amazed at the fluid way Marlene Dotterer wove a tale of suspense, romance and drastic change to our current lives via effect of time travel into a story I could barely put down long enough to feed my family! If I was a wee bit late turning in school assignments that week, it was merely because I couldn't stop reading THIS long enough to read my school books!!! I fell in love with the characters, was impressed with the technical parts about shipbuilding as well as the physics of time travel that were included, and the historical characters included as bit parts (Albert Einstein) made me giggle and smile at what we perceive someone famous could have been like. This book gets 5 stars from me and is definitely written by an author I look forward to reading from again!
Marlene herself is actually joining other Titanic fans in an incredible 100 year anniversary cruise in the next few weeks. Check out her blog here for more about her travels to Belfast, Ireland in preparation of this unique cruise opportunity.
**I wasn't monetarily compensated for this review. I received a copy of the book listed in exchange for my honest review on this blog.**
The Time Travelers Journals: Shipbuilder by Marlene Dotterer is a one of a kind book that brings romance, science fiction and historical events all together into a whirlwind of suspense, love and desire. You fall immediately into the story as Physicist Sam Altair walks away from his office with a time machine with the intent of proving to the scoffers that his experiments really can and will work. Casey Wilson is a beautiful red head a continent away from her home of Berkley, California to study her passion of horticulture at the infamous Queen's University in Belfast, Ireland. Some would say it was the wrong place at the wrong time, others would say it was divine intervention. Sam and Casey only know their encounter leaves them 100 years earlier in a time far different from their own.
Faced with the inability to easily travel back to their "home time" of 2006, they must adapt to the world around them. An American finding work in a struggling Ireland, and a woman at that, leaves Casey resorting to means she feels guilt for but thankfulness as well as she manages to put a roof over their head, provide Sam with much needed medical care and eventually a connection to work of his own. In the process of this incredible transport back in time, Casey and Sam find themselves caught up in the days and years before the launch of the Titanic and faced with the choice of calling out a warning or keeping quiet the truth they know of the future and it's tragedies.
I was amazed at the fluid way Marlene Dotterer wove a tale of suspense, romance and drastic change to our current lives via effect of time travel into a story I could barely put down long enough to feed my family! If I was a wee bit late turning in school assignments that week, it was merely because I couldn't stop reading THIS long enough to read my school books!!! I fell in love with the characters, was impressed with the technical parts about shipbuilding as well as the physics of time travel that were included, and the historical characters included as bit parts (Albert Einstein) made me giggle and smile at what we perceive someone famous could have been like. This book gets 5 stars from me and is definitely written by an author I look forward to reading from again!
Marlene herself is actually joining other Titanic fans in an incredible 100 year anniversary cruise in the next few weeks. Check out her blog here for more about her travels to Belfast, Ireland in preparation of this unique cruise opportunity.
**I wasn't monetarily compensated for this review. I received a copy of the book listed in exchange for my honest review on this blog.**
March 4, 2012
One of my friends chose this for our bookclub book. I will be the first to admit that I was skeptical. I love her dearly (she's my BFF), but she notoriously picks books that make me want to stick a spoon through my eye. I will also be honest and say that the cover art threw me off. It's a bit too trite for me. Too... something. I wish I knew what it was that threw me, but it just didn't gel with me. I am SO glad that she chose this book because I can't say that I would have found this on my own.
I read a lot of self published books. A lot. Some are good. Some are bad. Some a really really bad and every now and then I run across a gem. This book represents the reason that I keep plodding along doing independent reviews. This type of writing makes me smile. In fact, everyone in our club liked the book. I think this was the first one in a year that we were all in agreement with what a greatly written book it was.
The storyline is engaging. You travel back in time with our main characters, you feel their angst at having to figure things out. You feel them struggling with the change, with how to handle make the past meet the future. The author's ability to take a piece of historical fiction and throw in a little time travel and a touch of romance and make a group of 12 loud and opinionated women like it... well, that's remarkable.
Her writing flows off of the page and grabs you by the hair. It drags you along with it and pulls you directly into the early 1900s and you like it. You hold on to the ride for dear life and don't hold your breath until we reach that fateful day that you've been waiting on since you figured out what the time period represented.
