Book ~ "The Mine" (2013) John A. Heldt

From Goodreads ~ 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 Whirlaway, 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 is a love story that 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.

It's 2000 and college seniors, Joel and Adam, are on an adventure in Montana.  Because of a traffic jam, they have some time to kill and Joel wants to check out a nearby abandoned mine.  Adam has no interest so Joel enters it alone.  He comes across an amazing wall but frightened by a snake, he hits his head running out of the mine and becomes unconscious.  When he wakes up 30 minutes later and leaves the mine, he is initially mad because Adam had taken off in his car ... but he eventually realizes that he is in 1941!

Not knowing what else to do, he heads home to Seattle.  There he meets Tom and becomes friends with his friends, including his eventual grandmother, Ginny, and her friend, Grace.  Joel and Grace fall in love and life is good for Joel.  But armed with the knowledge of the future, Joel knows WWII is coming how it will change everyone's lives.

Six months later when Joel realizes he has a chance to get back to 2000, he has a decision to make ... go back to his life in 2000 and let his new friends get on with the lives they should have had or stay with Grace and his friends, changing the course of their lives, and perhaps having to enlist and go into the war.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I really enjoyed it.  I love time travel books and I liked how the author handled this one.

I liked the writing style.  It was flowed well and kept me wanting to read more.  It's a crazy farfetched story but I was buying it.  I think the author wrote about 1941 well and I got a good sense of what it was like living in that time period.

I liked the characters.  Joel was a nice guy and a loyal friend both in 2000 and 1941 and I think he would be a fun guy to hang out with.  Tom, Ginny, Grace and Katie sound like great friends to have.  I liked the relationship between Joel and Grace and enjoyed their interactions (it's 1941 so it was fairly innocent).

The ending could have gone a few ways, right?  Did Joel really go back in time?  Or was it all an hallucination because he hit his head on the way out of the mine?  If he did go back in time, did he end up staying or going home to 2000?  It ended exactly the way I thought it would/should.  You're going to have to read this book to find out what happened!

This is the first in a series and I'd recommend it ... I look forward to reading the others!

I received a copy of this ebook at no charge from the author in exchange for my honest review.