When unemployed San Francisco reporter Chuck Townsend and his college-dropout son, Justin, take a cruise to Mexico in 2016, each hopes to rebuild a relationship after years of estrangement. But they find more than common ground aboard the ship. They meet a mysterious lecturer who touts the possibilities of time travel. Within days, Chuck and Justin find themselves in 1900, riding a train to … Texas, intent on preventing a distant uncle from being hanged for a crime he did not commit. Their quick trip to Galveston, however, becomes long and complicated when they wrangle with business rivals and fall for two beautiful librarians on the eve of a hurricane that will destroy the city. Filled with humor, history, romance, and heartbreak, SEPTEMBER SKY follows two directionless souls on the adventure of a lifetime as they try to make peace with the past, find new purpose, and grapple with the knowledge of things to come.
more
Interesting time travel mystery
Chuck and Justin, the father and son live in present times. They have a complicated relationship, mostly because they have neglected each other for too long.
Circumstances are such that both of them take a trip back to the times when a great hurricane struck Galveston in the 1900s.
In the past, both father and son decide to solve a mystery to prevent a man from wrongly going to prison.
There is a little romance for both father and son as they meet two women in the past.
Considering that it is a time travel mystery, I enjoyed how the elements of the past were brought in and solved by the two heroes. Though sometimes the story seemed a little farfetched, I enjoyed the way the story was weaved. Liked it.
Sorry, I could not get into this book. It was too slow and didn’t catch my interest quickly. I stopped reading about quarter of the way through.
This story was well written and kept me interested all the way through. I enjoy reading and writing time-travel novels. They take the reader to times that can’t be visited in real life. Like in the novel, Time and Again by Jack Finney, this author also makes you feel like it’s possible to travel back in time. It’s a fun read.
I love all of this author’s tales of time travel. He brings history alive and makes it entertaining. I am slowly reading my way through all of his tales and fully enjoying the trip!
Since I am from Texas, I know about the 1900 hurricane. Interesting take. Many people died and they later raised the island by dredging Offats Bayou and building a seawall.
Love time travel books
I really wanted to give this book a higher rating. Two things prevented that: 1) the dialogue & behavior in the 1900s, and 2) the way he wrapped up the story.
The dialogue the 2016 travelers used in 1900 was, I thought, incongruous with the way folks talked back then. This was also true of the characters actions & reactions. Divorces were still a social taboo, yet Charlotte the librarian isn’t shocked. Kisses out in the open where anyone could see, the concept of dating, young lovers being unchaperoned, none of this would be commonplace or acceptable in 1900.
The story is engaging, but when you get to the time of the flood, it’s all “warp speed, Mr. Sulu!” There was a sketch Gilda Radner used to do on Saturday Night Live, where she portrayed a little girl who pretended to be a trauma plaqued Princess. For each bad thing that happened, Radner would throw herself against a door. The last 20 or so chapters were like that. Girl finds family in the middle of a hurricane (yeah!); girl watches house fall on parents, killing them (boo!). Everyone makes it except the girl (yeah!); time traveler’s wife held hostage at gun point by billionaire’s crazy brother (boo!). It all seemed unnecessary.
John Heldt’s books never fail. I love every series and every book.
Time travelers go to Galveston right before a huge storm and the realistic descriptions of events and actions and characters had such a strong impact on me. This is unforgettable.
Can’t wait to read the next ones in the series.
Enjoyed the characters a great deal. While the plot was a little predictable, it is well-done
This is an action-packed true account of a young man during WW II , who repeatedly risked his life and well-being to help fugitive Jews traverse to safety over the snow-covered mountains of Italy. The true-story romance that unfolds between the espisodes and carnage of war will leave you speechless, spellbound, and ultimately haunted. Unforgettable!
This is the first of an excellent time travel serie.
I’m a big fan of time-travel stories, so was eager to get into this one. First the strong points:
The author’s research about Galveston and the 1900 hurricane is impeccable. He knows the city well and has captured that era with what I assume is solid research.
Two: the father-son traveling duo is interesting. A charming sidekick is always a plus. There are twin romances, and both of those are sweet and reader-friendly.
The story has a brisk plot and you don’t get bored. Too often in today’s market reality of many-bargain/giveaway-books-online, you really can’t wait to get done with a subpar story and move to the next one. But this storyline holds your interest throughout.
But now to the weak points.
The dialogue is painfully cheesy almost all the way through. Stiff, clunky, and not nearly nuanced for a writer of this caliber. At one point, a citizen of the distant past assures a colleague: “I’ve got your back.”
Other reviewers have also panned the contrived plot twists. The most egregious is when the father/son duo take two magic crystals to the past . . . and promptly allow just one of them to be stolen. When it comes time to escape “back to the future,” oops, Justin has inexplicably forgotten to pack the second in his suitcase. Hello? That’s tantamount to Marty McFly going to the prom and leaving the key to the DeLorean under his pillow back at Doc Brown’s house. The lapse does open up an important part of the novel’s conclusion, but it’s an eye-rolling moment for sure.
Overall: 2¾ stars and I rounded up to three.
It moved a little bit slow.
An enjoyable read, with a vivid view of Texas history as a bonus.
I like the authors writing style and sure enjoy time travel stories. This was an interesting pairing of characters, father and unemployed son…but they fit together well in this story. He had written an earlier series I liked better, but this one is in a group that is also good, but mayne mot as good…needs a bit deeper character and story development. But I woyld recommend it.
If you love time travel books, you will find this book entertaining. While there are love stories, the plot line is more than that. It is a page-turner – especially towards the end.
Loved it! Read the whole series and want more!
Hope there is another book like this from this author.