The climax of this story takes place onboard the maiden voyage of Titanic. I won't give anything away here, but I think I read that particular chapter sitting on the edge of my seat with my breath held. I'm pretty sure my kindle has permanent fingernail marks on it. I couldn't breathe until I knew... the writing is so amazing and I cared so deeply about these characters.
I simply cannot wait until the author releases the next in this series. I love that she ended this book. There was no huge cliffhanger, but it left my appetite open for the next one.
I recommend this for just about anyone. Seriously, give it a read.
I read a lot of self published books. A lot. Some are good. Some are bad. Some a really really bad and every now and then I run across a gem. This book represents the reason that I keep plodding along doing independent reviews. This type of writing makes me smile. In fact, everyone in our club liked the book. I think this was the first one in a year that we were all in agreement with what a greatly written book it was.
The storyline is engaging. You travel back in time with our main characters, you feel their angst at having to figure things out. You feel them struggling with the change, with how to handle make the past meet the future. The author's ability to take a piece of historical fiction and throw in a little time travel and a touch of romance and make a group of 12 loud and opinionated women like it... well, that's remarkable.
Her writing flows off of the page and grabs you by the hair. It drags you along with it and pulls you directly into the early 1900s and you like it. You hold on to the ride for dear life and don't hold your breath until we reach that fateful day that you've been waiting on since you figured out what the time period represented.
The climax of this story takes place onboard the maiden voyage of Titanic. I won't give anything away here, but I think I read that particular chapter sitting on the edge of my seat with my breath held. I'm pretty sure my kindle has permanent fingernail marks on it. I couldn't breathe until I knew... the writing is so amazing and I cared so deeply about these characters.
I simply cannot wait until the author releases the next in this series. I love that she ended this book. There was no huge cliffhanger, but it left my appetite open for the next one.
I recommend this for just about anyone. Seriously, give it a read.
August 24, 2012
The Time Travel Journals: Shipbuilder
Marlene Dotterer
269 pages
THE TIME TRAVEL JOURNALS: SHIPBUILDER by Marlene Dotterer is a masterful combination of Science Fiction, Historical Fiction, and Romance set mostly in early 20th-century Belfast, Ireland.
The story starts with Sam, a 60 year-old physicist making one last attempt at proving that he and his team had been able to send objects back in time in order to secure the project’s funding. Just as he turned on his time travel apparatus, Casey, a postgraduate student enters the field and they are both sent back a 100 years to Belfast in 1906, two years before the orders to build the Titanic.
The characters, early 20th-century culture, religious conflict, and Belfast came to life on the pages of Dotterer’s book. For me, there was just the right balance between putting the reader in Belfast and feeling the events through the main character’s eyes. Although there were some expository scenes where Sam explains a technical or cultural detail unfamiliar to Casey, those scenes do move the story and character forward and did not slow down the pace of the story.
Ever since I read “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court,” I’ve loved time travel novels—so much so that I will look past smoke and mirrors to enjoy a good story. I am happy to report, that not only is SHIPBUILDER a very good story, but this is one of the few books that handle the issues surrounding time travel intelligently and plausibly. Since the time travel aspect is part of the story, and not just an enabler, this is especially important. I could see that Dotterer put as much thought and research into time travel as she did for the Titanic, Belfast, and Irish culture.
I am looking forward to BRIDGEBUILDERS, the second book in THE TIME TRAVEL JOURNALS.
Marlene Dotterer
269 pages
THE TIME TRAVEL JOURNALS: SHIPBUILDER by Marlene Dotterer is a masterful combination of Science Fiction, Historical Fiction, and Romance set mostly in early 20th-century Belfast, Ireland.
The story starts with Sam, a 60 year-old physicist making one last attempt at proving that he and his team had been able to send objects back in time in order to secure the project’s funding. Just as he turned on his time travel apparatus, Casey, a postgraduate student enters the field and they are both sent back a 100 years to Belfast in 1906, two years before the orders to build the Titanic.
