Pim Wangtechawat

Overhyped and derivative. The book was all about the gimmick of time travel, which has been tackled better in novels like The Time Traveller's Wife, while the characters were undeveloped. How were the Wang family able to time travel, fading and reappearing in the past according to arbitrary rules, and to what purpose? There's no point or plot, just heavy-handed symbolism about family, immigration and love. The writing was also very pretentious, and I wasn't sure if my Kindle was affecting the layout or if some of the chapters were supposed to read like poetry! I just could not connect with any of the characters, which is a big fail for me, and started skim-reading halfway through.… (altro)

"Everyone who time travels describes their experience differently."

A poetic exploration of loss, grief and the ways we cope against the backdrop of London and Shanghai, past and present.

The Wang family can time-travel, which leads to their greatest triumphs and biggest tragedies. When Joshua immigrates to London alone at age 18 on a scholarship, he soon meets Lily, who shares a similar gift. The two have two children, Tommy and Eva, and begin pushing the boundaries of what their gifts can do. Together, the whole family travels back to meet Bruce Lee. When Joshua and Lily disappear after traveling to the past, the children are left in the care of Ah-maa, their grandmother who disapproves of time travel.

The tragedy of Joshua and Lily's disappearance casts a long shadow over the rest of book. Tommy buries himself in pre-war London, the only time period he can travel back to. When he meets Peggy, sometimes life in pre-war London begins to feel more real than his contemporary time period. But he's limited to twenty-four hours in the past, and he struggles to juggle two times, along with his inability to use his gift to save those he loves.

Eva can travel back to find family members in the past, rather than places. She copes by exploring their extended family tree and building precarious relationships that transcend the bounds of past and present.

The author's prose is lyrical, focusing on the emotions more than the actions. At times, her style dips into novel in verse. The book meanders through the years, using the nonlinear narrative to slowly unveil the complex relationships of the Wang family. The book tackles Joshua's experiences as a first-generation immigrant, and the pain the separation caused family members.

The ending brings the Wang family full circle, back to their family members in Hong Kong.… (altro)