At the Concord of the Rivers

by Anne Ipsen

Historical time travel novel set in the Concord, MA area. The author does an excellent job of portraying life in the 1600's and in juxtaposing the current geography of the area with what existed in that period.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Time Travel

303 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2011

About the author

Anne Ipsen is a writer, speaker, and environmentalist. Her latest book, co-authored with Ken Kroes, is a guide to houses of worship and their congregations for how to cut their carbon footprints called "Creation Tithing, a Primer." Her most recent novel is "Green Valley," is about New England resilience under the challenge of climate change, starting in 2022. New England. An excerpt was published in 2018 in "Anthology House." "Green Valley" follows the descendants of characters introduced In her historical novel sequence "At the Concord of the Rivers," (2011) and "Abigail's Legacy" (2014), in which Anne explores her interest in history and love of the special town of Concord by spinning a tale of the accidental time-traveler Abigail’s sojourn with the Puritans in 1692 and the consequences for her and her new friends.
An earlier historical novel sequence follows the lives of Karen and Peter in the period 1875-1890. They were born in Denmark, sailed around the world and eventually settled on the Minnesota prairie. Anne's first books were two memoirs about her childhood in Denmark and teenage years in Boston, where she grew up and went to school.
Before leaving academia in order to write full-time, Anne was a Professor of Public Health at the University of Minnesota. She and her husband now live in Newton, Massachusetts. They have three grown children and five grandchildren.

Reviews

[John Royce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Accurately-detailed historical fiction with romance at its heart!Anne Ipsen - At the Concord of the Rivers

Historical fiction author Anne Ipsen's newest work, "At the Concord of the Rivers" is a gentle and textured look at Puritan society in New England ... with a time-travel twist!

Doubling as a historical fantasy and romance tale, the story is woven through with accurate information about early Puritan colonies of New England. The main character, Abigail, is introduced as an educated woman in modern times, who enters a time-warp of sorts to land in the witch-hunting atmosphere of the 1600's Massachusetts.

The story pace is quiet but even, interspersed with real action; the opening chapters move deftly into the time-travel, and the bulk of the story is about the Puritan colony at Concord and Abigail's struggles in her new life as a Puritan. High points of the work are the contrasts between time periods--and surprising parallels--and also the challenge Abigail finds herself in after falling in love with a man living in pre-Revolutionary times.

Accurate history, interesting scenes and character portraits ... and an especially worthwhile read for readers with an interest in women's roles in Colonial America.

[Heather(Gibby) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting time travel romance novel. The main character travels back in time to Concord around the time of the Salem Witch Trials. The exact method of time travel is not explained, but is linked to a locket and a specific location.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought it seemed kind of hokey at the beginning and end but I enjoyed the middle more than I thought. Love the colonial period in American history which was the real strength of this book. It also helped that I am from this area so it was fun reading the descriptions of the landscape and towns