The characters, early 20th-century culture, religious conflict, and Belfast came to life on the pages of Dotterer’s book. For me, there was just the right balance between putting the reader in Belfast and feeling the events through the main character’s eyes. Although there were some expository scenes where Sam explains a technical or cultural detail unfamiliar to Casey, those scenes do move the story and character forward and did not slow down the pace of the story.
Ever since I read “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court,” I’ve loved time travel novels—so much so that I will look past smoke and mirrors to enjoy a good story. I am happy to report, that not only is SHIPBUILDER a very good story, but this is one of the few books that handle the issues surrounding time travel intelligently and plausibly. Since the time travel aspect is part of the story, and not just an enabler, this is especially important. I could see that Dotterer put as much thought and research into time travel as she did for the Titanic, Belfast, and Irish culture.
I am looking forward to BRIDGEBUILDERS, the second book in THE TIME TRAVEL JOURNALS.
October 25, 2015
This book was a wonderful trip back in time to the building of the Titanic. Like most people (most people I know), I enjoyed the film Titanic and recalled the character of the ship's architect in the movie, though he wasn't the central character I focused on.
In this book a young woman and an older scientist are accidentally swept back in time to the days leading up to the building of the Titanic and her sister ships in Dublin. The young woman is an American college student in modern day Ireland, but with no way home again, she and her companion try to make a new start in the past. She pretends to be a boy so as to find work, passing as a young lad with her hair cut short and wearing what we would consider everyday sort of clothes for a woman, but in that time no woman dressed like this, so she pulled off the deception. Thus she meets the Shipbuilder of the title.
We see the Titanic built, and sail, yet this time travel novel takes the premise of alternate reality/parallel worlds in which changes to the past timeline are not the problem that other theories of time travel would find them. Alas, not all desired changes to the timeline come to pass, but this book has a happy ending which I thoroughly enjoyed.
I loved the characters, the history (albeit fictionalized), and the romance angle as well. The story was tight, I found nothing to jar my senses as I read, and the editing was superb.
I highly recommended it if you like Time Travel stories, Historical Romances, or have an interest in the Titanic.
In this book a young woman and an older scientist are accidentally swept back in time to the days leading up to the building of the Titanic and her sister ships in Dublin. The young woman is an American college student in modern day Ireland, but with no way home again, she and her companion try to make a new start in the past. She pretends to be a boy so as to find work, passing as a young lad with her hair cut short and wearing what we would consider everyday sort of clothes for a woman, but in that time no woman dressed like this, so she pulled off the deception. Thus she meets the Shipbuilder of the title.
We see the Titanic built, and sail, yet this time travel novel takes the premise of alternate reality/parallel worlds in which changes to the past timeline are not the problem that other theories of time travel would find them. Alas, not all desired changes to the timeline come to pass, but this book has a happy ending which I thoroughly enjoyed.
I loved the characters, the history (albeit fictionalized), and the romance angle as well. The story was tight, I found nothing to jar my senses as I read, and the editing was superb.
I highly recommended it if you like Time Travel stories, Historical Romances, or have an interest in the Titanic.
October 10, 2019
I loved this book! I’ve had trouble the last couple of years with finding books that kept me interested, but this one broke the Great Depression of me just not reading that much anymore and pulled me in right from the very beginning. Let’s hope I can keep the momentum going!
I really appreciated how the writer made the characters suffer in the beginning, it always annoyed me that in previous time travel novels I’ve read, the main character would arrive back in time and within 5 minutes had a comfortable place to stay. She made it realistic and real, the characters were lovely and I think the only thing that could have been improved were the huge time jumps, but all in all I really enjoyed this and will check out the next one in the series!
I really appreciated how the writer made the characters suffer in the beginning, it always annoyed me that in previous time travel novels I’ve read, the main character would arrive back in time and within 5 minutes had a comfortable place to stay. She made it realistic and real, the characters were lovely and I think the only thing that could have been improved were the huge time jumps, but all in all I really enjoyed this and will check out the next one in the series!
