Persistence of Memory - Reviews
| 5 stars Persistence of Memory, A Review Amazon By louise3anneon November 30, 2015 Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase Incredibly smooth, well thought out, well done, historical time travel. I couldn't put it down until I finished! Loved it! Will look for more from this author. |
| 5 stars Lively and fun to read., 22 Sept. 2015 By Edward Cowling This review is from: Persistence of Memory (Paperback) Accidental time travel from Winona Kent. First of her time travel books and gets us off to a cracking start. Lively and fun to read. 5 stars A beautifull written gripping story - well done Winona!, 14 July 2015 By B. Richmond Amazon This review is from: Persistence of Memory (Kindle Edition) This is the first book I read written by Winona Kent and found the book to be gripping & beautifully written. The author has researched both eras thoroughly in this time-travel story and crafted the characters with such skill. The story holds your attention from beginning to end & after a few weeks I found I enjoyed picking up the book & reading the story again! Well done Winona & I am now embarking on a journey to Alaska with 'Cold Play' |
| 5 stars A fresh take on
time travel, romance and mystery, 19 Feb. 2015 By Andrea Houtsch (Hazleton, Pa United States) Amazon This review is from: Persistence of Memory (The Memory Books Book 1) (Kindle Edition) Note: I received a copy of this text in exchange for an honest review. When you sit down to read this book be prepared for a light hearted look at accidental time travel, unexpected romance, a well-envisioned and researched glimpse into the past, and a liberal dose of humor across the board. This was a fun read that kept me turning the pages, waiting to find out what happened next … or previously … depending on how you perceive the time spectrum. Charlie Lowe, an introvert who happens to be from current times but might as well belong to a bygone era some two hundred years ago for all her intimate knowledge of Stoneford Village where she lives, accidentally manages to travel back in time via a computer virus and quantum mechanics. In the course of doing so she switches places with an ancestor with almost the exact same physical likeness, a Mrs. Catherine Collins. Both women are widows of five years, Charlie losing her husband in a car accident and Mrs. Collins’ husband to a loss at sea. This switch plunges Charlie straight into her family’s history. A near-expert on her genealogy and those of the families living in Stoneford Village, Charlie swiftly adapts to the change in time, assuming the identity of Mrs. Collins for the sake of ease. Her adaptation is queerly aided by the mysterious presence of a Wi-Fi signal transmitted by the village’s Great Oak, received by her Smartphone which has made the trip with her (but she has no charger, nor is there electricity anyway) – a precious anomaly that enables her to stay in touch with the future and her cousin Nick, a quantum physicist. This switch also transplants the real Mrs. Collins from 1825 to 2013 but because she looks exactly like Charlie no one believes she’s actually someone from the past. Nick and Charlie’s family think she’s gone on a mental vacation after vandalizing the office of Reg Ferryman, one of the brothers currently trying to bulldoze the village in order to build high priced housing, etc. The truth isn’t realized until Charlie makes contact with Nick via cell phone and a two hundred year old Wi-Fi transmitter. I loved the back and forth of this book as we hop from Charlie’s perspective in the past to Nick’s perspective in the present. Kent explores the potential for paradox through Charlie’s hesitancy to meddle in the affairs of her forebears only to discover that (LOST fans will relate to this) “What happened, happened.” It’s only a matter of understanding the how and why events occurred the way they did, and being able to witness it first-hand puts much of Charlie’s knowledge into perspective. It’s in this first-hand witnessing that Charlie has the opportunity to make right several wrongs (without tampering with facts as recorded two hundred years in the future) and make a profound and personal connection with her ties to the village. Mrs. Collins (the real Catherine) had me cracking up at every turn. Her naiveté is charming; she’s almost like an overgrown child thrown into the middle of a world she can barely imagine let alone understand. Technology is naturally a wonder to her but she embraces it, quickly becoming addicted to reality television, music played on an iPod, imbibing a pot brownie, etc. One might question the ease at which she adjusts but Stoneford Village hasn’t changed much in two hundred years. The buildings remain the same; it’s only the people (and technology) that are different. There’s a great mystery in all of this time travel, the resolution of which brought about a pleased satisfaction. Charlie’s unexpected romance with Mr. Deeley is a rewarding element, helping Charlie heal from the loss of her husband. Winona Kent delivers a well rounded novel in Persistence of Memory. Well worth the read, I recommend it to anyone looking for a light read that doesn’t take itself too seriously but is still chock full of historical fact woven into wonderful storytelling. |
