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The Mirror
A young woman in Colorado experiences time-travel and trades lives with her grandmother under the influence of a mysterious antique mirror. Shay Garrett leaves her 20th-century life and boyfriend (by whom she has discovered she is pregnant) and assumes the existence of her grandmother Brandy, in the frontier days of the late 1800s. At the same time, Brandy looks into the mirror just before she is to be married to a man she does not love, and wakes up to find herself in the body of a young woman surrounded by loud music, fast cars and unfamiliar codes of conduct.
Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 1978
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About the author
Marlys Millhiser
21 books110 followersMarlys Millhiser is an American author of fifteen mysteries and horror novels. Born in Charles City, Iowa, Millhiser originally worked as a high school teacher. She has served as a regional vice president of the Mystery Writers of America and is best known for her novel The Mirror and for the Charlie Greene Mysteries. Millhiser lived in Boulder, Colorado.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 836 reviews
February 8, 2019
Fascinating and unusual time-travel story in which two women (Grandmother Bran and Granddaughter Shay) swap lives and bodies inadvertently through an old and strange wedding mirror.
1978: Shay Garrett (who is 20) is going to be married. Her Grandmother Bran (who is in her 90's) has been released from the nursing home to go to the wedding. Shay is given an old mirror as a wedding present. But when Shay looks into the mirror at the same time her Grandmother happens to look in it Shay is catapulted back through time (to 1900) when her Grandmother Bran (aka Brandy) was getting ready for her own wedding... with Shay now in her Grandmother's body. Meanwhile, Grandmother Bran finds herself in Shay's 20-year-old body in 1978.
I thoroughly enjoyed this somewhat strange story. This book held my attention and I had a hard time putting it down. There were many characters I really grew to like, especially feisty Thora K. and many more. It's always fun and interesting to see a main character (Shay/Brandy) try to adapt to a different time/era in a time-travel story. This one was no different.
A terrific time-travel story!
1978: Shay Garrett (who is 20) is going to be married. Her Grandmother Bran (who is in her 90's) has been released from the nursing home to go to the wedding. Shay is given an old mirror as a wedding present. But when Shay looks into the mirror at the same time her Grandmother happens to look in it Shay is catapulted back through time (to 1900) when her Grandmother Bran (aka Brandy) was getting ready for her own wedding... with Shay now in her Grandmother's body. Meanwhile, Grandmother Bran finds herself in Shay's 20-year-old body in 1978.
I thoroughly enjoyed this somewhat strange story. This book held my attention and I had a hard time putting it down. There were many characters I really grew to like, especially feisty Thora K. and many more. It's always fun and interesting to see a main character (Shay/Brandy) try to adapt to a different time/era in a time-travel story. This one was no different.
A terrific time-travel story!
December 4, 2013
This is perhaps my favorite book of all time. I discovered it through rather unusual circumstances. While working for an eye doctor in Boulder, Colorado, I met the author who was a patient of ours. When I learned that she was a published author, I started searching used book stores for some of her works and came across a first edition paperback of this book. I finished it in just a few days and was fortunate enough to have the author sign it for me during a follow-up visit to our office. I have gone on to read almost all of her other books, but this will always be my favorite. Why? Perhaps it is because I knew the author on a more personal level than just a casual meeting at a book signing. Or maybe it is because the book features two of my favorite themes (early American history and time travel). It could be a combination of the two. Whatever the case, I would highly recommend this book along with her similar work titled The Threshold.
October 10, 2016
4.5 Stars
THE unsightly antique MIRROR is evil and often deadly, and within its reflection, Marlys Millhiser brings to life an electrifying time-travel story.
...The journey begins in 1978, but quickly reverts to 1900 after Shay Garrett innocently examines the freaky heirloom she receives as a bridal gift and unknowingly causes the entire Gingerbread House to tremble, Shay to faint, and grandmother and granddaughter to trade places right on the eve of their respective weddings.
...Both disillusioned, filled with panic and fear in an unfamiliar environment, the misplaced ladies introduce the reader to a variety of crazy good characters interweaving a host of related family members in surprising ways.
...While both stories produce laughs, hardships and entertaining experiences, it was Shay's life as Brandy living in the tiny Colorado cabin with her perplexed new husband and indifferent mother-in-law Thora K (the best character of all) that raised my 4+ rating to 5 Stars and added THE MIRROR to my list of favorite reads.
...Really enjoyed it!
September 24, 2016
The Mirror by Marlys Millhiser tells the strange but original tale of four generations of woman from 1900 to 1978-79 and how their lives are interwoven and complicated by the machinations of an evil mirror.
Shay Garrett and her grandmother Brandy McCabe are switched, mentally and physically on the eve of their respective wedding day, though the ceremonies are separated by over seven decades. Far from being a comedy spun and packaged by Disney producers (although there are some humorous scenes) this story is at its center a dark tale.
Millhiser makes it a very good story by her excellent character development and especially as the swaps affect other characters in the sometimes-confusing narrative, creating a timeline that grips the reader into following a life lived by another and from another time.
Perhaps the most compelling, and entertaining, element of the book was the ongoing and pervasive sense of theatric irony, as the reader gets to peak behind the stage curtain and know what the characters can only suspect. Though she provided a fitting ending, I felt that Millhiser chose an odd turn for what had been a more one-dimensional character. The ending did not ruin the story, just left an unexpected after taste to what had been a delicious treat.
Shay Garrett and her grandmother Brandy McCabe are switched, mentally and physically on the eve of their respective wedding day, though the ceremonies are separated by over seven decades. Far from being a comedy spun and packaged by Disney producers (although there are some humorous scenes) this story is at its center a dark tale.
Millhiser makes it a very good story by her excellent character development and especially as the swaps affect other characters in the sometimes-confusing narrative, creating a timeline that grips the reader into following a life lived by another and from another time.
Perhaps the most compelling, and entertaining, element of the book was the ongoing and pervasive sense of theatric irony, as the reader gets to peak behind the stage curtain and know what the characters can only suspect. Though she provided a fitting ending, I felt that Millhiser chose an odd turn for what had been a more one-dimensional character. The ending did not ruin the story, just left an unexpected after taste to what had been a delicious treat.
October 3, 2020
**** REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS *****
This was a really strange book - sort of "Back to the Future" meets "Freaky Friday." The premise was fascinating but the story was unevenly written. At first the whole timeline didn't make sense to me, until I realized that it was published in the 70's. This also made me wonder if the author was maybe enjoying some herbal refreshment at the time she was writing it.
It's hard to even explain this crazy plot but I will make an attempt. A mysterious, evil Chinese mirror has been around for centuries, messing with people who look into it by showing them scenes from the past or the future; or teleporting them around in time; or in some cases just outright killing them.