November 30, 2020
I liked this quite a bit. The historical aspect were interesting and of course I basically love anything to do with time travel. I liked the idea that they had no qualms about trying to change the events they knew about, and the various outcomes of their attempts. The main problem I have with it is that the main characters spend very little time morning their old lives, missing their friends and families, etc. That, and the horrors of the time, especially for women and low income people, were significantly glossed over. A little more depth into either of those things and this would have been 4 stars for me.
Read
March 17, 2022A bit long but a enjoyable time travel story set in Ireland,1906 about a historic figure :Thomas Andrews ,the Titanic's shipbuilder in an alternative reality falling in love and saving people lives with help of Sam and Casey travelers from future .Well the best part of the book was the details about society,working class, the strong distance between social class and the clash of religions rooted for years in irish people and their everyday life.
April 10, 2023
A strange start but I really enjoyed this book! A very satisfying read.
June 26, 2023
Written for YA but enjoyed by this septuagenarian as well.
May 5, 2012
I was at loose ends trying to think of a choice for my book club. I'm the January host every year (so that I ~have~ to have my holiday decorations down by the second Sunday in January, lol) and with all the holiday madness I couldn't think of anything that I wanted to read and share with my friends. So I turned to my TBR list on Goodreads.
I don't remember how I found this one, I think it was a sidebar ad. I'm a bit of a Titanic buff and this must've caught my eye. I plucked it from the list and told all my friends they had to read it, too.
And... They liked it. We ALL liked it. I think this may be the first book in six years that everyone in the club who read the book liked it. That in itself is a wonder. The fact that *I* chose a book we all liked is nothing short of a miracle--I have a bad track record in this area (among the books I've inflicted over the years: Maps for Lost Lovers by Nadeem Aslam, East by Edith Pattou, The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets by Eva Rice).
The story was fairly well-paced (though I'm pretty patient on this front, I like Dunefor crying out loud!) and the slow spots didn't really bother me.
The time travel thing... That's irksome; I read enough hard sci-fi that I would've like a slightly more scientific explanation than the one the author came up with, but this wasn't really a time travel story. Not in the truest sense -- it was more historical fiction and, I was surprised to discover, a sweet romance.
The story held up well, the characters were engaging and fairly well-developed though the male scientists were a tad cookie-cutter.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, learned some things I didn't know about early 20th century Irish politics, and am happy to recommend this one. I would like to see it undergo a thorough edit for typos, word choice, and the occasional continuity failure, but they were, happily, pretty rare--all too unusual in an independent book.
I don't remember how I found this one, I think it was a sidebar ad. I'm a bit of a Titanic buff and this must've caught my eye. I plucked it from the list and told all my friends they had to read it, too.
And... They liked it. We ALL liked it. I think this may be the first book in six years that everyone in the club who read the book liked it. That in itself is a wonder. The fact that *I* chose a book we all liked is nothing short of a miracle--I have a bad track record in this area (among the books I've inflicted over the years: Maps for Lost Lovers by Nadeem Aslam, East by Edith Pattou, The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets by Eva Rice).
The story was fairly well-paced (though I'm pretty patient on this front, I like Dunefor crying out loud!) and the slow spots didn't really bother me.
The time travel thing... That's irksome; I read enough hard sci-fi that I would've like a slightly more scientific explanation than the one the author came up with, but this wasn't really a time travel story. Not in the truest sense -- it was more historical fiction and, I was surprised to discover, a sweet romance.
The story held up well, the characters were engaging and fairly well-developed though the male scientists were a tad cookie-cutter.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, learned some things I didn't know about early 20th century Irish politics, and am happy to recommend this one. I would like to see it undergo a thorough edit for typos, word choice, and the occasional continuity failure, but they were, happily, pretty rare--all too unusual in an independent book.
December 19, 2011
I received this book for free as a First Reads giveaway.
3.5 stars
The Time Travel Journals: Shipbuilder follows Casey and Sam's journey back in time to the early 20th century in Ireland, detailing their efforts to both blend into and to better society. They struggle with issues of politics, religion, and gender bias, but one issue is predominant: should they use their knowledge of the future to change the past?
