Time Windows [Turtleback]

Kathryn Reiss (Author)

Book Description

When Miranda moves with her family to a new house in a small Massachusetts town, she discovers a mysterious antique--a dollhouse. Through the windows, she is shocked to find what seem to be living people in the tiny rooms, and gradually she realizes that scenes from the lives of the big house’s past inhabitants are being replayed there.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Miranda can't explain her fascination with the dollhouse in the attic of her family's big, old house--no one would believe that she has discovered a time machine that allows her to see into the sometimes frightening lives of her house's previous occupants. But when her family begins to mirror the dollhouse family's ugly behavior, Miranda must act quickly to prevent disaster. Reiss puts a new twist on time travel in this suspenseful first novel. Reminiscent of The Indian in the Cupboard in its validation of children's play, this intricately woven ghost story pits its heroine against the forces of child abuse and untimely death in a deft, entertaining and inventive style. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-9-- Moving from New York City to an old house near Boston, Miranda, 14, becomes obsessed with what she sees through the windows of a dollhouse she finds in the attic. She discovers that her new home is haunted by beautiful, angry, abusive Lucinda. In 1904, Lucinda locked her young daughter, Dorothy, in the attic and left her stuffy husband to run away with a lover, and then was killed in a train wreck. Her malignant influence soon begins to work on Miranda's mother. In a page-turning climax, Miranda realizes that only she can save her mother from madness by rescuing Dorothy and changing the past. Although the book raises profound philosophic questions and deals with strong passions, its style, characterization, and emotional trajectory do not match its potential. The greatest problem is Lucinda. Readers are never sure whether she is an archetypal figure of pure evil or a strong-willed woman declaring her independence from a narrow, repressive husband. Is she caricature or character? How and why does she influence the other characters? Also, a love interest between Miranda and the boy across the street occurs with implausible ease. Pam Conrad's Stonewords (HarperCollins, 1990), Eleanor Cameron's The Court of the Stone Children (Dutton, 1973), Diana Wynne Jones's Fire and Hemlock (Greenwillow, 1984), and Ursula K. LeGuin's adult novel The Lathe of Heaven (Bentley, 1982) all create more complex characters while facing the philosophical implications of changing the past. Still, the well-structured mystery, the fast-moving plot, and the accessible prose make this a useful addition to fantasy shelves. --Margaret A. Chang, Buxton School, Williamstown,
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Turtleback: 260 pages
• Publisher: Demco Media (April 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0606068147
• ISBN-13: 978-0606068147
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (53 customer reviews)

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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 Creepy Story that is well told, September 5, 2000

By 

Lorraine Berry (Ithaca, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Time Windows (Paperback)

I have to say that this story absolutely creeped me out. It had all the great ingredients that comprise mystery and suspense books. Miranda, the heroine, is a compelling, sympathetic figure and her obsession with the doll house is made tangible through Ms. Reiss's prose. I wanted Mandy to go up in the attic so that I could hear the latest installment of what she finds through the windows.

As the book continues, the plot gets more complex and more tension builds. The book eventually becomes a literal nailbiter, as I found myself with butterflies of anxiety in my stomach wondering what was going to happen next and how Mandy would handle the situations as they arose. You could feel the hairs raise on the back of your neck as certain things were revealed.

By the end of the book I was in that place where I couldn't put the book down but I was almost afraid to keep reading because I didn't want the horrible things to happen that my imagination was playing out. The great thing was that the book is not gory; it's just plain frightening and suspenseful, so those with weak stomachs can read this book with no problems, but those with weak hearts better watch out--your heart will pound at certain places!

I'm not sure how Ms. Reiss was able to manipulate me as a reader so well--she's a tremendous story teller and a great summoner of mood and tension. At the end, I felt as if I'd been on a very scary roller-coaster. On one hand, I was exhilarated by the ride, on the other, I was thoroughly disconcerted by the ending and found myself pondering its meanings and implications for days to come.

So, go out and buy yourself this book. But, be warned. If you frighten easily, you might want to read this during the daylight hours and in wide open spaces.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars it's one of the best books i've read in the past 3 years!!, July 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Time Windows (Hardcover)

this book is an amazing thing to read. kathryn plots it well, and everything is all tied together in one way or another in the end. if you skip 1 paragraph you'll become lost because kathryn doesn't put in all of the boring detail that is in most other books. she keeps you interested, and wondering what in the world'll happen next. you can never tell what's going to happen or when, because there's no way. something just hits miranda when you thought it wouldn't. time windows isn't kathryn's only thrilling book, either. THE GLASS HOUSE PEOPLE is also an awesome one, although this is more twisting and more mind-boggling. it's the only science-fiction book i've ever liked. it really makes you wonder where to draw the line between fantasy- and reality.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hard to Believe This is a Young Adult Novel!, July 25, 2006

By 

Lynne P. Caldwell (Dadeville, AL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Time Windows (Paperback)

I happen to like all sorts of books--children's books, young adults, fiction, non-fiction, biographies, even the classics! A well-written book appeals to all ages. Look at the HARRY POTTER phenomena...................I for one admit to being passionate about those fabulous books and I am far removed from a young adult (middle aged if you must know).

When I was a school counselor not too long ago, I always went to the library's annual scholastic book sale. I usually bought five to ten books--everytime thinking that when I retired, I'd have more time to read (I buy a ton of books from Amazon too). Subsequently, I have hundreds and hundreds of books in my house, many unread (as I'm constantly buying more). I happened upon TIME WINDOWS the other day, picked it up to read the first few pages. I wanted to see if I would like it. WOW! This is an undeniably well-written novel by Kathryn Reiss. Full of fantasy, time travel, history, even a death, TIME WINDOWS has all the ingredients for a compelling and enjoyable read.

This is the story of thirteen year-old Miranda, who along with her Physician mother Helen and her father Phillip, (who is taking a break from university teaching) decide to pull up their roots in New York City for the small town life in the pre-Revolutionary war town of Garnet. They move into a large and majestic home that is very run down. Miranda is drawn to the attic where she finds a large dollhouse that is an exact replica of the Browne's new home. A slave who was hiding in this 'Galworthy' house during the civil war built the dollhouse. Amazing things happen to Miranda when she peers through the windows--she visits two families--one in 1904 and the other in the 1940's. She is a witness to all their comings and goings and conversations. She can even smell bread baking in the oven or the perfume that the lady of the house is wearing. Horrible things start happening to these families and eventually the same horrors plague the Browne family. Exact sentences are repeated throughout the century. There is a great mystery here and Miranda, along with her new friend Dan must solve it before the house destroys her family as it has in previous generations.

This novel is recommended for any age--young or old. If you are looking for a quick and easy read with a fabulous story that has a mystery and fantasy, get this book!