During its tenure in the Garret family, the mirror decides it would be fun to send Shay Garret, the "modern" 1970's girl, back in time to become her own grandmother. Shay's part of the story is quite interesting, with vivid descriptions of life in turn-of-the-century Boulder, Colorado. I had a hard time getting past the "ick" factor of someone having sex with their own grandfather and giving birth to their own mother and uncles.
I less enjoyed the story of Brandy, Shay's grandmother, who is transported to the future to become Shay. Her experiences could have been fascinating, but the story completely derails here. Following my earlier hypothesis, this may have been when the author graduated from weed to the harder stuff.
We now learn that Shay had become pregnant, before Brandy inherited her body. She is engaged to Marek, the baby's father and he seems like a successful, nice guy who genuinely loves her. For reasons that are never explained, Shay's parents REALLY don't want her to marry Marek. And now Shay has been acting "crazy" because she is really Brandy, trapped in Shay's body, having trouble making sense of the situation and the modern world. So when her parents find out about the pregnancy, they realize they can use this behavior to their advantage. They plot to have Shay committed and forced to have an abortion. WTF, what kind of parents would do that?! Shay/Brandy overhears the conversation where this is being decided, and she runs away.
She somehow ends up living for awhile on a ramshackle farm with an old dude who lost his mind when his beloved wife passed away. He buried his wife in the backyard, and now names all his cats and farm animals after her. More WTF-ness.
Shay's parents and fiance have been searching for her. Eventually they find her, and she gives birth to twins. Then inexplicably, despite Brandy having spent her whole time in Shay's world uninterested/repulsed by Marek, the novel ends with a completely out-of-nowhere sappy romantic ending.
So I really don't know what to make of this crazy thing. Sometimes it was really interesting, but long stretches were boring and in general it was just a big mess.
This was a really strange book - sort of "Back to the Future" meets "Freaky Friday." The premise was fascinating but the story was unevenly written. At first the whole timeline didn't make sense to me, until I realized that it was published in the 70's. This also made me wonder if the author was maybe enjoying some herbal refreshment at the time she was writing it.
It's hard to even explain this crazy plot but I will make an attempt. A mysterious, evil Chinese mirror has been around for centuries, messing with people who look into it by showing them scenes from the past or the future; or teleporting them around in time; or in some cases just outright killing them.
During its tenure in the Garret family, the mirror decides it would be fun to send Shay Garret, the "modern" 1970's girl, back in time to become her own grandmother. Shay's part of the story is quite interesting, with vivid descriptions of life in turn-of-the-century Boulder, Colorado. I had a hard time getting past the "ick" factor of someone having sex with their own grandfather and giving birth to their own mother and uncles.
I less enjoyed the story of Brandy, Shay's grandmother, who is transported to the future to become Shay. Her experiences could have been fascinating, but the story completely derails here. Following my earlier hypothesis, this may have been when the author graduated from weed to the harder stuff.
We now learn that Shay had become pregnant, before Brandy inherited her body. She is engaged to Marek, the baby's father and he seems like a successful, nice guy who genuinely loves her. For reasons that are never explained, Shay's parents REALLY don't want her to marry Marek. And now Shay has been acting "crazy" because she is really Brandy, trapped in Shay's body, having trouble making sense of the situation and the modern world. So when her parents find out about the pregnancy, they realize they can use this behavior to their advantage. They plot to have Shay committed and forced to have an abortion. WTF, what kind of parents would do that?! Shay/Brandy overhears the conversation where this is being decided, and she runs away.
She somehow ends up living for awhile on a ramshackle farm with an old dude who lost his mind when his beloved wife passed away. He buried his wife in the backyard, and now names all his cats and farm animals after her. More WTF-ness.
Shay's parents and fiance have been searching for her. Eventually they find her, and she gives birth to twins. Then inexplicably, despite Brandy having spent her whole time in Shay's world uninterested/repulsed by Marek, the novel ends with a completely out-of-nowhere sappy romantic ending.
So I really don't know what to make of this crazy thing. Sometimes it was really interesting, but long stretches were boring and in general it was just a big mess.
October 12, 2021
October, 2021
I am bumping up another story to the top of my feed because of October, Halloween and Gothic-like whispers.
Update, October, 2014
Most of her stories are available on Kindle but they are also available to read (free!) on openlibrary.org.
The updated ORIGINAL review, 2017
Sadly, I recently read that the author passed away in 2017. "The Mirror was Mrs. Millhiser's most famous book, one that was so popular with readers that it was one of the most frequently stolen books at public libraries. Several readers have even commented that they named their children after characters in the book."
~~~~~
I read The Mirror, a time travel story, years ago. It was my first introduction into the genre and I loved it. I read it again about ten years later and still appreciated it as much as I did the first time. I recently pulled it off my keeper shelf and decided to see if my opinion had changed now that I am older. It did.
My old hardcover copy is missing its dust jacket and some of the pages are aged. If you are lucky, you may find the book at a public library. It also could be stuffed behind other books in a thrift shop or sitting on a dusty table at someone's garage sale.
I have seen it listed under the 'horror' genre but I disagree. Scary? Mildly. Mind-rush? Yes, definitely. Imagine switching bodies with your grandmother and then giving birth to your own mother. Dated material? Yes, it was written in 1978 and for a brief time you'll 'see' the way the characters dress, 'listen' to Disco music and 'watch' the accepted nuances of that time period.
It begins with aprologue 'backward'. Read it! It is your first tidbit of what the mirror is and what it does. The story finishes with an epilogue 'forward'. In between, was the oddest narrative I have ever read. It's a wild stretch of the imagination. It will cause you to suspend your disbelief and confuse you.
The Mirror was a highly descriptive story of three generations of women. Shay Garrett was getting married the following day. Rachael Garrett, Shay's mother, was trying to pull everything together. And Grandma Bran was on reprieve from a nursing home and was to be the special guest at the marriage ceremony. Can you guess what Shay's parents' wedding gift is? The Mirror.
The wordplay was wonderful. "As she rubbed the stiffened muscles of her neck, she felt the diamond cold against her skin and wished that it could rain inside the house and wash away the dust of decades, generations, decay, and boredom."
And, just an FYI, Ms. Millhiser wrote another time-travel book: The Threshold. Her stories were written long before Diane Gabaldon's time travel series. The Mirror was a favorite with most of its readers.
~~~~~
I lowered my original rating from 5 stars down to 4 because of that dated material I mentioned earlier. Whether you love time travel, have a fondness for 1970s vintage period pieces or are simply looking for a Halloween book challenge, try The Mirror.
I am bumping up another story to the top of my feed because of October, Halloween and Gothic-like whispers.
Update, October, 2014
Most of her stories are available on Kindle but they are also available to read (free!) on openlibrary.org.
The updated ORIGINAL review, 2017
Sadly, I recently read that the author passed away in 2017. "The Mirror was Mrs. Millhiser's most famous book, one that was so popular with readers that it was one of the most frequently stolen books at public libraries. Several readers have even commented that they named their children after characters in the book."