A mix of sci-fi, historical fiction, social commentary, and a sweet love story, this novel has something for everyone. It is a refreshingly realistic look at time travel; the characters struggle greatly at the beginning to establish themselves in their new century. While it does not include as much descriptive imagery as I am used to in time travel novels, I found the crisp and clean tone to be very appropriate for this fast-paced read. At times I felt that the writing slipped towards over-explaining things; the characters' words and actions were enough to get their meaning across, but then a narrative sentence would follow as if to make sure that the meaning was clear.
This is an enjoyable story that will leave your mind reeling with the possibilities of time travel and alternate timelines. I can't wait to see how Casey and Sam's story continues in Bridgebuilder.
3.5 stars
The Time Travel Journals: Shipbuilder follows Casey and Sam's journey back in time to the early 20th century in Ireland, detailing their efforts to both blend into and to better society. They struggle with issues of politics, religion, and gender bias, but one issue is predominant: should they use their knowledge of the future to change the past?
A mix of sci-fi, historical fiction, social commentary, and a sweet love story, this novel has something for everyone. It is a refreshingly realistic look at time travel; the characters struggle greatly at the beginning to establish themselves in their new century. While it does not include as much descriptive imagery as I am used to in time travel novels, I found the crisp and clean tone to be very appropriate for this fast-paced read. At times I felt that the writing slipped towards over-explaining things; the characters' words and actions were enough to get their meaning across, but then a narrative sentence would follow as if to make sure that the meaning was clear.
This is an enjoyable story that will leave your mind reeling with the possibilities of time travel and alternate timelines. I can't wait to see how Casey and Sam's story continues in Bridgebuilder.
October 4, 2020
Casey Wilson, a coed at Queen’s University in Belfast, Ireland, takes a shortcut back to her dorm room when she bumps into physicist, Dr. Sam Altair. Sam’s time travel research is about to lose funding, so he feels pressure to perform one last unauthorized experiment to prove his theory. The unexpected rendezvous in the Botanic Garden leads to an accident transporting Casey and Sam 100 years back in time to 1906, six years before the launching of the Titanic.
Marlene Dotterer immediately engages her reader in this marvelous historical novel about the Titanic shipbuilders of Belfast, Ireland. Since her female protagonist, Casey, is 20-years-old, sexagenarian Sam takes her under his wing as his ward in this male dominated early 19th Century society. They concoct a believable backstory and begin to live in a culture about to explode over Catholic/Protestant differences.
Sam and Casey decide to write journals in a hope to change history for the better. When they meet Tom Andrews, a shipbuilder destined to help design and build the Titanic, the duo take it upon themselves to save lives.
The Time Travel Journals: Shipbuilder is one book you will hate to put down. It’s engaging characters, fascinating premise, and well-researched storyline will keep pages turning until its satisfying conclusion. The only negative about Dotterer’s book is that it ended.
Marlene Dotterer immediately engages her reader in this marvelous historical novel about the Titanic shipbuilders of Belfast, Ireland. Since her female protagonist, Casey, is 20-years-old, sexagenarian Sam takes her under his wing as his ward in this male dominated early 19th Century society. They concoct a believable backstory and begin to live in a culture about to explode over Catholic/Protestant differences.
Sam and Casey decide to write journals in a hope to change history for the better. When they meet Tom Andrews, a shipbuilder destined to help design and build the Titanic, the duo take it upon themselves to save lives.
The Time Travel Journals: Shipbuilder is one book you will hate to put down. It’s engaging characters, fascinating premise, and well-researched storyline will keep pages turning until its satisfying conclusion. The only negative about Dotterer’s book is that it ended.
August 5, 2023
Second read of Shipbuilder, by Marlene Dotterer.
Around ten years ago, I remembered “Oh, you can read for fun. Good, good,” so this book ended on my favorites list despite the 4 star rating. I was fascinated by the Titanic then, and it’s been back in the news lately, and I’m always a time travel buff, so here we go.
This is the story of Casey Wilson and Sam Altair, strangers to each other, who through bad luck and being in the wrong place at the wrong time are hurled 100 years into the past, to Belfast, 1906. They have no money, a waning cellphone battery, and no hope of returning to the present day. Determining that they’re not in their own timeline, but an alternate branch, they decide to use their knowledge of the future to not only survive the earliest days of the 20th century, but to counter the religious violence between the Protestants and Catholics, the Edwardian-era limitations on women, and the destruction of the Titanic, now that Casey has involved herself with ship designer Thomas Andrews.
