Book Review: Every Hill and Mountain by Deborah Heal

About the Book: Those who have read Time and Again and Unclaimed Legacy know that Abby Thomas is a college student on a summer service project with 11-year-old Merri. And they know that the summer is not going the way Abby had expected—but in a good way. For one thing, she meets a very nice guy named John Roberts. And for another, she discovers a strange computer program called Beautiful House that lets her fast-forward and rewind life. Not her own, of course, but those of the people who lived in Merri’s old house. And the Old Dears’ old house, and…well, any old house.

And since Beautiful House worked so well for the Old Dears’ genealogy project, Abby’s college roommate Kate hopes it will help her find out more about her ancestor. Ned Greenfield was born at a place called Hickory Hill in the tiny town of Equality, set in the hills of southern Illinois and the breath-taking Shawnee National Forest.

Abby and John reluctantly agree to help her, but only on the condition that she and her fiancé Ryan promise to keep the program a secret, because if it fell into the wrong hands…well, no one wants Big Brother looking over his shoulder.

The mayor, police chief, and townspeople of Equality are hospitable and helpful—until the topic of Hickory Hill comes up. Eventually Abby and her friends find Hickory Hill on their own—both the mansion and the lonely hill it sits upon. Built in 1834, Hickory Hill stands sentinel over Half Moon Salt Mine where the original owner John Granger accumulated his blood-tainted fortune.

They meet Miss Granger, Hickory Hill’s current eccentric owner and eventually get the chance to time-surf there. Their shocking discovery on the third floor is almost too much to bear. What they learn sends them racing to the opposite end of the state to find the missing link in Kate’s family tree. And there they are reminded that God is in the business of redemption—that one day he’ll make all things new.

My Review: To be honest, this was my least favorite book in the Time and Again series. After hearing about Abby's roommate Kate in the past two books, I expected more from her than what I was given. Kate's boyfriend is a jerk, and completely flat as a character. I tried to find some redeeming quality in him, but there wasn't anything there to even like. I couldn't understand what Kate saw in him, but she obviously saw something or she wouldn't have gotten engaged to him or given him such a precious gift. All of this added together to make me disappointed in Kate. This disappointment limited my enjoyment of the story. I give Every Hill and Mountain 3.5 stars as a result.

My Rating:

My Recommendation: I recommend this book to young adults who want a very clean, conservative story full of imagination, romance, and adventure in a historical context.

Book Review: Unclaimed Legacy by Deborah Heal

About the Book: “I call it time-surfing,” Abby said. “It’s like being there,except no one can see or hear us.”

“Whatever you call it,” John said, “that was crazy—what we just did.
Beyond realistic. I mean, I was in that guy’s head
and knew everything he was thinking.”

Abby’s weird computer program is working again. And it comes in handy when they agree to help the Old Dears next door with their family tree. Except Abby and John learn more about one of the ladies’ ancestors than they ever wanted to know. Convicted in 1871 of murder and arson, Reuben Buchanan is a blight on the family’s reputation. But was he really guilty? Abby and John get inside the mind of a murderer to find out. But while they’re rummaging around in the Old Dears’ family history, they discover the truth of God’s promise to bless a thousand generations …
… and a legacy waiting to be reclaimed.

My Review: The weird time-travel program is at it again, but this time Abby and Merrideth get Johns help to solve a genealogical question for two delightful twins. I fell in love with The Old Dears, and was interested to see how their story would play out. With the help of John's laptop, they are able to take the program into different houses, and learn many different stories. Heal deals with some heavy issues from the past, while the main characters stay safe in the present. Well, as safe as they can. I was a little concerned with the justification of the breaking and entering that John and Abby are a part of. You'll have to read the book to understand what I mean. As soon as I finished this book, I immediately opened Every Hill and Mountain because I had to read what was going to happen in the next episode.

My Rating:

My Recommendation: I recommend this book to young adults who want a very clean, conservative story full of imagination, romance, and adventure in a historical context.

Book Review: Time and Again by Deborah Heal

About the Book: Abby thinks tutoring an “an economically disadvantaged adolescent” as her college service project for the summer will be a snap.

Merrideth, her sullen 11-year-old student, thinks “No thanks, I don’t need a babysitter.”

John thinks Abby’s kidding when she tells him she can fast-forward and rewind life. Not her own, of course, but that of the girl who lived in Merrideth’s house 160 years ago.

It’s difficult for Abby to break through Merrideth’s emotional wall. The girl has been closed down ever since her parents’ divorce, especially since she was forced to move to the dilapidated old house that her mom inherited. But when her dad sends her a top-of-the-line computer to make up for it, Abby and Merrideth discover a crazy program that invites them to “Take a Virtual Tour” of houses around the world— including Merrideth’s. It’s a tour all right… a tour of the past when the house was new and a girl named Charlotte Miles lived there.

It’s like being there, only better. They know Charlotte’s thoughts and feelings. They experience her joys and frustrations as she courageously takes on a huge challenge, risking her life for others while her father is off fighting in the Civil War.

Watching from a distance, Abby and Merrideth gain a new perspective on their own lives, their faith strengthened as time and again they see God’s loving hand in Charlotte’s life

My Review: If you are looking for a clean young adult time-travel novel, this may be the book for you. Deborah Heal gives us the story of a college age girl who is tutoring a disadvantaged youth over the summer break, but their history lessons take on a whole new twist when they discover a program that lets them experience the past first hand.

The whole concept of seeing the past in person fascinates me. I have always wondered what it would have been like for the generations that came before me. I wanted to walk in their shoes, even if it was for a day. If I had a computer program like this, I would have spent my whole time following around the people in the program, so I can understand where the characters in this book are coming from. One thing I appreciate about Heal's book is, although it is self-published, it has been edited well. I could lose myself in the story because the writing was clean and without error. Thank you! I can't express how much that helped my enjoyment, as I've read other self-published works that were full of grammatical errors that caused me to put the book down without finishing, and I hate not finishing a book.

Time and Again is a great start to Heals series of young adult books, which continue the story like the next episode in a television drama. Don't forget to tune in for Unclaimed Legacy and Every Hill and Mountain.

My Rating:

My Recommendation: I recommend this book to young adults who want a very clean, conservative story full of imagination and adventure in a historical context.