What I liked about this novel is its storytelling and writing, which is direct, clear, and contemporary. I am not sure, however, of the verity of the conversations once the characters find themselves in another earlier era due to time travel. I am quite certain that some of the vocabulary and the vernacular differed a bit. Nevertheless, using our contemporary style of communicating makes the book much more readable. In addition, a bit of history, romance, suspense, mystery, and adventure also takes turns in the story to entertain and inform.

~Plot highlights from here on may interfere with your enjoyment of the book. Read the rest of the review at your own risk.~



In the story, the reporter Chuck Townsend, who has recently lost his job, and his son Justin, who has lost his zest for life due to his mother’s death and his girlfriend’s leaving him, take a cruise together. On the ship they attend a lecture on time travel given by Geoffrey Bell, a professor of physics. At the end of the lecture, both the son and the father fill out a questionnaire handed out to the attendees.

Later, the Townsends receive a call from Geoffrey Bell and agree to meet him. Bell tells them that has a secret mission for which he thinks Chuck and Justin would make good candidates. His mission is his capability of sending people to several certain years in the 20th century within the time-frame of 1900-1984.

Once they agree to traveling to 1900 and sign the necessary papers, they are led into a tunnel from the basement of Bell’s LA home. Bell has taken care of everything they would need and has supplied them with the necessary documents of the era, instructions of how to do things, and two bags with clothing and other items.

They are also given two crystals which are synchronized with the formula on the tunnel wall of limestone to open a time portal and make their passage possible. Thus, from here on, their lives in the 1900 begin with them going to Galveston, Texas. While there, they meet numerous people, an ancestor sentenced to death, and the culture of those days.

What happens then is a mixture of romance by both the father and the son, Chuck’s attempts to save his ancestor, and the tragic September 8 Galveston hurricane to speed up the action. It was also interesting and a bit far-fetched to see strong women in that era.

Where Chuck and Justin failed was in not keeping to their promise they gave to Geoffrey Bell about not messing up with the goings on of the history and the time they were in.

What happens at the end and if this father and son will be able to return or not, the readers will have to read the book to find out on their own.

The book is easy to read and quite enjoyable. I am glad I read it although I am not into sci-fi or time-travel all that much.

the realistically describe Galveston hurricane of 1900. I checked on it and the historical date was correct.

is John A. Heldt whose books are the Northwest Passage, American Journey, and Carson Chronicles series.

it is very easy to read and one learns of some historical trivia without any concentrated effort. It is more of an action/adventure type of a book rather than sci-fi, literary, or general fiction.

September Sky is the first book of the American Journey Series.

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Created Aug 30, 2020 at 11:58am • Submit your own review...