Parts of it aren’t in my comfort zone, while must of the time travel aspects are exactly what I want to be reading. This one has stuck with me for 11 years. Very solid and recommended.
Around ten years ago, I remembered “Oh, you can read for fun. Good, good,” so this book ended on my favorites list despite the 4 star rating. I was fascinated by the Titanic then, and it’s been back in the news lately, and I’m always a time travel buff, so here we go.
This is the story of Casey Wilson and Sam Altair, strangers to each other, who through bad luck and being in the wrong place at the wrong time are hurled 100 years into the past, to Belfast, 1906. They have no money, a waning cellphone battery, and no hope of returning to the present day. Determining that they’re not in their own timeline, but an alternate branch, they decide to use their knowledge of the future to not only survive the earliest days of the 20th century, but to counter the religious violence between the Protestants and Catholics, the Edwardian-era limitations on women, and the destruction of the Titanic, now that Casey has involved herself with ship designer Thomas Andrews.
Parts of it aren’t in my comfort zone, while must of the time travel aspects are exactly what I want to be reading. This one has stuck with me for 11 years. Very solid and recommended.
December 4, 2011
I won this book in a giveaway by the author Marlene Dotterer. I have always loved time travel stories especially ones that have a strong moral aspect and still keep the plot interesting and unpredictable. Marlene Dotterer has done this.
Two people are accidently sent back into the past to Belfast Ireland just before the Titantic and her sister ships are built. When they realize what has happened they need to decide wether to blend in quietly so as not to change the future or to attempt to improve that very future.
What i really enjoyed was that the people involved could not just make technical advances at the drop of a hat as in some time travel novels and also the dilemas they faced in making changes. Another idea that I found interesting was the steamroller effect that time has even when there were changes to the timeline some things seem to be inevitable.
The Time Travel Journals takes historical fiction, time travel, and a love story and blends them togetherinto a smooyh enjoyable read.
I can not wait for the next book in the series.
Marlene Dotterer has done a wonderful job. Keep it up.
Two people are accidently sent back into the past to Belfast Ireland just before the Titantic and her sister ships are built. When they realize what has happened they need to decide wether to blend in quietly so as not to change the future or to attempt to improve that very future.
What i really enjoyed was that the people involved could not just make technical advances at the drop of a hat as in some time travel novels and also the dilemas they faced in making changes. Another idea that I found interesting was the steamroller effect that time has even when there were changes to the timeline some things seem to be inevitable.
The Time Travel Journals takes historical fiction, time travel, and a love story and blends them togetherinto a smooyh enjoyable read.
I can not wait for the next book in the series.
Marlene Dotterer has done a wonderful job. Keep it up.
July 24, 2016
Many people have wished they could travel back in time to prevent some historic disaster. In this alternate reality novel, it is the tragedy of the USS Titanic. From the beginning, Dotterer provides satisfactory technical explanations as to how the time travel takes place, and ends with clear details about the ship. Not normally a big fan of alternate realities, I was thoroughly engrossed with this story, and was not disappointed with the ending.
What really kept the interest for me was that Dotterer did not stick to an “I know everything, so I can change it!” sort of formula. The opposition to making changes was very credible, as was the caution the time travelers took to protect themselves from the dangers of an earlier century. Moreover, it was not just a tale about science and developing futuristic technology, but about the customs and culture of 1906 Ireland. She even worked in the religious feud, the differences in class and gender perceptions, and botanical gardening.
The writing is really excellent, and the characters were believable and interesting. Overall, a fantastic job. I look forward to reading the sequel, “The Time Travel Journals: Bridgebuilders”.
What really kept the interest for me was that Dotterer did not stick to an “I know everything, so I can change it!” sort of formula. The opposition to making changes was very credible, as was the caution the time travelers took to protect themselves from the dangers of an earlier century. Moreover, it was not just a tale about science and developing futuristic technology, but about the customs and culture of 1906 Ireland. She even worked in the religious feud, the differences in class and gender perceptions, and botanical gardening.