~~~~~
I read The Mirror, a time travel story, years ago. It was my first introduction into the genre and I loved it. I read it again about ten years later and still appreciated it as much as I did the first time. I recently pulled it off my keeper shelf and decided to see if my opinion had changed now that I am older. It did.
My old hardcover copy is missing its dust jacket and some of the pages are aged. If you are lucky, you may find the book at a public library. It also could be stuffed behind other books in a thrift shop or sitting on a dusty table at someone's garage sale.
I have seen it listed under the 'horror' genre but I disagree. Scary? Mildly. Mind-rush? Yes, definitely. Imagine switching bodies with your grandmother and then giving birth to your own mother. Dated material? Yes, it was written in 1978 and for a brief time you'll 'see' the way the characters dress, 'listen' to Disco music and 'watch' the accepted nuances of that time period.
It begins with a
The Mirror was a highly descriptive story of three generations of women. Shay Garrett was getting married the following day. Rachael Garrett, Shay's mother, was trying to pull everything together. And Grandma Bran was on reprieve from a nursing home and was to be the special guest at the marriage ceremony. Can you guess what Shay's parents' wedding gift is? The Mirror.
The wordplay was wonderful. "As she rubbed the stiffened muscles of her neck, she felt the diamond cold against her skin and wished that it could rain inside the house and wash away the dust of decades, generations, decay, and boredom."
And, just an FYI, Ms. Millhiser wrote another time-travel book: The Threshold. Her stories were written long before Diane Gabaldon's time travel series. The Mirror was a favorite with most of its readers.
~~~~~
I lowered my original rating from 5 stars down to 4 because of that dated material I mentioned earlier. Whether you love time travel, have a fondness for 1970s vintage period pieces or are simply looking for a Halloween book challenge, try The Mirror.
August 11, 2009
This is probably one of the best books to me that I've read. I loved it. Time travel done the best ever. History and love but not overly mushy.
December 4, 2013
This is one of my favorite books of all time. Ive read at at least a dozen times over the years. I borrowed it from the lirary one day(long ago :) and was about a dozen pages in when the author had me hooked. I rushed right out and bought the book, knowing nothing about the rest of the book. I hardly EVER do that! The book is definitely different, but unique enough to stand on its own. I finished this book in one day and while I give it 5 stars and stand behind it, I feel as if the ending could have been better. (The section on Shay as Brandy was excellent!) My head is spinning with ideas of a different ending. Definitely a great topic for discussion!
This is a story about two women who on the eve of their weddings, gaze into an old oriental, "grotesque" mirror and are instantly moved throughout time in an act that devastates both their lives and everyone around them. They have unwillingley switched bodies. Shay Garrett leaves 1978 and wakens in the body of her grandmother Brandy McCabe in the year 1900. Brandy in turn is transported into the body of her granddaughter Shay.
Shay is forced to live her grandmothers life at the turn of the century knowing what is to come and thus being labeled crazy and a witch. She is forced to marry her grandfather, give birth to her mother...all the while never to return to her own life in 1978.
Brandy, meanwhile, discovers a similar fate as she discovers what has become of her life, family and the world she left in 1900.
This is a story about two women who on the eve of their weddings, gaze into an old oriental, "grotesque" mirror and are instantly moved throughout time in an act that devastates both their lives and everyone around them. They have unwillingley switched bodies. Shay Garrett leaves 1978 and wakens in the body of her grandmother Brandy McCabe in the year 1900. Brandy in turn is transported into the body of her granddaughter Shay.
Shay is forced to live her grandmothers life at the turn of the century knowing what is to come and thus being labeled crazy and a witch. She is forced to marry her grandfather, give birth to her mother...all the while never to return to her own life in 1978.
Brandy, meanwhile, discovers a similar fate as she discovers what has become of her life, family and the world she left in 1900.
November 20, 2024
Will be re-reading this one soon for NetGalley.
I have good memories of it, which is why I requested it for review.
I wonder if my opinion of it will change after 33 years?
I'll let you know...
I have good memories of it, which is why I requested it for review.
I wonder if my opinion of it will change after 33 years?
I'll let you know...
September 15, 2023
I knew this book made a big splash when it first came out in 1978, but the plot and blurbs sounded so campy I never read it. Big mistake! The Mirror has to be one of the best books I have read in quite awhile and I can see it having appeal for a broad audience. The 'hook' of the story is a strange mirror first brought to San Francisco around 1800 on a ship from Asia somewhere. A very brief prologue follows the mirror around, which always seems to leave a trail of death and madness behind it. Worse, it is like a bad penny, with people trying to get rid of it and it keeps turning up.
The bulk of the book is divided into two parts, following the lives to two women living on the front range north of Denver. The first, Brandy, was born in Boulder in the late 19th century to a wealthy builder in town. The second, Shay, born in 1957, is Brandy's granddaughter and the book starts with her on the night before her wedding. Her doting father and mother live in the 'gingerbread' house in Boulder built by Brandy's dad and as a wedding present, they drag down from the attic the odd mirror which Brandy's dad also gave her for a wedding present. So, before the night of both of their weddings, somehow the mirror transports/switches the minds of the two brides to be, putting a liberated Shay in Brandy, and a 19th century Brandy into Shay.
This really sounds a bit cheesy here, but what Millhiser did so wonderfully centers around how presented each of the women's struggles in such a foreign environment. Shay (now Brandy) just wants to go back, but she is dutifully married off as planned and starts her new life as a miner's wife up north of Boulder. Millhiser breaths life into the era, and especially the gender norms and attitudes of the population. Brandy also has the reputation of being a bit crazy, and that just gets worse when she starts talking about life circa 1978, with people walking on the moon, driving cars, etc. Even worse, however, is that Shay knows quite a bit about her family history, like who she will have children with, marry, and where she will eventually live. So in a way, she is forced to live the live of her grandmother.
The second part concerns Brandy now in Shay's body circa 1978, with her trying to adapt the modern era. Her parents think she is off her rocker as well, and Millhiser is super when writing about her experiences with modern plumbing, watching a movie, etc. It is like she switched personalities or something! The two women occasionally have 'interludes' where they switch bodies for brief periods as well, leaving them perhaps more confused than anything else...
If you like historical fiction, The Mirror provides a great portrayal of life on the front range at the turn of the 20th century. My great grandfather was a miner living/working pretty close to where this was set and I heard the stories and still have the pictures. He eventually hit a big enough strike to buy a bar/rooming house in Denver ('The Railroad exchange tavern' or something) before moving to Cleveland.
This was just spooky enough with the mirror to be deemed a horror novel, but it is pretty tame by later standards, even though the body count is relatively high. What makes this work is the phycological aspect of the two women living in different bodies in different times. Don't be put off by the cheesy blurb--this is really a masterpiece! 5 glowing stars!!