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5 stars Winona Kent writes a beautifully entertaining accidental time travel romance in Persistence of Memory, the first book in the Memory Book series. Kent does a compelling job of blending time travel, historical romance, mystery, and science fiction that completely draws the reader into the story. I thoroughly enjoyed how Kent interconnected all of these aspects and really made them work together. Widow Charlotte “Charlie” Duran Lowe loves researching history, including her family ancestors and the history of her small town, Stoneford. As such, Charlie works at the local museum as a docent, giving tours about their town in the old days fully dressed in Regency period clothes. When Charlie decides to save the Village Green from developers, a freak storm sends her back in time to 1825. While there, Charlie finds herself in the unique position of being able to solve the mystery of who owns the Village Green. It’s a good thing that Charlie loves history so much because she is able to blend into her new time fairly easily. Charlie is an open-minded character who fully embraces the new opportunities presented to her, which I just loved about her. Within social norms of the time, Charlie struggles to maintain her independence, which I loved about her too. Little did she know that Mr. Shaun Deeley would rekindle a fire in that she thought died with her husband. The chemistry between Charlie and her Mr. Deeley is endearing as they get to know each other and fall in love. Nick Weller, Charlie’s friend, has a theory that our DNA holds the memories of our ancestors, which plays an intrinsic role within the story, which I just adored. With his physics background, Nick works tirelessly to bring Charlie back to her own time. Kent dramatically balances multiple story lines and emotional plot twists, engaging the reader right up to the stunning conclusion that I cherished. A perfectly blending of multiple genres and an engrossing couple make Persistence of Memory a sweet and delectable read and a wonderful beginning to a new series. I am really looking forward to future adventures with Charlie and Mr. Deeley. |
| Margarita Gakis
at Goodreads 5 stars I was utterly charmed by this book! Charlie Lowe is a woman out of time. Shas two obsessions: saving the Stoneford Village Green from unscrupulous developers and researching her ancestors. When a freak lightning strike and a rogue computer virus send her back to 1825 [and one of her ancestors forward!], Charlie discovers she must persuade one of her ancestors to marry or two centuries of descendants -including herself- will cease to exist. Unfortunately, her future husband is a class-A jerk. Charlie herself starts to develop feelings for someone she meets in the past. At the same time, developers are closing in to destory part of her home. Due to a mysterious connection, she's able to use her phone to communicate with people from her present. Charlie is in a race to get her ancestors married, find a lost land deed, and maybe fall in love herself! This book was so wonderful. I loved the time travel aspect and Charlie's 'discovery' of the past, as well as her counterpart's discovery of the future. I was equally invested in both time-lines - past and present. Love, betrayal, smugglers, unscrupulous men and charming gentleman, this book was a joy to read! |
| Sam L Ferguson 4 stars Amazon.com A Jaunty Journey Through Space and Time In Persistence of Memory Charlie Lowe is transported back in time to 1825 by a freak weather event and the vagaries of a computer virus. While she remains in the small Hampshire town of Stoneford she is 200 years in the past. Here Charlie's intimate knowledge of her family tree creates a tension between what she think she knows is going to happen and her impact upon it. She is thrust into the daily lives of her ancestors and the forebears of her neighbours in modern-day Stoneford and must negotiate the relationships and events that may have serious ramifications for the future of the township and her very existence. Author Winona Kent has an obvious affection for rural England and its history. Her attention to the details of regency era daily life and appropriate use of language provide a subtle but clear dividing line between past and present. She is able to nimbly switch from discussions about social