Review: Class of '59 by John A. Heldt

by Donna Huber

When I need a light-hearted, easy, entertaining read I know I can't go wrong with one of John A. Heldt's time-traveling tales. As a bonus, the books in a series can be read in any order, which means I can select the first one I come to on my Nook.
Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

September 2016; ebook (402 pages);
science fiction; historical

I love a dark novel full of twists and turns, but sometimes I need to take a break and read something that is just fluff, doesn't take a lot of mental powers to keep up with the story, just pure light entertainment. That is when I turn to a novel by John A Heldt. This time I picked up The Class of '59.

It is part of the American Journey series. In this series, the time-traveling characters travel back and forth via a tunnel in a San Francisco house. In the previous book I read in the is series, Mercer Street (read my review), the time-traveling characters met the professor who owns the house and is set-up on a sort of vacation to the past - with planning and preparations.

In The Class of '59, the time-travelers stumble accidentally upon the crystal and tunnel. In 1959, Mark Ryan finds in a desk in the house his family has recently moved into a crystal and a letter penned by a former occupant detailing a fantastic tale of time-traveling to 2017. Curiosity gets the better of him, he decides to see if time travel is actually possible, and pops up in the backyard of the house in 2017 where Mary Beth and her family are staying while the professor and his wife visit family.  After a few practice runs, Mary Beth and her sister decide to make their rainy California a bit more exciting by traveling back with Mark and his brother to spend time in 1959.

Just because this is a light, easy read, doesn't mean it is boring. I love the historical tidbits that are scattered throughout the novel as Mary Beth and her sister experience 1959 - the era of sock hops and soda fountains. There is also some suspense as Mary Beth inadvertently ticks off a mobster in Las Vegas. Plus, there is an impending doom feeling as you worry that they might get stuck with no one knowing where they are.

After reading several of John A. Heldt's novel, I'm convinced that I need to find a time tunnel myself as the characters always fall in love (talk about a long distance relationship!) and though at first there doesn't seem to be any way they can be together - someone is going to have to give up their era, friends, and family and learn to live in a time that feels a bit bizarre.

If you are looking for a straightforward story of love and adventure, then you definitely need to pick up Class of '59.

Buy Class of '59 at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour. 

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