THE PORTAL

A “time gypsy,” 11-year-old Rose travels between 21st-century Indianapolis and 16th-century England searching for her father.

Budding fashionista Rose designs clothing and writes a popular fashion blog. She’s never known her father, so following her mother’s untimely death, Rose goes to live with her slightly dotty grandmother, who treats her with “general indifference.” At school she’s immediately targeted by the Mean Queens, a trio of cruel girls known for destructive bullying. Drawn to her grandmother’s otherworldly Tudor-style greenhouse, Rose tumbles backward in time to Hatfield, home of Princess Elizabeth, banished daughter of Henry VIII. Hired as Elizabeth’s chambermaid, Rose finds herself embroiled in palace politics. When she receives a locket containing a modern photo of her with her mother and an unidentified man, Rose suspects he could be her father. Toggling between contemporary life with her grandmother and 16th-century life searching for her father, Rose fits amazingly (even incredibly) well into past and present, growing especially close with dairymaid Franny. Diary entries, letters, blog posts, and photos add pizzazz. A strong subtext comparing contemporary teen bullying to Tudor mockery of court dwarfs and fools proves relevant, though the term “gypsy” goes unquestioned. The ending offers a revelation about Franny and leaves Rose in the 16th century, ripe for further adventure.

A convincing, compelling new time-travel series rife with Tudor drama.