Out of Time: A Novel [Paperback]

Paula Martinac (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 11, 1999

A handsomely repackaged version of an award-winning debut novel that won the 1990 Lambda Literary Award for Best Lesbian Fiction and was a Finalist for the American Library Association Gay and Lesbian Book Award.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Lesbian ghosts have been haunting Susan ever since she felt compelled to make off with a 1920s photo album from a New York City antiques store. The ghosts--the women featured in the album--whisper in Susan's ear, titillate her with gossip about their love lives and literally seduce her. A confused 30-year-old with a bunch of advanced degrees and little desire to use them, Susan becomes swept up in the lives of her spiritual predecessors and sets out to understand their history. Her quest is complicated by a rocky relationship with her lover, Catherine, who is bothered by Susan's obsession with the ghosts. Martinac, whose writing appeared in Voyages Out 1: Lesbian Short Fiction , has a passion for the remnants of yesteryear; she excels at descriptions of antiques stores, 1920s nostalgia and the experiences of maverick women of those times. Less successful is her depiction of contemporary romance, which is weighed down by the kind of solemn analysis that engages only the people in the relationship. Susan's romance with the past, however, and the lessons she learns from her ghosts, ought to satisfy readers interested in lesbian social history.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Seeking shelter from the rain, Susan steps inside a Manhattan antique store. She finds a scrapbook and looks "the pages over quickly, taking in the faces of four amazing women." For this amateur collector of old books about lesbians, the photo album seems too good to be true: "it was almost like holding the women, protecting them from the silence of time." The photos - of Harriet, an actress during the 1920s, her partner Lucy Warner Wier, a writer, and another couple, Elinor and Sarah - stop in 1927. Susan's search to find out what happened to them affects her own life; the more involved she becomes with the photos, the more strained her relationship with her partner, Catherine, becomes. The scrapbook women become real to Susan; she seeks and visits places they visited and before long is conversing with them, but she is afraid to share this with Catherine. Though some of the action wraps up a little too neatly, Paula Martinac's engaging writing makes Out Of Time a fun romp through the twists and turns of the past and present. Out Of Time is a mystery, a history, and a love story in one. -- For great reviews of books for girls, check out Let's Hear It for the Girls: 375 Great Books for Readers 2-14. -- From 500 Great Books by Women; review by Holly Smith --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 252 pages
• Publisher: Seal Press; 2nd edition (March 11, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580050204
• ISBN-13: 978-1580050203
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,239,283 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Do You Believe in Ghosts?, January 21, 2005

By 

K. Johnson (Twin Cities, MN) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Out of Time: A Novel (Paperback)

When I first got my hands on this book I wasn't sure if I'd like it, so I put it on my bookshelf. One day, bored with the norm, I picked it up, started reading, and couldn't put it down. Martinac does a wonderful job hiding a relationship in "transition" within a touching story about lesbians from the past. It's hard for many people to believe, but we've been around since the dawn of time.

I found it easy to get wrapped up in Susan's search for answers about "The Gang" while ghosts of Harriet and Lucy help Susan in her quest. This was not a typical lesbian romance, but I thoroughly enjoyed it all the same.

Recommended for a rainy day, accompained with a cup of hot tea and lemon cookies.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a gem of a story on a shelf unlike any others, May 15, 2005

By 

ohanapride "ohanapride" (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Out of Time: A Novel (Paperback)

"Out of Time" is a beautiful story that delves into the past. Through an old photo album found in an antiques store, a woman begins a crusade to learn more about four women who lived in New York City long ago. While pursuing more information about these four women, Susan learns a lot about herself, and as a result, recognizes that her relationship is very much worthy of commitment.

I found this story to be very real and written by a woman who is a gifted writer. She conveys the story, and alludes to many things. I like stories that do that rather than beat me over the head with what is obvious. This writing shows me the story, rather than tells me. This is one of those books that I will forever keep on my shelf and pull it out and read it like the first time.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The past comes alive, April 9, 2001

By 

Lesbian Reader (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Out of Time: A Novel (Paperback)

I was glad to see this book back in print, because it is delightfully written and cunningly put together. As Susan learns more about the past, she loses touch with the present. I think that has happened to everyone who has ever fallen in love with a picture or a story and wished they somehow knew how it all came out in the end. My only quibble is the unrealistic ending, but that was a small part of an otherwise inspired, unique novel.