The bulk of the book is divided into two parts, following the lives to two women living on the front range north of Denver. The first, Brandy, was born in Boulder in the late 19th century to a wealthy builder in town. The second, Shay, born in 1957, is Brandy's granddaughter and the book starts with her on the night before her wedding. Her doting father and mother live in the 'gingerbread' house in Boulder built by Brandy's dad and as a wedding present, they drag down from the attic the odd mirror which Brandy's dad also gave her for a wedding present. So, before the night of both of their weddings, somehow the mirror transports/switches the minds of the two brides to be, putting a liberated Shay in Brandy, and a 19th century Brandy into Shay.
This really sounds a bit cheesy here, but what Millhiser did so wonderfully centers around how presented each of the women's struggles in such a foreign environment. Shay (now Brandy) just wants to go back, but she is dutifully married off as planned and starts her new life as a miner's wife up north of Boulder. Millhiser breaths life into the era, and especially the gender norms and attitudes of the population. Brandy also has the reputation of being a bit crazy, and that just gets worse when she starts talking about life circa 1978, with people walking on the moon, driving cars, etc. Even worse, however, is that Shay knows quite a bit about her family history, like who she will have children with, marry, and where she will eventually live. So in a way, she is forced to live the live of her grandmother.
The second part concerns Brandy now in Shay's body circa 1978, with her trying to adapt the modern era. Her parents think she is off her rocker as well, and Millhiser is super when writing about her experiences with modern plumbing, watching a movie, etc. It is like she switched personalities or something! The two women occasionally have 'interludes' where they switch bodies for brief periods as well, leaving them perhaps more confused than anything else...
If you like historical fiction, The Mirror provides a great portrayal of life on the front range at the turn of the 20th century. My great grandfather was a miner living/working pretty close to where this was set and I heard the stories and still have the pictures. He eventually hit a big enough strike to buy a bar/rooming house in Denver ('The Railroad exchange tavern' or something) before moving to Cleveland.
This was just spooky enough with the mirror to be deemed a horror novel, but it is pretty tame by later standards, even though the body count is relatively high. What makes this work is the phycological aspect of the two women living in different bodies in different times. Don't be put off by the cheesy blurb--this is really a masterpiece! 5 glowing stars!!
May 15, 2015
It's not, quite, but this book has a bit of the feel of one of those 'gothic' romances that were popular in the 1970's.
It's a time-travelling saga of how a cursed mirror twists the lives of the women of one family.
In 1978, Shay Garrett is on the verge of marriage to a wealthy and handsome man. But when she looks into a family-heirloom mirror, she suddenly finds herself in the body of her grandmother - in 1900. To her shock, she's still on the verge of a wedding - now, to a man she's never met.
At first, she is obsessed with finding a chance to return to her own life, but as time crawls on, she gradually learns to adjust to life in an earlier period.
A good part of the way through the book, we switch perspectives and find out what happened to the grandmother, Brandy. At that point, I have to admit that I had a few moments where it felt a bit repetitive, but soon enough I was interested in Brandy's experiences in 1978 as well. After all, from the perspective of a reader in 2015, both 1900 and 1978 are almost equally 'historical' settings! And, in the end, it needs both to provide the balance that the tale's ending gives it.
Many thanks to Open Road Media for providing me with the opportunity to read this book, and bringing attention to a tale that may have fallen into obscurity. As always, my opinions are solely my own.
It's a time-travelling saga of how a cursed mirror twists the lives of the women of one family.
In 1978, Shay Garrett is on the verge of marriage to a wealthy and handsome man. But when she looks into a family-heirloom mirror, she suddenly finds herself in the body of her grandmother - in 1900. To her shock, she's still on the verge of a wedding - now, to a man she's never met.
At first, she is obsessed with finding a chance to return to her own life, but as time crawls on, she gradually learns to adjust to life in an earlier period.
A good part of the way through the book, we switch perspectives and find out what happened to the grandmother, Brandy. At that point, I have to admit that I had a few moments where it felt a bit repetitive, but soon enough I was interested in Brandy's experiences in 1978 as well. After all, from the perspective of a reader in 2015, both 1900 and 1978 are almost equally 'historical' settings! And, in the end, it needs both to provide the balance that the tale's ending gives it.
Many thanks to Open Road Media for providing me with the opportunity to read this book, and bringing attention to a tale that may have fallen into obscurity. As always, my opinions are solely my own.
November 4, 2009
I throughly enjoyed this book. It was not your average time travel or transportation book in my opinion. I enjoyed the way it was broken in to sections to see things from a different characters point of view.
I was, however, throughly disappointed by the end of the book. About half way through the last section it began to read like the author ran out of steam. She could have done so much more in this section and even had the details to do but opted to keep it boring. The last section of the book is the only reason I am not giving this book 4 stars. It did not live up to the first 3/4s of the book.
I was, however, throughly disappointed by the end of the book. About half way through the last section it began to read like the author ran out of steam. She could have done so much more in this section and even had the details to do but opted to keep it boring. The last section of the book is the only reason I am not giving this book 4 stars. It did not live up to the first 3/4s of the book.
March 20, 2022
Крайно шантава, но приятна история. Изобщо не знаеш какво да очакваш от трите героини. През 1900 г. и 1978 г. две двайсетгодишни младоженки - баба и внучка - застават пред старо семейно огледало с тъмни сили. И в деня на сватбата си се разменят.
“May Bell, who am I?”
“You’re Brandy McCabe, Strock, Maddon. And you’re crazy.”
Внучката заживява живота на баба си, докато всички наоколо я смятат за луда с нейните предсказания на бъдещето. Какво е да срещнеш човека, чиято фамилия ще носят следващите поколения, докато си омъжена за друг? Как ще отгледаш детето, което си познавала като своята собствена дистанцирана майка? Най-грабващата от трите истории.
“I’d never marry you.”
“Who the hell asked you?”
Втората история е на дъщерята на жената, която сякаш знае всичко, което ще се случи занапред и предсказва на ужасената си малка дъщеря за кого ще се омъжи, както и куп други неща. Рейчъл е най-смазана от трите поколения, страдайки от несъответсвия, които не може да си обясни, и вместо да се бори, подтиска неприятните моменти.
”You see, Shay Garrett, the WORLD is crazy. You and me know where it’s at.”
Третата история е на булката от 1900 г., захвърлена в 1978 г. Викторианско момиче открива за свой най-голям ужас, че е в тялото на непозната бременна модерна жена. Всички, които е познавала, са в близкото гробище, дори присъства на собственото си погребение - или поне на жената, която е носила нейното име. Ненапразно в началото решава, че е в Ада. Тази история имаше най-много ненужни моменти, но въпреки това е интересна.
Искаше ми се историята да е малко по-дълга, но и така си я бива. Великолепен сериал би се получил от тази старичка мистерия.
⭐️3,5 звезди⭐️
“May Bell, who am I?”
