Continuing my little dive into YA books I read as a kid. Have to say I am kind of enjoying dissecting the books and the possible influences they had on me as a reader/person. 3.5 stars.
I remember loving this book when I was a kid, and actually looked through the books that are still at my parents house trying to find it (I didn't. I borrowed this copy from the library). However, I really didn't remember anything about the plot, other than time travel and an old mansion.
This is a book I can imagine sharing with my daughter. While it's still a little boy crazy and way too focused on fashion for my adult tastes, I can see why my younger self enjoyed it. It's a mix of romance, mystery, historical fiction, and morality tale. It was fast-paced and somewhat suspenseful.
The main message of this book was about relationships, and how you shouldn't let your own selfishness impact other's in a negative way. Help people where you can. Don't be focused on money and power, be focused on the true nature of people. Don't let people who are only interested in their own power use you for personal gain. Stand up for yourself, and stand up for others.
I found the divorce tie-in interesting, as I didn't remember that at all, though I may have related to it at the time (my parents divorced a few years after this book was published). However, I didn't like the idea that some women can't handle (or want to handle) being alone, as was the case with both Annie's mother and Harriet.
The messaging to young girls was a definitely mixed, though I think the author's goal was to be empowering. It touched on how important it is for women to get an education and experience the world when they have the opportunity to do so, but the entire book is built around two love triangles and the desire for "true" romance. Perhaps YA authors use the language of unbelievable teen romances to tackle bigger issues....they know romance will grab the attention of young teens (but maybe this doesn't give them enough credit).
Still, the story itself could pave the way for a meaningful conversation with my daughter about what she wants out of life. Which character does she relate to the most? What aspects of the women's stories does she like? What parts bother or frustrate her? How does she feel about "traditional" gender expectations?
Its safe to say that this book influenced my reading habits as an adult. I still love reading historical fiction, and one of my favorite books of all time is Stephen King's 11/22/63, which has a time travel/historical influencer aspect to it as well.
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