media and smart phones to accurately describing the regency era town and negotiating the societal mores of early 19th century England. These overt markers of time a place provide readers with useful anchor points throughout the story. There is a rich cast of characters from both present day and regency Stoneford and as many share the same names (distant relatives across time), it can at times make it hard keeping track of who is there for colour and who is there as an important part of the narrative. But despite this, the detailed account of the population of the Stoneford of 1825 and the Stoneford of the present creates a sense of intimacy for the reader and an emotional tie to the fate of the town. While Charlie is the key protagonist in the story, other main characters are introduced in a timely manner and their importance to the story is not foreshadowed but rather left to emerge organically. It is through Charlie however that the novel pursues the themes of fate and sense of belonging, in this instance temporal as well as spacial, to great effect. Persistence of Memory is a fast moving tale that avoids getting bogged down by the philosophical and theoretical baggage that can afflict stories about time travel. While the book flirts with the concept of temporal paradox and the Novikov self-consistency principle - Charlie appears borne along in her journey by fate and destiny rather than her own decisions - the reader will find it easy to be led to a relatively satisfactory accounting of the mechanics of time travel with no glaring holes in the logic of the narrative. As a result, the novel remains pleasingly driven by the characters and their actions but with an added and intriguing underlying tension between protecting the past from the present and the present from the past. Overall, Persistence of Memory is jaunty and thoroughly enjoyable read that provides ample food for thought but not at the expense of fun and adventure. |
| Wonderful! 4 stars Amazon.com By Jana K. Shepard I really enjoyed this book! Ms. Kent's knowledge and research are in evidence, as is her wonderful sense of humor. I loved her references to other historical characters and events. This was a quick read, but very satisfying. I highly recommend this book, as well as her others. |
| Mya 4 stars Amazon.com Fun Book with Time Travel I enjoyed both the past and present in this story. It kept me entertained and as the book proceeded I wanted to know more and more about the outcome of the characters. Kent paints a wonderful picture of the town where this takes place with an enormous amount of detail. My only aversion with this book was the amout of characters. The author goes it a great amout of detail on many families/characters related to the main character. I had a hard time keeping track of all the names. I was able to follow the main characters and keep the story straight but I almost felt like I needed to make a family tree or a list of characters so I could keep them all straight. Overall fun read, I'm not a fan of time travel because it makes me think a little more than I prefer, but this was an enjoyable book none the less! |
| Excellent
Read By Angelfish42 amazon.co.uk 5 stars A time traveling tale from 21st Century England to Jane Austen's era, this book had me gripped from beginning to end. It weaves the tale of Charlie, who accidentally travels back in time due to a freak computer virus and ends up facing her own ancestors! She is faced with dilemmas that could potentially effect her own future, for example her own existence could be at stake! To complicate matters she meets the lovely Mr Deeley along the way and she is faced with the predicament of falling love in the past! Meanwhile, we read that the future faces its own dilemmas too, the life of a large tree in the village is at stake. However, this tree has a connection for Charlie between the past and present, when she stands close by she is able to communicate to the 21st Century and maybe try and find a way home! It is endearing, fun and romance along the way. All the characters are very delightful, however, Count Duran I took an exceptional disliking to, particularly as he was very cunning and devious man! The whole Novel is a "Back to the Future Jane Austen Style, without the Flux Capacitor." The author did a wonderful job in resolving the time slip :-) . A highly recommended read. |