“You’re Brandy McCabe, Strock, Maddon. And you’re crazy.”
Внучката заживява живота на баба си, докато всички наоколо я смятат за луда с нейните предсказания на бъдещето. Какво е да срещнеш човека, чиято фамилия ще носят следващите поколения, докато си омъжена за друг? Как ще отгледаш детето, което си познавала като своята собствена дистанцирана майка? Най-грабващата от трите истории.
“I’d never marry you.”
“Who the hell asked you?”
Втората история е на дъщерята на жената, която сякаш знае всичко, което ще се случи занапред и предсказва на ужасената си малка дъщеря за кого ще се омъжи, както и куп други неща. Рейчъл е най-смазана от трите поколения, страдайки от несъответсвия, които не може да си обясни, и вместо да се бори, подтиска неприятните моменти.
”You see, Shay Garrett, the WORLD is crazy. You and me know where it’s at.”
Третата история е на булката от 1900 г., захвърлена в 1978 г. Викторианско момиче открива за свой най-голям ужас, че е в тялото на непозната бременна модерна жена. Всички, които е познавала, са в близкото гробище, дори присъства на собственото си погребение - или поне на жената, която е носила нейното име. Ненапразно в началото решава, че е в Ада. Тази история имаше най-много ненужни моменти, но въпреки това е интересна.
Искаше ми се историята да е малко по-дълга, но и така си я бива. Великолепен сериал би се получил от тази старичка мистерия.
⭐️3,5 звезди⭐️
April 23, 2022
I believe that this was one of the most interesting and intriguing books that I have read this year, or perhaps any year. My library was putting some of the books that they had more than two copies of on the shelf that they have to sell them for a little bit of nothing... and I was lucky enough to be there to grab it up. Lucky, lucky, me! There are some unexplained deaths in the book and a supernatural plot, but it's not really horror. It's actually more of a time travel book, much like Jack Finney's famous Time and Again, which I have also read several times. Finney's book had a murder mystery plot, and this one doesn't. This mirror is an Oriental mirror of unknown origin that travels from one place to another, enticing its victims. It hums and crackles with anticipation, pulling the victim in to either drive them insane or to switch them with someone else either decades in the past or into the future. That was one of the things that I found extremely fascinating. Image being a young woman of the twenty-first century with equal rights and the freedom to do pretty much what you please and suddenly finding not only are you in someone else's mind and body and the rights and freedoms you enjoyed in 2022 are no longer yours and you may even face death if you object or attempt to pursue them. I absolutely loved it. I believe that The Mirror is going to be one of those books that really stands the test of time.
June 14, 2015
(I received a copy through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.)
This reprint (manner of speaking) of a 1978 novel was definitely interesting to read, although I confess not having paid enough attention at first when it came to the original publishing date... and was confused in the beginning. But that's not fault of the book's, only mine.
The story weaves the lives of Shay and Brandy, the first being the latter's granddaughter. A mysterious mirrors switches their minds in time, forcing Shay to live as Brandy in 1900, and Brandy as Shay in 1978. Of course, each of them has to face a world they don't understand: Shay as a "proper" bride-to-be whose mind and manners are way too open for the people around her, and Brandy as a young woman in a society way too liberated, compared to what she used to know. As daily challenges pile one after the other, managing their families not being the least of them, both react and adapt differently.
I admit I was more interested in Shay's role, narrated in parts 1 and 2. Brandy seemed more passive—in keeping with her education, probably, but it made her walk in Shay's shadow almost all the time, so to speak. Compared to her granddaughter, she had more trouble adjusting. On the other hand, Shay had history to rely on, to help prove the people around her that she wasn't just crazy and indeed knew of some future events. I wasn't convinced the first time she admitted being another person in Brandy's body, thinking "is she stupid? She's going to get committed in no time!" However, it also made me wonder how would anyone react in such a situation. Trying to act the part can only take you so far, after all.
Other ideas are explored as well, especially the chicken-and-egg matter of not knowing if you have to simply reenact a past already "written" in order to end up existing, or if your very presence if this past is now threatening everything, and you don't know what actions are going to make it work, or on the other hand destroy everything. Shay had to use the little knowledge she had of her family (her parents had her a little late in life, and she hadn't known some of the characters she then encounters as Brandy) in order to piece everything together—and it wasn't always easy, for instance when she realised the guy she had to marry wasn't her grandfather, thus wondering what it'd lead to, and how/if history would right itself.
Another point raised here: Shay's control over her family's life. It made her appear as overbearing, always knowing what would happen, who the children would marry, etc., prompting them in turn to do things differently just to prove her wrong... yet history still righted itself at some point. It was hard to tell whether Shay was trying to control everything, or saying what she knew because, well, she knew it, and it escaped her lips from time to time. Keeping such a secret for so long sure must be hard.
It's a bit too bad that Brandy's part felt definitely weaker. From the way young Brandy was presented at first, in the accounts of the McCabes, she seemed more resourceful and rebellious (for a 1900 girl, that is); but the Brandy shown in the third part of the novel was too often silent, retreating into herself, and I couldn't find here the person who was supposed to be curious. Although that was the culture shock speaking, I thought she could've made more of an effort, instead of waiting on Shay to solve the problem on her end. Her story was also more removed from that of her family's, so while Shay's part appeared as more involved, Brandy's left less room to focus on the dynamics among the Garretts. Too bad, as the novel explores parents/children relationships as well as time travel.
Another thing I regretted not reading more about: the mirror itself. Part 3 of the novel introduces a theft, yet nothing was really resolved there. For the whole book, it's presented as some kind of cursed artifact, and it would've been nice
I liked the depictions of daily life in 1900, as Shay tries to adapt. However, the writing itself was too often descriptive as well, telling more than showing what happened.
Overall, a good enough time travel story (that didn't forget to play on the theme of paradox in its own way, a.k.a. the stroke and death), yet one that seemed to lose interest for itself towards the end (Brandy's part). 3.5 stars.
This reprint (manner of speaking) of a 1978 novel was definitely interesting to read, although I confess not having paid enough attention at first when it came to the original publishing date... and was confused in the beginning. But that's not fault of the book's, only mine.
The story weaves the lives of Shay and Brandy, the first being the latter's granddaughter. A mysterious mirrors switches their minds in time, forcing Shay to live as Brandy in 1900, and Brandy as Shay in 1978. Of course, each of them has to face a world they don't understand: Shay as a "proper" bride-to-be whose mind and manners are way too open for the people around her, and Brandy as a young woman in a society way too liberated, compared to what she used to know. As daily challenges pile one after the other, managing their families not being the least of them, both react and adapt differently.
