If all were to go swimmingly…

“The Time Between“

Review by Natalie Willers

Have you ever felt that moment when you learn about an event in history that makes your heart stop? The younger generations often don’t recognize the gap in their knowledge about what older generations have witnessed; it is only when faced with a startling fact of an elder’s life that the world stops spinning for a second and a momentous impact is made on a young person’s life by that single revelation.  This is what happens to Eleanor Murray in Karen White’s ‘The Time Between’.

I have read vast amounts of books and love most every type of story, but Eleanor’s journey speaks to my heart every time I read this book. Her world is tumultuous and spinning beyond her control. She has lost her dreams and her drive although she spends every day driving a shared junk-pile of a car and being reminded of the dreams she has given up. Her every day is wrought with grief and chained by guilt from her past. Her survival day to day depends on caring for her crippled sister, hiding from her brother-in-law, and sparring with her mother.  When confronted by her intimidating boss to take on more work, Eleanor must decide between surviving and giving up the last bit of herself she holds to a lonely young girl and a staunch old lady. Eleanor’s choice might just prove that she still holds the strength of her younger self to mend another’s heart and, just maybe, her own life in the process.

A southern flare gives an interesting motif to this story while a rippling connection to history teaches the reader important ideas about life and its challenges. While keeping the story at a simple entertaining, reading level, Karen White spins an intricate web of details, choices, and consequences. This is a great read for young adult readers and the eldest generations alike; none of whom will escape the power of Eleanor’s experience.

This story reveals the entire spectrum of human emotion from the powerlessness of depression to the strength of the human soul to overcome.  Every person has reason to connect with Eleanor’s struggles and find inspiration in her courage to face the unknown. Throughout the story, I love every heart stopping moment from harsh criticism to heart-wrenching loss to absolute joy to blissful peace. The book is an excellent reminder that you never know what you’ll find in another soul or the impact that may make on your life. Also, when you’re stuck in the middle, a quick look in the past may remind you of the possibilities of the future.