EPOCH

Modern-day siblings travel back through time to war-torn, Nazi-occupied Poland in Elle’s debut SF novel.

Twenty-two-year-old Blanca Hernandez and her younger brother, Mateo, tour the Texas college Mateo will soon be attending. An apparent earthquake suddenly hits, followed by an explosion. When the smoke clears, Blanca, Mateo, and other bystanders find themselves in another place altogether—1943 Poland, to be precise. Scientists at the college had been working on a project creating “time jumps” that went awry, and now the siblings are collateral damage, caught in the midst of an ongoing war. They’re soon dodging Nazis, vicious wildlife, and explosives dropped from above. They manage to connect with stranded, English-speaking German pilot Otto Zimmler, who can help them navigate the unfamiliar landscape. All Blanca and Mateo want is to make it to the coast, where a boat can take them to safety. While they’re under the threat of both German and Russian soldiers, they struggle to keep their fascinating origin a secret. The author wisely keeps the time-travel details simple and doesn’t unnecessarily complicate the story of heroes under fire. The remarkable cast drives the narrative: Eye-opening flashbacks highlight Blanca’s tumultuous past as a combat medic in Afghanistan and humanize Otto as the reader witnesses a loathsome ideology enshroud his youth (“…a soldier proudly brandished a red flag with a twisted black symbol in the middle. Otto was too young to know what it was, but it impressed him as much as anything had impressed him in his life”). Nazism is the indisputable villain here, but this is also a story of survival, and Elle fills her swiftly-paced tale with harrowing scenes that, sadly, not every character walks away from. Fortunately, lighter moments occasionally alleviate the grim tone; it’s amusing to see the travelers frequently refer to Mateo’s just-purchased college history book to get background on the era. The final act is a surprising, gleefully frenzied ride to the end.

Superlative characters enliven this richly detailed historical adventure.