I admit I was more interested in Shay's role, narrated in parts 1 and 2. Brandy seemed more passive—in keeping with her education, probably, but it made her walk in Shay's shadow almost all the time, so to speak. Compared to her granddaughter, she had more trouble adjusting. On the other hand, Shay had history to rely on, to help prove the people around her that she wasn't just crazy and indeed knew of some future events. I wasn't convinced the first time she admitted being another person in Brandy's body, thinking "is she stupid? She's going to get committed in no time!" However, it also made me wonder how would anyone react in such a situation. Trying to act the part can only take you so far, after all.
Other ideas are explored as well, especially the chicken-and-egg matter of not knowing if you have to simply reenact a past already "written" in order to end up existing, or if your very presence if this past is now threatening everything, and you don't know what actions are going to make it work, or on the other hand destroy everything. Shay had to use the little knowledge she had of her family (her parents had her a little late in life, and she hadn't known some of the characters she then encounters as Brandy) in order to piece everything together—and it wasn't always easy, for instance when she realised the guy she had to marry wasn't her grandfather, thus wondering what it'd lead to, and how/if history would right itself.
Another point raised here: Shay's control over her family's life. It made her appear as overbearing, always knowing what would happen, who the children would marry, etc., prompting them in turn to do things differently just to prove her wrong... yet history still righted itself at some point. It was hard to tell whether Shay was trying to control everything, or saying what she knew because, well, she knew it, and it escaped her lips from time to time. Keeping such a secret for so long sure must be hard.
It's a bit too bad that Brandy's part felt definitely weaker. From the way young Brandy was presented at first, in the accounts of the McCabes, she seemed more resourceful and rebellious (for a 1900 girl, that is); but the Brandy shown in the third part of the novel was too often silent, retreating into herself, and I couldn't find here the person who was supposed to be curious. Although that was the culture shock speaking, I thought she could've made more of an effort, instead of waiting on Shay to solve the problem on her end. Her story was also more removed from that of her family's, so while Shay's part appeared as more involved, Brandy's left less room to focus on the dynamics among the Garretts. Too bad, as the novel explores parents/children relationships as well as time travel.
Another thing I regretted not reading more about: the mirror itself. Part 3 of the novel introduces a theft, yet nothing was really resolved there. For the whole book, it's presented as some kind of cursed artifact, and it would've been nice
I liked the depictions of daily life in 1900, as Shay tries to adapt. However, the writing itself was too often descriptive as well, telling more than showing what happened.
Overall, a good enough time travel story (that didn't forget to play on the theme of paradox in its own way, a.k.a. the stroke and death), yet one that seemed to lose interest for itself towards the end (Brandy's part). 3.5 stars.
March 26, 2017
Well, this was the oddest time travel story that I've ever stumbled upon. Split between 1978 and1900, a mysterious mirror handed down from generation to generation causes a grandmother and granddaughter to switch bodies and adjust to different time periods. Freaky Friday, anyone?
The bulk of the book concentrates on granddaughter, Shay, living in her grandmother's time. This was my favorite section of the book because it spans years as Shay remains in her grandmother's body throughout marriage and babies (imagine marrying your grandfather and raising your parent and their siblings). Even further still, imagine running into people you've only heard about in family stories. l loved the interactions between Shay/Brandy and her mother-in-law, Thora K.
The last section brings us up to speed on how grandmother, Brandy deals with being a 20 year-old unwed mother. I felt that the story fell flat and bordered on ridiculousness. It didn't fit the rhythm of the book and gave the allusion that the author wasn't sure how to end it.Maybe going back in the past is better than springing ahead to the future?
Despite some misgivings, I think that it's a great story for time traveling enthusiasts. Of course,I've still got plenty of questions regarding that mirror.
The bulk of the book concentrates on granddaughter, Shay, living in her grandmother's time. This was my favorite section of the book because it spans years as Shay remains in her grandmother's body throughout marriage and babies (imagine marrying your grandfather and raising your parent and their siblings). Even further still, imagine running into people you've only heard about in family stories. l loved the interactions between Shay/Brandy and her mother-in-law, Thora K.
The last section brings us up to speed on how grandmother, Brandy deals with being a 20 year-old unwed mother. I felt that the story fell flat and bordered on ridiculousness. It didn't fit the rhythm of the book and gave the allusion that the author wasn't sure how to end it.Maybe going back in the past is better than springing ahead to the future?
Despite some misgivings, I think that it's a great story for time traveling enthusiasts. Of course,I've still got plenty of questions regarding that mirror.
May 15, 2011
This is a solid 3, which means nothing earth shattering but I read it through with a great deal of enjoyment, and even *gasp* some thought! The writing itself is a far cry from "litrature" but the characters were interesting and likable. And I don't know about you, but I've always been suspicious about mirrors, especially when I was a kid - there's definitely a Twilight Zone mystique about them. Ya know, the whole "into another world" possibility. And scary thoughts, what if I don't see my reflection? What if *cringe* I see something else, OH NOOOOOOO.
This book is a great spin on that childhood magic, where The Mirror does indeed do very weird things, and has malevolent intent. Plus, we also get into time travel, which I always like if well done. Here we have 2 characters, grandmother and granddaughter switch places. I like the way they both had a ton of psychological adjustment due to the differences in morality, customs, gender roles, etc. I always imagined the tough times someone from today would have in the past. But think about a Victorian woman waking up in the here and now, and finding herself not just without a corset, but no bra and a tank top! THE HORROR. And suddenly the granddaughter is the mother of her own mother? WEIRDNESS.
Yep, I like this book. I had fun reading it.
This book is a great spin on that childhood magic, where The Mirror does indeed do very weird things, and has malevolent intent. Plus, we also get into time travel, which I always like if well done. Here we have 2 characters, grandmother and granddaughter switch places. I like the way they both had a ton of psychological adjustment due to the differences in morality, customs, gender roles, etc. I always imagined the tough times someone from today would have in the past. But think about a Victorian woman waking up in the here and now, and finding herself not just without a corset, but no bra and a tank top! THE HORROR. And suddenly the granddaughter is the mother of her own mother? WEIRDNESS.
Yep, I like this book. I had fun reading it.
February 9, 2021
One and a half stars because the first third of the book with Shay as Brandy wasn't so horrible. However, this book is random and nonsensical. The conversations did not flow logically most of the time and the story was very uneven. I still don't understand what the point of this book is or what we are supposed to take away from this. I don't see where the characters did anymore than resign themselves to their fate.
The characters behaved in such odd ways, and there was no character development. They just went about until they realized their fate and resigned themselves to it. I felt little to no connection with any of them and everything felt very two dimensional to me.
The story jumped so much from person-to-person while randomly skipping time and then other times spending way too much time on a plot that went nowhere. What was the point of Mr. Strock? The author spends so much time on that storyline but to no real end? Like what purpose did it serve? The story seemed to be building up to something and then was just dropped and the rest of her life is just a skim through. I kept waiting for him to serve a bigger purpose, like having her fall in love with him, jeopardizing her own future...something to make the book exciting, or provide conflict. Why not spend that time on the actual part of Brandy's life that produced her family? On falling in love with the Grandpa? Which was another thing, until she married him, the story made him seem like a skeevy, shady outlaw. Also, was anyone else bothered by the fact that she had sex with her grandpa??! Granted, maybe she felt it necessary to play it out, but it's not even mentioned as a concern...like ewwww????
