I believe that all of us have dreamed of the fountain of youth at one time or another. But what if it were more than just a story? What if the fountain was capable of throwing you through time? That’s what Bill, Annie, and Paul aim to find out. And it just so happens, tossed through time, they settle in Oakland, California, in 1905, the year before the devastating San Francisco earthquake. As the siblings learn to navigate their lives in much younger bodies, they make friends with those around them. Some friendships are more serious than others. But they aren’t sure exactly when the quake will hit, and they can’t save everyone.
The thing I’ve come to learn as an avid reader of Heldt’s work is that his books are always well-researched. His characters are multi-dimensional; they relate well to those around them. I liked Annie’s spunkiness and how she knew what she wanted and went after it. I look forward to more from her in future books. This was such a fun storyline, and I’m pleased that enough of the storyline ties up that readers aren’t left in the lurch. With time travel, a bit of mystery, and romance, this book has a bit for everyone, and I highly recommend it.
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About the Book
Portland, Oregon. In May 2022, the Carpenters are a sad lot. Bill, 81, has just buried his beloved wife. Paul, 75, has terminal lung cancer. Annie, 72, is a paraplegic with broken dreams. Childless and directionless, the siblings face an uncertain future in their childhood home.
Then Bill, a retired folklore professor, learns from a dying man that the legendary Fountain of Youth, his obsession for decades, may be more than a myth. He races to Mexico to find the truth.
Within weeks, the Carpenters, with nothing to lose, enter a mysterious cave and exit in July 1905 as healthy young adults. They begin new lives in Oakland, California, only vaguely aware of a devastating earthquake that will rock the San Francisco Bay Area on April 18, 1906.
In THE FOUNTAIN, the first book in the Second Chance trilogy, three siblings find opportunity, romance, and heartbreak as they make the most of a new lease on life.
Rae's Reading Lounge 
I love this concept, and I like time travel books.
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