The Mine by John A. Heldt

In May 2000, Joel Smith is a cocky, adventurous young man who sees the world as his playground. But when the college senior, days from graduation, enters an abandoned Montana mine, he discovers the price of reckless curiosity. He emerges in May 1941 with a cell phone he can't use, money he can't spend, and little but his wits to guide his way. Stuck in the age of swing dancing and a peacetime draft, Joel begins a new life as the nation drifts toward war. With the help of his 21-year-old trailblazing grandmother and her friends, he finds his place in a world he knew only from movies and books. But when an opportunity comes to return to the present, Joel must decide whether to leave his new love in the past or choose a course that will alter their lives forever. THE MINE follows a humbled man through a critical time in history as he adjusts to new surroundings and wrestles with the knowledge of things to come.

Review


I would like to thank John A. Heldt  for gifting me this book for a honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, I really didn't know what to expect with Joel at first he did seem a bit cocky and carefree about everything, then he decides to go into an abandoned mine to explore and time travels back to 1941.

 As we continue to read on we really see Joel just go with the flow of his situation, he didn't freak out, he just kept on going, he is very smart and resourceful. Joel is such a great character, he starts this new life with some good people, including his teenage grandmother, we get a great group of characters here and we see Joel become really great friends with Tom. We really see Joel grow up, he starts to see life differently and he struggles with knowing what is coming and what is going to happen to some of his new friends especially with Tom, he wants to help but he doesn't want to mess with things that are meant to happen.

 Then you see Joel fall for Grace who is already engaged to someone else and you see Grace also fall for Joel and she has to make a big decision and  take a risk with Joel. I also loved that Joel was patient with Grace, he was such a gentleman. Everything is going so well for Joel and Grace at this point of the book, but then Joel really has to make a huge decision to stay there with Grace and live out the rest of his life in 1941 or go back to his time.

I was so nervous towards the end of the book, when things start to wrap up, I was crying for Tom, Grace and Joel. I loved how this ended, a beautiful ending, very well written with great characters.