I won't even go into Brandy as Shay. There was no logic into her actions and her thought process made no sense, nor did her ending. It was just random things happening for no purpose.
Beyond that, the story made both worlds seem depressing and I felt as stuck as the characters did. Don't recommend to anyone.
The characters behaved in such odd ways, and there was no character development. They just went about until they realized their fate and resigned themselves to it. I felt little to no connection with any of them and everything felt very two dimensional to me.
The story jumped so much from person-to-person while randomly skipping time and then other times spending way too much time on a plot that went nowhere. What was the point of Mr. Strock? The author spends so much time on that storyline but to no real end? Like what purpose did it serve? The story seemed to be building up to something and then was just dropped and the rest of her life is just a skim through. I kept waiting for him to serve a bigger purpose, like having her fall in love with him, jeopardizing her own future...something to make the book exciting, or provide conflict. Why not spend that time on the actual part of Brandy's life that produced her family? On falling in love with the Grandpa? Which was another thing, until she married him, the story made him seem like a skeevy, shady outlaw. Also, was anyone else bothered by the fact that she had sex with her grandpa??! Granted, maybe she felt it necessary to play it out, but it's not even mentioned as a concern...like ewwww????
I won't even go into Brandy as Shay. There was no logic into her actions and her thought process made no sense, nor did her ending. It was just random things happening for no purpose.
Beyond that, the story made both worlds seem depressing and I felt as stuck as the characters did. Don't recommend to anyone.
September 20, 2009
I've had this on my wishlist for years, and my husband was kind enough to give it to me for my birthday. I've spent the past 2 days completely lost in it. I'm surprised it's not more popular, but maybe it was when it was first printed in 1978.
The story is basically about a grandmother and granddaughter who switch places in body and time when they look into a mirror that each of them received on their wedding days in different times. At this point, the story moves chronologically from past to present through the generations who were connected to the mirror in the same "Gingerbread House".
Imagine suddenly finding yourself (a girl from 1978) in an arranged marriage and carried off into the Colorado hills to live in a tiny cabin with no electricity or running water. Or imagine being a girl from the turn of the century and suddenly finding yourself wearing bluejeans and drinking a margarita at a disco with people making out all around you. And then imagine that you don't know the rules of the world you've found yourself in (how to start a wood stove or answer a telephone) and everyone thinks you're going crazy.
It's a simple story, but it's written in a way that drew me in. It's not a time travel story I'll soon forget. It's an instant favorite.
The story is basically about a grandmother and granddaughter who switch places in body and time when they look into a mirror that each of them received on their wedding days in different times. At this point, the story moves chronologically from past to present through the generations who were connected to the mirror in the same "Gingerbread House".
Imagine suddenly finding yourself (a girl from 1978) in an arranged marriage and carried off into the Colorado hills to live in a tiny cabin with no electricity or running water. Or imagine being a girl from the turn of the century and suddenly finding yourself wearing bluejeans and drinking a margarita at a disco with people making out all around you. And then imagine that you don't know the rules of the world you've found yourself in (how to start a wood stove or answer a telephone) and everyone thinks you're going crazy.
It's a simple story, but it's written in a way that drew me in. It's not a time travel story I'll soon forget. It's an instant favorite.
September 15, 2014
This is a remarkable book, one that I had never heard of until a few weeks ago. The plot of the story revolves around a mysterious antique mirror and two young women about to be married. A granddaughter and her grandmother, separated by 75 years, both looking into the strange mirror just prior to their weddings, and then the impossible happens; they switch places, slipping into the others bodies. How do they cope, being in another body not familiar to them, living in a time that seems almost alien? Well, that's the remarkable part. Marlys Millhiser weaves a story that is so amazing and unbelievable, so frightening and disturbing that it is hard to stop reading. I'm surprised this book isn't more well known than it is. It's the most entertaining book I have read this year. I give it five stars and gladly recommend it to everyone.
April 16, 2015
Remembered and was describing the plot of this odd supernatural thriller from 1978 to my daughter while discussing the new Studio Ghibli movie about Marnie.
December 11, 2015
This was an interesting time travel book, with grandmother and granddaughter switching bodies on the eve of their weddings. Learning about Colorado in the early 1900s was educational. Rather than choosing to go back and forth with Shay and Brandy, most of the book is about Shay in Brandy's body, with a brief interlude with Rachel as the focus.
The flow was further interrupted for me by the way Millhiser felt she had to constantly remind us that it was Shay in Brandy's body or vice versa. It would have been ok to do this at the beginning, but she stuck with it all the way through (which almost felt insulting), writing things like, "Shay bit Brandy's lip," or "Shay brought Brandy to her feet..."
There were many gaps in the sad plot that needed to be fleshed out or explained. My book club agreed the Shay as Brandy part was more fun to read; then it felt like the author got tired and gave up. I wanted to keep reading to see what happened. This Lisa as Reader is glad there's no such evil mirror in her house.
The flow was further interrupted for me by the way Millhiser felt she had to constantly remind us that it was Shay in Brandy's body or vice versa. It would have been ok to do this at the beginning, but she stuck with it all the way through (which almost felt insulting), writing things like, "Shay bit Brandy's lip," or "Shay brought Brandy to her feet..."
There were many gaps in the sad plot that needed to be fleshed out or explained. My book club agreed the Shay as Brandy part was more fun to read; then it felt like the author got tired and gave up. I wanted to keep reading to see what happened. This Lisa as Reader is glad there's no such evil mirror in her house.
July 1, 2013
This is my favorite time travel book from over 50 plus years of compulsive reading. And time travel in any genre is in my top three of preference scenarios. Along with immigrant stories and travelogue.
Perhaps this one actually combines all three?
Everytime I floss my teeth I think of this book.
So many books written today that are classified historical fiction are, even when excellent, in some or most part of detail or thought patterns, revisionist to a 21st century value or agenda.
This one wasn't. And it was a superb story, as well.
I can still remember the white paperback with the girl's face on the cover. Shared it with so many friends that it literally disintegrated. One of the few books I have actually owned was "used up".
I rejoice to see that it was published again in 1997.
Perhaps this one actually combines all three?
Everytime I floss my teeth I think of this book.
So many books written today that are classified historical fiction are, even when excellent, in some or most part of detail or thought patterns, revisionist to a 21st century value or agenda.
This one wasn't. And it was a superb story, as well.
I can still remember the white paperback with the girl's face on the cover. Shared it with so many friends that it literally disintegrated. One of the few books I have actually owned was "used up".
I rejoice to see that it was published again in 1997.