The writing is really excellent, and the characters were believable and interesting. Overall, a fantastic job. I look forward to reading the sequel, “The Time Travel Journals: Bridgebuilders”.
December 29, 2013
Casey finds herself dragged back in time to 1906 alongside physicist Sam, after stumbling into his time travel experiment. Stranded in Ireland's past, together they face the challenge of adapting to a very different time and culture. When Casey falls in love with Thomas Andrews – designer of the Titanic and fated to die with the ship – they struggle to prevent a tragedy that seems destined to repeat itself.
Casey's problems in adjusting to the restricted life expected of women and her determination to grasp happiness make her a sympathetic heroine. Sam has an interesting story too. Thomas Andrews is depicted as a kind and decent man who cared deeply about others' welfare. His romance with Casey is sweet and loving. Tension mounts as we reach 1912, and the Titanic's fateful voyage begins.
I really enjoyed this novel. The characters were likeable, the time travel well thought out and the time period itself ripe with conflict (religious tension overshadows everyday life). The romance was enjoyable too.
Casey's problems in adjusting to the restricted life expected of women and her determination to grasp happiness make her a sympathetic heroine. Sam has an interesting story too. Thomas Andrews is depicted as a kind and decent man who cared deeply about others' welfare. His romance with Casey is sweet and loving. Tension mounts as we reach 1912, and the Titanic's fateful voyage begins.
I really enjoyed this novel. The characters were likeable, the time travel well thought out and the time period itself ripe with conflict (religious tension overshadows everyday life). The romance was enjoyable too.
March 10, 2012
What if you were accidentally thrown back in time a hundred years, would you willing try to change events? Or would you try to blend in with society as best as you could?
This is the dilemma faced by Sam Altair and Casey Wilson when they are thrown back to turn of the century Ireland. It's the turn of the century and Ireland is a country of turmoil. The hatred between Catholics and Protestants is rampant and one of the worse maritime disasters—the sinking of the Titanic, is just a few years away.
With knowledge of future events, Sam and Casey try to accustomed themselves to their new lifestyle, but when Casey falls in love with the designer of the ill-fated ship, they are both torn between saving his life and possible altering the timeline, or let history repeat itself.
Review:
I'm not a fan of alternate timeline stories but this was more than just a 'what if' story, it's heart-wrenching story of a life that was cut short in one timeline, and given a second chance in another.
This is the dilemma faced by Sam Altair and Casey Wilson when they are thrown back to turn of the century Ireland. It's the turn of the century and Ireland is a country of turmoil. The hatred between Catholics and Protestants is rampant and one of the worse maritime disasters—the sinking of the Titanic, is just a few years away.
With knowledge of future events, Sam and Casey try to accustomed themselves to their new lifestyle, but when Casey falls in love with the designer of the ill-fated ship, they are both torn between saving his life and possible altering the timeline, or let history repeat itself.
Review:
I'm not a fan of alternate timeline stories but this was more than just a 'what if' story, it's heart-wrenching story of a life that was cut short in one timeline, and given a second chance in another.
February 15, 2013
Wow I really loved this book and, like others have said, I too at times found myself getting so into the book that i was laughing out lout or shedding a tear along with the main characters.
I loved that the characters were sensible and relatable especially Casey. The book also taught me quite a bit about the Titanic and the whole situation around it.
To the author thank you, I have been rereading the books on my book shelf as I have been unable to get into any new books and now I will hopefully be reading others of your books in the future to expand my horizons.
Sorry I also have to say I really don't like the cover and suggest you change it to appeal to not necessarily a younger audience but a more modern one, because as I said a love story, but if I saw that cover in a physical bookshop I wouldn't even pick it up to read the blurb. But lucky for me I didn't see the cover and went straight to reading the blurb when I was browsing the ebook store, I bought it from.
I loved that the characters were sensible and relatable especially Casey. The book also taught me quite a bit about the Titanic and the whole situation around it.
To the author thank you, I have been rereading the books on my book shelf as I have been unable to get into any new books and now I will hopefully be reading others of your books in the future to expand my horizons.
