Rowan Popplewell and his younger sister Nina are sent to spend the summer with their two eccentric great-aunts in Owatannauk, Maine. Curious Rowan wants to know what is going on every sunset at the old, abandoned resort hotel on the edge of town? He soon finds out the resort is an elaborate time machine.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
What's the best way to cope with profound grief and loss? Time travel, of course, as practiced by two grieving kids in first-time children's book author Maiya Williams' exceptionally engaging and remarkable debut.
While struggling to process their mother's unexpected death, 13-year-old Rowan and his 11-year-old sister Nina spend the summer with their two eccentric aunts in rural Owatannauk, Maine. But as the kids soon discover, Aunt Agatha and Aunt Gertrude are much more than eccentric. Enlisting the aid of Xavier and Xanthe (two smart, sass-mouth twins also stuck in Owatannauk), Rowan and Nina seek to solve the mystery of their aunts' seemingly psychic powers and collection of preternaturally well-preserved "curios." In their investigations, the crew stumbles upon an even bigger mystery involving an apparently haunted hotel equipped with time-traveling elevators, called "alleviators." "What do they alleviate?...Curiosity." Every question answered generates more questions, and before they know it, all four find themselves in another time altogether.
Williams (a TV writer and producer for Rugrats and Mad TV) may be new to children's books, but she's no stranger to story-telling. The Golden Hour cleverly combines a hunt across time with Rowan's personal hunt for a stronger sense of self--throughout the book, we follow a journal entry he titles, "Top Ten Reasons My Life Stinks". With an uncanny sense of pace, a fitting balance between humor and drama, and a contagious affection for detail, Williams ends up with a story filled with twists and secrets too good to give away. (Ages 9 to 12) --Paul Hughes
From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8-When Rowan and Nina Popplewell's father sends them to spend the summer with their deceased mother's aunts in Maine, adventures and excitement follow. With their new friends Xanthe and Xavier, they explore the secrets surrounding the town and the abandoned Owatannauk resort, which comes to life and offers time-travel opportunity during the magical "golden hour," defined as "the short period of time between day and night." When Nina disappears, Rowan and the twins assume she went to France and find themselves in 1789 Paris. Rowan and the twins explore different levels of society on the eve of the French Revolution, which allows them to encounter everyone from Marie Antoinette to street beggars. As the friends travel from palaces to prisons in search of Nina, Rowan realizes that he needs to find the self he has lost to grief and anger about his mother's death as well as his missing sister. A surprising conclusion reunites the siblings and leaves room for further visits to the Owatannauk. Rowan's self-doubt makes him an appealing and realistic character, and supporting characters, including the two eccentric aunts, are well-drawn. The fast-paced plot and smooth transition from everyday life to fantasy adventure make this a good choice for reluctant readers. An author's note separating historical fact from fiction and including Williams's sources may motivate readers to learn more about the French Revolution.-Beth L. Meister, Yeshiva of Central Queens, Flushing, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Revolutionary Adventure,
A Kid's Review
This review is from: The Golden Hour (Hardcover)
The book The Golden Hour by Maiya Williams is an extraordinary read for children ages 10 and above.
In the beginning, we meet 12 year-old Rowan and his sister Nina, who are still mourning the death of their mother the previous year. Rowan and Nina are sent to Owatannauk, Maine to live with their two aunts for a month. They have the cliché aunts... Agatha, who is short, plump, and friendly, and Gertrude, who is tall, skinny, and has a great deal of rectitude. There is a mystery about this little town, though: everything looks as if it came from a different era. Rowan and Nina befriend 12 year-old twins Xavier and Xanthe, and together, the four of them discover the alleviators - time machines - in an old, broken-down hotel that comes to life at the "golden hour." As they discuss the possibilities of going back in time, Rowan tells Nina about the Enlightenment, a time when learning and the arts flourished and people were optimistic. Later, he is horrified to find out that he'd told her the wrong dates and accidentally convinced her to retreat to France during the French Revolution! Rowan, Xanthe, and Xavier travel to the late 1700s and experience the dread and hatred that took place during the French Revolution and particularly on Bastille Day. They are forced to watch the strident accusations and brainless assumptions made at that time. They are also fortunate to meet some of the more ardent and passionate people of the period. Rowan and the twins are almost killed, and then they discover something that makes Rowan wish he had never been born... Fortunately for the anxious reader, a happy and encouraging twist occurs, to satisfy your hunger for a good ending. This book is like an ice cream sundae; the dark chocolate ice cream is grief, with the vanilla representing happiness. The hot fudge (the part that makes the whole thing a great dessert) symbolizes the backdrop of history that is streaked throughout the pages - some of the characters truly existed, and most of the historical information is factual. The scattered nuts represent friendship, and the whipped cream is the icing on top: the reality of the story, how the characters, action, and dialogue seem so realistic. Last but not least, the sweet cherry symbolizes the romance between two of the main characters, which completes the whole book. The story was very entertaining, and I always looked forward to reading more. The Golden Hour by Maiya Williams is a great book, with interesting and believable characters, and that is why I chose to rate it a five.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Fantasy with Substance,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Golden Hour (Hardcover)
This time-tripping fantasy is so fast-moving and fun, your kids won't realize it's good for them. The non-stop adventure also contains lessons on self-esteem, racial harmony, and great dollops of French Revolution history. Ms. Williams is an amazing mix of J.K. Rowling and E.L. Doctorow.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Charming and exciting time travel novel for young people,
This review is from: The Golden Hour (Hardcover)
This is a marvelous book, touching and exciting. Maiya Williams dos an excellent job of making the time period of the French Revolution come to life by having each of the four children who travel back in time become a member of a different social group of the time. Their attitudes towarad the events surrounding the French Revolution are therefore very different; most interesing are their differing views of Queen Marie Antoinette. Although the book deals with children's loss of their mother, I'm not sure this book will be particularly helpful for other children in that situation. Rowan and Nina learn lessons about accepting loss and moving on with life, but we don't get a clear idea of how these lessons are drawn from their experiences. I think Maiya Williams could have made these connections a bit more obvious for the readers. Overall, however, this is a delightful book, life-affirming, moving, interesting and exaciting. I look forward to Williams's sequel, The Silver Hour.
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