FeaturedHistorical Fiction

Tangle of Time

By

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When four kids are buried alive, the only choice they have is to keep going. Someone will come help them eventually, right?

"Buried alive with one way out. You don't ask questions. You survive."


Four college kids, Mae, Toke, Dexter, and Greg, have the best plan to make money this summer. It's simple, they'll help on a worksite, moving rocks from one place to another. Straightforward, hard labor for a couple of days, then they'll get a good deal of money to help them have a great summer. When an accident happens trapping the four of them underground, they have no choice but to keep moving. There has to be a way out somewhere. Once out, they find themselves in a time not their own. How can four teens survive in the 1800's and how are they ever going to find their way home?


"Far too bizarre to comprehend at the moment, but either way, it was real. Someone was trying to kill him."


Let me just start this by saying my favorite stories growing up were Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie books. I was obsessed with the way people lived back then and all the work they had to do just to survive their day to day lives. Tangle of Time takes place around thirty years before the Little House books, but it had very similar feel, in a more mature way. I quickly fell in love with the characters Westcott created. Mae, a strong female activist, sent back to a time when women were seen as domestic creatures. Toke, a guy who never takes anything seriously and always has a joke ready. Dexter, a smart, thoughtful guy, who tries to make the best of the situation and use what he knows about the future to help. Lastly, Greg, who gets separated from the group early on and has to figure things out all on his own. As you read through the book, you see how these characters change to adapt to their surroundings and learn how to survive in a time that is so different from their own.


"I despise this caged domesticity."


You can tell the time and energy Westcott put into learning about the way people lived in the 1840's. There are scenes describing the hunting, the cooking, the harvest, how they built houses and beds. I would highly recommend this book to those who love historical fiction, or even those who enjoy science fiction. There were many times I found myself laughing at the reactions to the kids trying to explain the future to people who didn't even own a typewriter. At times incredibly fast paced and action packed, yet also slowing down to explain the intricacies of another time. I for one can not wait to see what Westcott will do with the sequel!


Reviewed by

Long time reader, teacher, and lover of new worlds. Always looking for a new book to be obsessed with!

Chapter One

About the author

Gin has an unlimited imagination bursting with ideas and found writing novels the perfect outlet. Having a dry, quirky sense of humor, and a passion for justice, she spawns unique, compelling characters that weave their way through exciting, yet often unsettling, situations. view profile

Published on April 20, 2020

Published by Biscuit Tuesday Press

120000 words

Contains mild explicit content ⚠️

Genre: Historical Fiction

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