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in the World is Charlie Lowe? By Larry Hnetka amazon.ca 5 stars Time, space and the fixed order of the cosmos are explored resulting in a wonderful romp in Winona Kent's novel "Persistence of Memory." Purists might object that this novel does not fit within the "science fiction/time travel" genre but therein was the delight for me in reading it. Blending science fiction, fantasy, time travel, and romance gives the author the opportunity to create a cast of characters and plot that carries the reader along their journey both in the present and the past. The meticulous research incorporated into the plot impressed me as did the clever use of the cell phone to communicate between past and present. As in any good mystery, the plot sometimes does not unfold in a strictly logical manner and the ending came far too quickly. Having said that, my first reaction was that Charlie Lowe has explored but one branch of the family tree. What fun and mystery might be hidden in other branches? And with Charlie's new found discovery of time travel, I wouldn't be surprised to see more adventures and discovery as Charlie Lowe delves deeper into her past in a series of novels. |
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Good Read By Frogmill0 amazon.co.uk 4 stars I bought this book to read on holiday and I'm pleased to say that I enjoyed it. It's written in a nice easy style and it comes across very clearly that the author has done her research into life in Regency England very thoroughly. The concept of time shifts and time travel is, of course, a pretty common theme but it offers many plot possibilities and it was handled very well in the book. The technological mumbo jumbo that allowed it to happen sounded quite plausible! I liked the touches of humour, particularly when Mrs Collins is transported into the 21st century without losing any of her sang froid. In fact, I laughed out loud at her views on Tracy Barlow! The author has worked the English instrumental band 'The Shadows' into the plot, albeit in a relatively minor way. However, I must be honest and say that I found this a little incongruous and it didn't really work for me. Perhaps that's because I'm a dyed in the wool Shads fan and someone who is not might think differently. Anyway, my reservations didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book and I recommend it. |
| Engaging By Liz Wilkins amazon.com 4 stars Charlie Lowe has two obsessions: saving the Stoneford Village Green from unscrupulous developers and researching her ancestor, Louis Augustus Duran, whose mysterious origins elude her. When a freak lightning strike and a rogue computer virus send her back to 1825, Charlie discovers she must persuade a reluctant Sarah Foster to marry Duran, or two centuries of descendants -including herself- will cease to exist. My sunday side read this week, Persistence of Memory by Winona Kent was an interesting story - and a great way to spend my Sunday afternoon. I polished it off earlier today and have to say it was very enjoyable. Perhaps not my favourite "type" of story, this was still well written and involving. Charlie finds herself trying to marry off Sarah to a man who is, well lets say not the most appealing of gentlemen. I found the whole thing quite amusing. Ok you have to suspend disbelief slightly more than usual when you find that Charlie still has a working mobile phone - even so this was a humerous and enchanting tale. A short read but a clever engaging one I would recommend this for lovers of Historical fiction, time travel and romance. Thank you to the author for the copy of this book for review. Happy Reading Folks! |
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Travel: A
New Perspective By The Kindle Book Review (Indianapolis, IN) 5 stars I enjoy seeing the different ways that authors explain time travel. In Persistence of Memory, Charlie (Charlotte), begins her journey when she simultaneously clicks on two names in her genealogy program. She is at the desk in her sitting room when she clicks the names, and she finds herself in the same room, but in 1825. Catherine Collins, who was in the room in 1825, finds herself in the twenty-first century. Both women have difficulties, as you might imagine, although the book concentrates on Charlie’s experiences. How would you like to find yourself among your ancestors and those of your acquaintances, both those who were good and those who were not? How would you like the feeling that you must intervene in their affairs, even though you fear the ultimate outcome of any intervention? I truly enjoyed reading this book! It is well-written. The story captures your attention and holds it through many turns to a somewhat surprising end. It has a bit of everything: humor, anxiety, murder, robbery, intrigue – and love. Five stars! No question. David Burnett for the Kindle Book Review I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and unbiased review. |
| Lovely
