NEVER-ENDING NIGHT was a fascinating mixture of "what if?" and real life, wrapped up in one of literature's most compelling ideas. Compelling but tricky. Because it takes a skilled author to keep that fine line of believability in tact all the way through a time-travel story. In NEVER-ENDING NIGHT, Tanya Stowe has done it beautifully.
It's the historical thread, alone, that usually pulls us along through these stories, since readers are actually experiencing a form of time-travel, themselves, every time they pick one up. So much so that it has evolved into a genre all its own. There are a lot of dedicated fans out there (me included). So, if you are one of those, you will definitely enjoy this account of a modern-day war correspondent who suddenly comes face-to-face with a wounded Civil War soldier.
But you are also in for some surprises.
A mystery that keeps you turning pages to see how everything fits together, some startling twists, and a couple of great characters that are deliciously well-defined. All of which makes the present day part of the story as gripping as the "time warp" because they are so wonderfully entwined. That's the reason I rate NEVER-ENDING NIGHT not just another good time-travel book, but a fantastic one. Pure pleasure. And I would recommend it to anybody looking for…
A great escape!
Of course, there were a couple of things I absolutely had to ask Tanya, herself, about all this, since it's one of my favorite subjects. So, here's a few snatches of that conversation:
Well, Lilly, years ago I was reading a Civil War soldier's account of the Battle of Shiloh. I couldn't imagine how anyone could survive that with their mind in tact. It made me think about all of our veterans and what a soldier from that time might be able to share, or teach them, and the story was born. I just didn't expect my "soldier" to be a woman!
That was an interesting twist, I must say. Time travel seems to have a powerful intrigue for a lot of people. Where would you go if you could actually time-travel, yourself?
If I had the power to travel through time, and not impact history or my life, I wouldn't be content to visit one era. I would want to see many! The ancient Egyptians, Rome at its peak, the Celts in Ireland and England as the Druids transformed into Christian leaders and doctors of the church. Victorian England with Britain at it's strongest, ready to leap into the 20th century. The rise and fall of power and what drives people and cultures fascinates me. Is it a search for survival and comfort, or is it a quest for the immortal?
The more I travel to different countries, the more I understand this driving force… the more content I am with my time, and especially my God! The one thing I know for sure is I will continue to write stories about time travel and these complex ideas…God willing!
And I will definitely be reading them, because you certainly have a talent for bringing them to life. Just out of curiosity, what are your personal views on time-travel? Real? Not real? What would you like it to be?
When I was younger I really wanted time travel to be real, but now, I don't think mankind can break the time barrier. God can. He can plunk a person out of his own time and plop him into another just like that. But I believe God would have to have a very good reason for breaking the natural laws He created.
Maybe if we could visit another time without altering our own life patterns, or those of history, it would be interesting. But time is a such a fragile thing, I don't think we could visit the past or the future without changing the patterns. So, no, I don't think I would like time travel to be possible.
Quite the interesting perspective. Which leads me to wonder what would be so terrible about altering history, if you were one of the "chosen" who got to travel back and forth in it. Yikes, that sounds a bit too controversial, so I better not ask. Let's just say it's an endlessly fascinating subject and leave it at that!
Meanwhile, could I interest you in a glass of iced seaweed tea?
Never heard of it, Lilly, but I'll try anything once.
TANYA STOWE has had an eclectic career, doing market research, arts education and event coordination. She has written for the real estate industry, television, publicity firms and national publications. Tanya has been married to her high school sweetheart for thirty-seven years. They have four children and eighteen grandchildren. Currently, they are living and working in the Middle East where they are beginning a new phase of their life with much adventure!
