About This Book
Reach for this book when your child is feeling the weight of a family health crisis and needs an adventure that validates their fear while offering a sense of agency. It is a bridge for children struggling with the helplessness of watching a parent battle illness. The story follows twelve year old Tom as he navigates his mother's cancer treatment by discovering a portal to 1717 London in his grandmother's basement. In the past, he encounters children even more vulnerable than himself, allowing him to channel his anxiety into meaningful action. It is a sophisticated blend of historical fiction and low fantasy that addresses terminal illness with honesty and hope. Parents will appreciate how it uses a time slip narrative to provide emotional distance from real world trauma, making heavy themes accessible for the 10 to 14 age range.