Reads Review 4.5 stars In this book we have Charlie a cool woman who goes through a lot! She has a long day listening to people just to go home, hear thunder and boom! She jumps to another time! I'm pretty sure her life isn't boring and being in another world may just add to it. So what happens now? Does she just walk back into her world? Does she stay stuck? Does she meet her ancestors? Well this book won't bore you, thats for sure. Charlie does end up meeting her ancestors. Meeting your ancestors should be cool right? Well....it is, but there is a little problem. She and her ancestors will end up not existing soon. Unless Charlie can convince one of them to marry. Otherwise after her, everyone wouldn't exist anymore. That includes Charlie and her generation. Can Charlie do it and make everything right? Can she get back to her world or will she just not exist anymore. So about this book. It was not what I thought. I thought it would be good, about 3 stars good. Well as I read it, it ended up being more entertaining than I thought. I actually liked the book and the whole other world and ancestors thing. It wasn't hard for me to read this, I finished it pretty quick, but that was because I liked it. Though I wouldn't want Charlie's job listening to people all day talking about trees. Yeah, that would bore me and I wouldn't have patience for that. So I give this book 4.5 stars. |
| Persistence
of Memory Review by Efi amazon.com 5 stars It certainly helps when you've heard of the Regency period, Jane Austen and her novels, Napoleon and Wellington and the Battle of Waterloo before, but even if not - the novel is a lot of fun to read. Winona Kent is the founder of "The Compleat Sean Bean", so it is no wonder that one of Sean Bean's most famous characters, Richard Sharpe, also gets a fond mention. "Persistence of Memory" does make an easy and enjoyable, although quick read, its language is friendly, the historical part is very well researched, and all characters are taken seriously. Even if they make compleat fools out of themselves and do foolish things, you always feel with them. Thanks to Diana Gabaldon we already have a fair share of time travelling novels, but here the story begins in 21st century England, with current technology and with people who have to deal with gentrification, environmental pollution and computer viruses, and then we travel back to the same surroundings only a few generations back. Ms Kent keeps the reader glued to the book, no chance to stop reading before one knows what happens to all of the folks from Stoneford Village Green, present and past. I highly recommend this book, and of course also her previous novels! |
| The
Reading Cafe Review by Georgianna S. This is a time-travel mystery type novel with romantic and heroic overtones. A very interesting concept and sometimes perplexing although intriguing time travel theories. The story takes place in the village of Stoneford on England’s southern coast. This village has been very nearly untouched by renovation for almost 200 years. The central figure, Charlotte Duran Lowe or Charlie to her friends, has lived in Stoneford all her life. Charlie is a young widow who now works as the Historical Guide and Interpreter for the Stoneford Village Museum. Her daily uniform is a Regency frock from the 1825 era. However, a redevelopment endeavor has begun by two very unscrupulous brothers Ron and Reg Ferryman. They want to line their pockets and don’t care at all about the history of the village. They have in fact resorted to the poisoning of the 300 year old Village Oak in the center of town, so that they can tear it down and rebuild with hotels and the like. The main issues center on lost deeds, dubious ownership, and greed of the brothers. The time travel theory revolves around Charlie’s laptop and programs, a lightning storm releasing tachyons and sprites (scientific definitions can be found in the book), sending a shocked Charlie (fortunately still in her frock) back to 1825 and bringing one of her ancient cousins Mrs. Collins to this century in her place. The women apparently looked very much alike and so the adventure begins. An interesting read, as Charlie tries to find out about her ancestors, solve the missing deed issues as well as others, while not blowing her cover. She also finds new love for herself while attempting to ensure her ancestors marry the correct men to ensure her own lifeline. It’s a very twisty, sometimes comical, sometimes scary tale with many a paradox. To meddle or not to meddle…the “Butterfly Effect” type questions. Will Charlie succeed in saving the village by finding the missing deed? Will she ensure Sarah marries the right man to ensure her linage? Does Charlie return? Ahhhh….the questions abound! Solve the mysteries by reading the book! Would it be fun to go back in time…you decide… |
| Enchanting
