Indie Weekend is my effort to help Indie authors with marketing. Marketing is a daunting task, and if I can help even a little, I’m happy to do it. You can help too by sharing this post with your social media followers. Below is my review of The Girl Who Tried to Change History. It’s time travel fiction. As a lot of you know, that is my favorite subgenre, especially when it’s a mashup with historical fiction! I reviewed this for the November 2023 issue of Historical Novels Review.
BOOK REVIEW
2009: What would you do if a mysterious man sat down beside you in the park and offered you a chance to travel in time? That is what happened to Vivienne Riley, a Ph.D. history student specializing in World War II. She accepts and is tasked with saving children in Germany prior to the war as part of an experiment to see if these children would have made a difference in the world. When she arrives in pre-war London in 1939, she meets handsome, kind RAF pilot Andrew Sheffield. As history begins to unfold and bombs begin to fall, Vivienne tries to help the war effort while desperately hoping for Andrew and herself to survive and stay together.
As I always say, in time travel stories, there must be a distinct method of travel, as well as rules set by the author. Although the method of time travel is not completely revealed in this book, it is made clear that it is advanced, secret technology and in the form of an object. The bearer of the object, Gunther, serves as a rather unlikable guide throughout. There is also a rule about death that is unique and interesting, as well as one forbidding involvement in the lives of others. This is mainly a story of how profoundly people can impact each other, and how even the smallest interaction can cause big changes. The ugliness of war is also explored, as Vivienne struggles while watching the events she has always studied in books come alive. This is a thoughtful, vivid portrayal of World War II London and Germany, and the impact one person can make on the world. Anyone interested in World War II history and time travel fiction will enjoy this novel.
My rating is 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 on sites with no partial star option.
I received a free copy of this book via The Historical Novel Society. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Melissa Kaplan lives in Washington, DC, where she works as a policy advocate on food security and hunger issues. She studied at the London School of Economics and Political Science, and holds a master’s degree in comparative politics with a focus on Europe. She has been a passionate student of history for her entire life, particularly the World War II era, which helped inspire her to write this book. Kaplan is also an avid traveler and has visited more than forty countries, enjoys yoga and barre classes, and is currently finishing her second novel.
BEFORE YOU GO
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Sounds fascinating!!
It definitely is!
Great review, Bonnie, of a book that certainly sounds captivating. <3
Thanks Tim!
This is a very intriguing premise for a novel!
I agree!
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