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The Time Travel Agency sits on a quiet street in Sydney. It doesn’t get a lot of business; it has a small staff. Few know about its existence, and if they do, they make fun of it. Surely it’s a joke. Time travel doesn’t exist. And certainly not in this bare little setup.
Single mom Anna ends up getting a job there. She’s in dire need of better work and finds herself quite happy in this new position. But her coworkers are quite dedicated to what must be an elaborate ruse that their few customers really do go on trips to the past.
Teddy is drawn to the place, not far away from where he’s staying currently, after his wife of only months left him for his brother. He ends up deciding to take trips back to his unhappy childhood, which he’s hoping may hold some clues for the situation he’s in now.
Jade is writing in her journal, trying to find her writer’s voice again. She describes the troubles she’s having with her teen daughter and how she just can’t find a man she can create a solid relationship with. Jade, however, has zero interest in using the Time Travel Agency’s services. It’s clearly fake. Why waste money on that?
The paths of these three narrators come together in ways that I found very satisfying. Jaclyn Moriarty has a way of creating stories that are both poignant and a little quirky. I so enjoyed her Gravity Is the Thing, and she brings that light touch here too: crafting a compelling story that makes you wonder how it’s all going to come together and then feel very pleased with how it does. There’s so much to enjoy in Time Travel for Beginners.
Rated: High, though just over the line from moderate because of number of f-words. Profanity includes 8 uses of strong language, around 15 instances of moderate profanity, about 10 uses of mild language, 25 instances of the name of Deity in vain, and a few uses of British profanity (bl-). Sexual content includes kissing and references to dating a lot and having casual relations with someone occasionally, but no details. There are some injuries but no violence.
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