A Shortcut in Time

Charles Dickinson''s novels and short stories have won widespread acclaim for their deft characterization humanity and humor. Newsday described him as a writer thoroughly in command of his art while the Chicago Tribune wrote he can surprise us at almost every turn.Now Dickinson slips beyond the bounds of mundane realism to create a poignant fantasy that bears comparison to the work of Jack Finney and Jonathan Carroll.Euclid Illinois is a town of many shortcuts between houses through orchards and across fields. Josh Winkler a local artist and longtime resident knows these irregular pathways well but is thoroughly taken aback when a hasty dash down a familiar walk deposits him fifteen minutes in the past--literally. At first Josh is more intrigued than alarmed by this accidental time travel. Then a lost young woman appears claiming to be from 1908 . . . .As his life his family his town and even history itself begin to unravel Josh gradually realizes that his only salvation may lie in A Shortcut Time.Charles Dickinson has written a moving and unforgettable book about the way the past can affect the present as well as sometimes the other way around.