When Abby chose tutoring an "economically disadvantaged adolescent" as her college service project, she didn't realize how difficult her summer would be. Merrideth, her 11-year-old student, has been sullen and depressed ever since her parents' divorce, especially since she was forced to move to the dilapidated old house her mother inherited. When Merrideth's dad sends her a top-of-the-line computer to make up for his absence in her life, she and Abby discover a weird program on it that invites them to "Take a Virtual Tour" of various houses around the world, including, amazingly, Merrideth's own house.
And then they discover the program is more than a simple visual experience. Much more. Abby and Merrideth find they can "time-surf" to any date, including 1858 when the house was new and young Charlotte Miles lived there. By locking onto Charlotte, they can get into her head--know her thoughts and feelings--and experience her world, even when she gets on the train to attend the Lincoln/Douglas Debate.
Watching from a distance as Charlotte faces the challenges in her life, including the hardships of the Civil War, gives Abby and Merrideth new perspective on their own problems. Time and Again is a story told in the past and in the present. A story of self-discovery and faith.
AN EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER 8
The screen view had rotated on its vertical axis and now they were seeing the back side of Colonel Miles' house. White sheets on a clothesline snapped in the wind. A woman in a long blue dress and bonnet was stooping to pull a wet sheet from the wicker basket at her feet. A gray cat came out of the barn and, stepping delicately through the wet grass, cautiously bypassed the flapping sheets to lay in the sun on the back step.
After a moment of stunned silence, Merrideth said, "Charlotte! It's her. Quick. Zoom in on her."
"Maybe it's supposed to be Mrs. Miles." Before she could manipulate the zoom function, the young woman picked up her wicker basket and, stepping over the cat, went through the back door into the house, saying, "Nice kitty."
"Make her come back out so we can get a closer look," Merrideth said.
"I've got a better idea." She moved the cursor back up to the View menu and clicked first on Interior and then on Lock. The last thing she thought as she was being pulled into Charlotte's world was, Customer Support will never be able to explain this.
The young woman, a girl, really, set the wicker basket on the floor, removed her bonnet and hung it from a peg beside the back door. A chopping block sat in the middle of the kitchen.She walked dispiritedly to it and began to peel the potatoes and carrots that were heaped there. From time to time she wiped perspiration from her forehead with her apron.She glanced up at the clock that ticked on the wall and frowned. Nearly 10:30. Out the window she could see the depot down the street.The train to Alton would be arriving at noon,and on it would no doubt be many passengers on their way to the state fair.
But she would be stuck here, sweating in the kitchen. She heard her father moving around in his study and felt the anger well up again.