and engaging - a great book! Review by Erin Amazon.ca I rarely divert from my supernatural/sci-fi/fantasy genre, but I found this book to be a very interesting new mix of part fantasy, part romance - and I was hooked! And while the "time travel" genre is one that I would normally avoid - I loved the interesting spin in Persistence of Memory. This book is more so about ancestry, history, and town legend than it is about time travel. I was so captured by the character Charlie and her love of history, that her adventure into the past was more exciting - I couldn't wait to find out what she would learn about her ancestors and town history. Add in a little romance and some evil-doers and you get a great page turner - I was always wanting to keep reading to find out what happens next to these wonderful characters! Would recommend to anyone - the characters and story is so engaging it's sure to get anyone hooked. |
| Persistence
of Memory – Review La Penseuse Surnaturelle The Future of Stoneford, a small English village, might pretty much be decided. A future that would have a significant effect on its inhabitants. Some of them would receive a big financial gain, whereas others would end up homeless. Charlie Lowe, a local museum worker, not wanting to feel helpless, decides to take actions which would complicate the situation and affect her in a major way. Being a village historian, Charlie is as familiar with relations between the people of Stoneford, as she is with the various other historical facts that with time, have led to the current predicament. She is desperate to save the village and the village oak. Although she is well liked in Stoneford, she seems to keep to herself, and her cousin, Nick, appears to be her closest friend. As frustration gets the better of Charlie she waits for the consequences of her actions to catch up with her. She tries to find more information – researching her family tree in the hope that questions might be answered which could help save the village. In the meantime, a big storm passes Stoneford that triggers a virus software malfunction which results in Charlie being thrown back in time to Regency era England. This opens up new possibilities and challenges. Whatever happens in 19th Century Stoneford might have dramatic effects on the future. However, Charlie knows well that meddling in the history would definitely cause more trouble, or even total chaos. With her hands tied, she manages to adapt to her new reality, meet her ancestors, fall in love and contribute to the eventual outcome in a way that would not adversely affect the future. As impossible as it sounds, tech-savvy Nick finds a way to communicate with Charlie. She might want to save the village she loves, but she will also face a huge dilemma which could change the history and make her face a life or death situation. Also her new love interest, Mr Deeley, seems to be in a catch-22 situation with no possible solution on the horizon. Is history going to be inevitably changed because a girl interrupted it, or maybe the interpretation of history has many different layers of understanding? The story is told by the intertwining events of Stoneford in 21st and 19th Centuries. There are lots of humorous situations – Charlie is not the only one that seems to be personally affected by the virus that transported her back in time. Life in rural Stoneford is well portrayed. There are some interesting sub-plots, e.g. the alienation of gypsy people and the independence of women. The book is an interesting and very funny read. The characters have fascinating qualities and make the read very enjoyable. I loved the humour immensely and the descriptions of Stoneford in 19th Century are wonderful. Some parts of the book (mostly descriptions of the characters) seem to be written more like a screenplay, however, it doesn’t affect the story in a major way. Persistence of Memory was primarily written as a screenplay, but later re-written as a novel. There’s only one thing that I struggled to understand which almost spoilt it for me. As most of the characters of the book are quite understanding towards the time travel aspect and quite engrossed in it, how could they not see the difference between two women who were switched at the time when one of them was going back in time and the other one travelled to the future? Then I remembered one of my favourite French comedies, Les Visiteurs, where Jean Reno as a Medieval Comte de Montmirail is thrown into the future where he’s mistaken for a cousin of one of the main characters – the resemblance was just uncanny. Persistence of Memory is just full of comedy situations and laugh out loud moments. It doesn’t matter that some things may seem improbable, the book is entertaining and the story is told in an intriguing storytelling language. Persistence of Memory is a charming and quirky book, which will make you laugh and make you think what you would do if you could go back and have an opportunity to save the day. Those who like Austenesque romance will love it. |
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