The Fountain by John A Heldt

A tale of time travel, history, danger, romance, and family relationships.

While this is a time travel book, as with all John A. Heldt’s books, it is so much more.

John skilfully combines a good story with a well-researched history. I have all of his books and he has never failed to entertain with his family-based time travel stories.

The Fountain is the first book of his new Second Chance series and after being introduced to the Carpenters, I look forward to the next in the series.

The three main characters are ageing siblings Bill, Paul and Annie. Bill (81) has just been widowed, Paul (75) is dying from lung cancer and Annie (72) is confined to a wheelchair.

All are childless and wonder what there is left in life. When Bill, a retired folklore and mythology professor, hears about a fountain of youth in La Paz, Mexico that could not only give them a second chance it would also mean travelling back in time to a simpler lifestyle. They don’t hesitate in making their decision. They sell their house and possessions and convert the proceeds into gold.

To reach the fountain they must travel to Mexico and enter an almost unknown cave. They enter the fountain and emerge in 1905. But things are different – Bill is now a young man of 23, Paul a cancer free teenager of 17 and Annie a 14 year old with a healthy body.

They must then find a way to get from Mexico to Oakland, California. Once in California they settle in and make friends. Bill finds a job and the two younger ones enrol in school but there is still one thing worrying them – the 1906 San Francisco earthquake especially when none of them can remember exactly when it will occur.

The Carpenters fitted in well to their new age. They had a few slip ups, particularly with jargon or slang terms, but it was fun to see them wriggle out of it.

The Fountain is much more than a time travel book. Heldt combines time travel with family relationships, history, romance, and heartbreak.

As always, he manages to combine all these genres without graphic sex or foul language. His history is well researched giving the reader a definite sense of time and place.

Aged 74 myself, I was able to relate to Bill, Paul and Annie and their wish to go back in time to a younger version of themselves. The difference is I have a son and grandchildren, they have no one but each other.

They are marvellous characters, quiet achievers, and caring souls.

We have a clear impression of Heldt’s main characters from the start and it was interesting to see that influenced who they were in 1905. Nothing was lost in the relationship between them or their attitudes to others and their distinct personalities remained unchanged.

Widower Bill has just buried his beloved wife after 54 years of marriage and is somewhat lost. While she is not strictly a character in the book she was much loved by his siblings and a strong influence on their lives.

Paul’s background is a bit clearer. He is a disgraced soldier, has been married three times and now coming to terms with living with terminal cancer. He had the most to gain from a second chance and was a delightful, caring young man in 1905.

Annie is used to her life confined to a wheelchair but is still frustrated with the limitations especially not having children. The opportunity to be free of it and relive a young life appeals greatly and she embraces life in 1905 with enthusiasm.

My favourite character though was Cassie, a teacher at the school where Bill has a job to assess the teaching staff and where Annie and Paul attend school. She’s smart, feisty and beautiful but she and Bill don’t hit it off in the beginning.

The other characters include Cassie’s family and another student, Pauline Wagner.

But in a John A. Heldt book you never know who you will meet and in this case, we meet Jack London, author of Call of the Wild and White Fang as well as US General Frederick Funston.

Every character has been well cast. They are believable and likeable. In fact, they are the key to the story.

The story is told from several points of view – the three siblings and Cassie. This does not confuse the reader as each chapter is titled with the name of the character.

As with all his books, Heldt’s blending of history and an imaginative story is creative with a gradual build up in tension. It all comes together in a relaxing and absorbing read.

As part of a series The Fountain is a complete story but Heldt leaves you wanting more. I am looking forward to reading the next in the series Annie’s Apple.

My thanks to the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

My rating 5*

 

Lyrics for the Loved Ones by Anne Goodwin

Lyrics for the Loved Ones is the bitter-sweet story of Matilda Windsor (Matty) who has been moved from a mental health institution to a nursing home in Cumbria. She is planning her 100th birthday but due to Covid lockdown plans need to be modified. 

It is the third book of the series about Matty.

