In May 2000, Joel Smith is a cocky, adventurous young man who sees the world as his playground. But when the college senior, days from graduation, enters an abandoned Montana mine, he discovers the price of reckless curiosity. He emerges in May 1941 with a cell phone he can’t use, money he can’t spend, and little but his wits to guide his way. Stuck in the age of swing dancing and a peacetime draft, Joel begins a new life as the nation drifts toward war. With the help of his 21-year-old trailblazing grandmother and her friends, he finds his place in a world he knew only from movies and books. But when an opportunity comes to return to the present, Joel must decide whether to leave his new love in the past or choose a course that will alter their lives forever. THE MINE is a love story that follows a humbled man through a critical time in history as he adjusts to new surroundings and wrestles with the knowledge of things to come.
PUBLISHER: Self-published
PAGES: 286
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This novel was given to me by the author and that in no way affects my overall opinion of this book.
Joel is a regular guy living in the 2000s. He’s just days away from graduating college, has a beautiful girlfriend, and enjoys spending time with a best friend who puts up with all of his adventurous quirks. Everything changes when he takes a spontaneous detour into an abandoned mine, he finds himself suddenly transported to May 31, 1941.
MORAL RATING:
PG/PG-13: Kissing, some cussing (in the 2000s section of this novel), implied (but not dwelled upon) sex
THE GOOD:
Okay. Ah. I absolutely loved this novel! I read it in less than 24 hours and cried at the end (I’m pathetic, sorry not sorry). This is not the first time that I’ve read a time travel-centered plot and I was afraid that it was going to be unoriginal. This was not the case, however, as I found the characters and the novel’s setting unique and intriguing! Joel was a treat to read; I loved the way in which he adapted to the 1940s and to Grace. I expected this novel to be romance-driven, but it was also largely about friendship. Ginny, Linda, Tom and Katie were fantastic secondary characters and were written with depth and emotion. It was clear that Heldt did a fair amount of research for this novel and the time period that Joel traveled back to (1941) is definitely one of my favorites to learn about! I mean, it’s depressing with Pearl Harbor, the beginning of World War II… but it’s a period of time that’s just so full. Such a page-turner!
THE BAD:
The only thing that bugged me about this novel was the sometimes manufactured-sounding, non-natural dialogue. At times, the dialogue between characters seemed a bit stilted and awkward. That being said, it didn’t detract that much from my overall love of this book.
SOUNDTRACK:
…Nothing like some Glenn Miller!
THE VERDICT:
I’d give this novel 5 hearts! I cannot wait to read the other books in this series. They’ll probably cause me to become over-emotional again, but I figure it’s worth it to spend more time with these lovely characters.
"I Think I'm Obsessed" 