Sorry I also have to say I really don't like the cover and suggest you change it to appeal to not necessarily a younger audience but a more modern one, because as I said a love story, but if I saw that cover in a physical bookshop I wouldn't even pick it up to read the blurb. But lucky for me I didn't see the cover and went straight to reading the blurb when I was browsing the ebook store, I bought it from.
January 22, 2016
A physicist, who has worked on developing a time machine in Belfast, Ireland, accidentally sends himself and a young, female college student back to 1906, just before the Titanic is built. In this fast-paced, engrossing story, they try both attempt to prevent the looming disaster.
At the same time, they try to adjust to life 100 years before their time period, coping with Victorian values, religious antagonisms, and sexism.
The author has researched shipbuilding at the turn-of-the-century extremely well, but these details do not overburden the reader, as she also makes us care deeply about the main characters, their fate, and the fate of the passengers on board the ill-fated ship.
This is one of the better time-travel novels that I have read! I look forward to the sequel, Bridgebuilders.
At the same time, they try to adjust to life 100 years before their time period, coping with Victorian values, religious antagonisms, and sexism.
The author has researched shipbuilding at the turn-of-the-century extremely well, but these details do not overburden the reader, as she also makes us care deeply about the main characters, their fate, and the fate of the passengers on board the ill-fated ship.
This is one of the better time-travel novels that I have read! I look forward to the sequel, Bridgebuilders.
August 6, 2012
A real good read if you don't mind fantasy novels. After I read King's latest novel this one was recommended to me. Both books deal with time travel. I had also enjoyed the Time Traveler's Wife so I figured I would enjoy this one too. It is about a physicist who somehow travels back in time and accidentally brings along a young woman. They go back to before the Titanic was built and try to stop the ship from sinking. Along the way the young woman falls in love and then the book becomes more of a romance but otherwise I thought it was very clever. I always need a lot of scientific mumbo jumbo for credibility and this book did just do that. I am not sure if the ending is possible if there are alternate time lines but never mind, I enjoyed it.
February 5, 2014
I just finished the Time Travel Journals and it’s one of those books that I wished had not ended. This was a fascinating journey, not only backward through time, but forward as well, as the main characters did their level best to change history and avoid the sinking of the Titanic. At first I was unhappy with the way the book leaped over months at a time in the narrative, but I quickly realized that it was going to cover many years and it made sense to take the broader view. The characters are well drawn, the relationships are realistic and the low key action builds to a surprising but very satisfying ending. I heartily recommend this book. I may just have to sit down and read it again soon!
September 18, 2014
I won this book in a giveaway by the author Marlene Dotterer. I have always been a fan of time travel and "what if" a different decision was made in history books so I was enchanted by this story from the moment i picked it up. The characters were likable even if i did not always agree with what they did. I was intrigued on how the day to day impacted them as they lived in this new timeline and whether knowledge of the future is a good thing or not.
It makes me want to research that time period of Irish history.
A book difficult to put down.
It makes me want to research that time period of Irish history.
A book difficult to put down.
January 4, 2016
This story took you on a logical journey through time, not fantastical or silly, but a very real approach to what 2 people would need to do if faced with going back 100 years. The ultimate questions, of course, is always "Do we change history?" and "CAN we change history?" When the time travelers meet Thomas Andrews, architect of the Titanic, a few years before the ship is even being considered, they are faced with just these dilemmas.
I really appreciated this novel was heavy with actual acts of history. And I don't know how anyone couldn't adore Thomas Andrews after reading this.
I really appreciated this novel was heavy with actual acts of history. And I don't know how anyone couldn't adore Thomas Andrews after reading this.
January 21, 2016
This was quite different and enjoyable. I didn't like a few things about it, specifically the religion issues. If that's how it was back then, geeesh. Religion is horrible, it kills and does more damage than good. Sure wish more people would see that. But the story itself was pretty unique. I definitely liked it a lot. Not too sure about the next book, it doesn't look as good to me, but that may just be because I do have an interest in Titanic. Still, it's time travel, so I'll probably give it a try.
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