The story begins as Matty is celebrating her 99th birthday but her thoughts and plans turn to celebrating her 100th. She plans a big function where she can perform on stage. There are also plans for her to be reunited with her daughter she was forced to give up for adoption.

But plans are thwarted when Covid hits and the nursing home goes into lockdown. The Black Lives Matter protests and the Windrush scandal are also featured but without much depth.

It is an emotional read interspersed with humour.

The setting alternates between West Cumbria and Bristol

The writing is good, but its wordiness was a little challenging as was following the relationships between the characters. However, the difficulties with the characters and their background may be due to not having read the previous stories in the series.

Although it is supposed to be suitable as a standalone novel I feel if I had read the two previous books I may have got more from the story. I don’t recall mention of it being part of a series when I requested it through LibraryThing Early Reviewers

This is the main reason for my low rating.

I found the story confusing, but it would appeal to a reader who likes to delve into complex relationships. I also recommend reading the other two first.

Overall, the book didn’t really work for me. 

Rating 2*

O2 by Nic D'Alessandro

O2 is a medical and action thriller. It is a compulsive read and a remarkably well-planned story.

The story revolves around Dylan Malloy who discovers his asthma is not as straightforward as he thought – it is a debilitating disease.

As a teenager and flying simulator enthusiast, he has had more than his fair share of personal life knocks.

Dylan’s story about his early life is not immediately told. It comes to the reader gradually through flashbacks. I had no problems following the flashbacks. It increased to the need to keep reading.

Getting a ride across the Nullabor with an old, philosophical truckie is the start of a new attitude to life.

Dylan finds an IT job in the remote north of Western Australia. He’s good at his job and well-liked but still a loner until a lady engineer, Allie, befriends him and pushes him to seek medical advice.

Dylan discovers he has Cystic Fibrosis and needs a lung transplant. However, he fears flying, and with the vast distances of Western Australia, it is his only option.

But with his ‘little friend’, an oxygen bottle, he must face his fears.

At this point, both Dylan and the reader hold their breath as the story takes a heart-stopping turn.

The Australian outback with its vivid colours, heat and colourful characters provides the backdrop to an intense story.

The tension at the end of the book is certainly screen worthy.

O2 is the first in a series about Dylan Malloy and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for him.

The characters are true to life, and I especially loved ‘Pothole’ the friendly truckie. The development of Dylan’s character is particularly well depicted as the reader becomes more invested in his future.

My rating 4*

A DONATION FROM EACH PAPERBACK AND EBOOK WILL BE DONATED TO CYSTIC FIBROSIS AUSTRALIA (A REGISTERED CHARITY) TO FUND SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE WITH CYSTIC FIBROSIS AND MEDICAL RESEARCH.

Author bio

I don’t usually include an author bio in my reviews but in this case, I think it is essential to appreciate this author’s credentials.

Nic D'Alessandro: Born and bred on an island state, I write about the land, sea, sky and people. I’m fascinated by the human condition, crazy on anything that floats or flies, and passionate about the beauty and value of true wilderness.

I’m into writing character-based dramas, thrillers with depth, and stories that dig deep into what it means to be human. I enjoy a meaty theme or two, and I subtly weave contemporary issues into my books when it suits.

When I’m not writing, I earn a living as an education consultant, specialist in the aviation industry, and aerial and landscape photographer. In previous lives I’ve been a senior manager in the public sector and an educational leader in the university sector.

In my spare time I’m a keen sailor and I take to the sky in aircraft whenever I can. I obtained my pilot licence at age seventeen, and later celebrated my forties by building a full-size 737 flight simulator in my garage.

I live in Tasmania, Australia with my wife, and extended family.

Shadowside by Neil Root

Shadowside is well written, and the sense of time, 1930s, well done. Sadly, I found this book was not for me and only got halfway.

A young girl has disappeared from the Sunnyside Asylum for children. Her mother hires reporter to find her. To be on the spot for his investigation he goes undercover as an orderly at the hospital.

Prior to her disappearance one of the staff has fallen down the stairs and died. Was it an accident or was he pushed?

The story is told from several POVs and the wide range of characters are believable.

My rating 3*