January 11, 2018
I absolutely love this book! I re-read it about once a month. I came upon it by accident when I was at my local library years ago. The spine of the hardcover edition caught my eye. I pulled the book down and read the summary and was instantly hooked. I checked it out and by the time I reached chapter 20 I was on amazon ordering a copy for myself. THAT'S how good this book is because I never do that.
Another perk of the book for me was that its dealt with history and time travel, both massive interests of mine. It also made me think of what it would be like for myself to be in either Shay or Brandy's position, or even Rachael. I really enjoy books that make you contemplate and access your own life and this book does it very well.
I highly recommend it. It's a fast read, each time I read it, I can finish half the book in a few hours.
Another perk of the book for me was that its dealt with history and time travel, both massive interests of mine. It also made me think of what it would be like for myself to be in either Shay or Brandy's position, or even Rachael. I really enjoy books that make you contemplate and access your own life and this book does it very well.
I highly recommend it. It's a fast read, each time I read it, I can finish half the book in a few hours.
September 26, 2010
I wasn't sure at the onset that I would be as crazy about this book as so many female readers before me have been, but this book really quite surprised me.
Two women on the cusp of their pending nuptials, both 20 years old, find themselves looking into an old wedding mirror that has been handed down in their family through many generations. Suddenly Brandy McCabe finds herself trapped in the pregnant body of her granddaughter Shay Garret and Shay finds herself, likewise, trapped in the body of her grandmother, desperately trying to follow the course of a family history in which she knows most of the possible outcomes.
I definitely preferred the section of the book that focused on Shay's travel back in time to the life of her grandmother Brandy. And for the record, I'm not certain that I have ever encountered a male literary character that I enjoyed quite so much as Hutch Maddon (Mr. Darcy now robbed of his gold medallion and sporting a slightly less illustrious silver).
This is really a touching and beautiful book. Truly memorable.
Two women on the cusp of their pending nuptials, both 20 years old, find themselves looking into an old wedding mirror that has been handed down in their family through many generations. Suddenly Brandy McCabe finds herself trapped in the pregnant body of her granddaughter Shay Garret and Shay finds herself, likewise, trapped in the body of her grandmother, desperately trying to follow the course of a family history in which she knows most of the possible outcomes.
I definitely preferred the section of the book that focused on Shay's travel back in time to the life of her grandmother Brandy. And for the record, I'm not certain that I have ever encountered a male literary character that I enjoyed quite so much as Hutch Maddon (Mr. Darcy now robbed of his gold medallion and sporting a slightly less illustrious silver).
This is really a touching and beautiful book. Truly memorable.
April 17, 2014
OMG! I just finished this book again for the third time. I always remember that Shay and her Grandmother look into a mirror at the same time the night before their wedding days. Shay 1978 Brandy 1900. They switch bodies and live out each other's lives and have little episode where they can see what each is doing at random times, but I ALWAYS forget the wonderful story details. I'm glad I own this book. I would recommend it for everyone. I just love it.
June 30, 2016
This was the first time travel book I read as a young woman. It touched me in such a strong way. To see that a life could be lived that belonged to your own grandmother was just amazing to me.
I always wanted to live in the time period of my grandmother, so I could see how uncomfortably strangely fascinating that would be.
I need to read this again to remember the excellency of it all. I do remember the feelings it evoked, if not every word that was written.
I always wanted to live in the time period of my grandmother, so I could see how uncomfortably strangely fascinating that would be.
I need to read this again to remember the excellency of it all. I do remember the feelings it evoked, if not every word that was written.
August 7, 2023
I love books like this! Time travel stuff!!
July 2, 2010
Modern-day (well, 1978) Shay, on the night before what promises to be a loveless marriage, is given a family heirloom as a present: a grotesque mirror. Gazing into it as a thunderstorm rages outside, she is suddenly transported back to the turn of the century to occupy the body of her grandmother Brandy, who has likewise been given this mirror on the night before what's likely a doomed marriage. At the same time, Brandy is shot forward in time to inhabit Shay's body. The two young women, despite a couple of moments early on when the mirror seems prepared to restore the status quo ante, must learn to live in each other's worlds. The first part of the book shows Shay-as-Brandy doing this; the middle, linking part follows the life of the two women's daughter/mother Rachael; and the third part sees Brandy-as-Shay coping with the far more difficult task of adapting to what is for her a future world.
In a way The Mirror is a sort of inverted generational novel: certainly it doesn't read like a fantasy despite having a fantasticated premise and despite the fact that, for obvious reasons, so much of it deals with its main protagonists tackling problems consequent upon that fantastication. Most of the logic of the situation is meticulously worked out, though there does seem one major flaw: In 1978, Grandmother Brandy, who long ago suffered a stroke and cannot communicate, arrives for Shay's wedding, and she dies in the moment that the mirror makes the Shay/Brandy swap, on the basis that there can't be two Brandys at the same time. However, Grandmother Brandy is in fact Shay, grown old in Brandy's body, and there have been two Shays coexisting without disaster for as long as modern-day Shay has lived. There's no evident reason why Shay-in-Brandy couldn't coexist with Brandy-in-Shay.
Reading The Mirror is an enjoyable way to spend some time, and its interwoven tales are moderately involving, but in truth the book doesn't have a whole lot new to offer. Ideal for the beach, perhaps.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 10, 2019
This is a touch too gothic for my taste, and the cursed mirror feels like something straight out of an episode of Supernatural, but I very much enjoyed the stories of the women displaced in time.
On the night before her wedding in Colorado in 1978, 20-yr-old Shay looks into the mirror and is instantly transported back in time, into the body of her own grandmother Brandy, aged 20, on the eve of her own wedding in 1900. The bridegroom she's presented to the next morning, however, does not look like the man in her grandmother's wedding photo which had always hung in her childhood home. That's a nice little mystery to add on top of her struggles to cope with her situation.
Later in the book, we find that Brandy has been simultaneously transferred into Shay's body in 1978. In the middle we get the point of view of their daughter/mother Rachael, who can remember her eccentric mother's uncanny predictions of the future and lives to see her daughter suddenly become a stranger who sits ramrod straight and doesn’t know what the dishwasher is for.
I liked the way the displaced women never quite accept ownership of the bodies they are living in: Shay speaks of moving and feeding Brandy's body.
I enjoyed many of the secondary characters, particularly Thora K, who finds the futuristic visions of her new daughter-in-law to be less strange than the fact that a woman of twenty years doesn’t know how to cook or sew.
On the night before her wedding in Colorado in 1978, 20-yr-old Shay looks into the mirror and is instantly transported back in time, into the body of her own grandmother Brandy, aged 20, on the eve of her own wedding in 1900. The bridegroom she's presented to the next morning, however, does not look like the man in her grandmother's wedding photo which had always hung in her childhood home. That's a nice little mystery to add on top of her struggles to cope with her situation.
Later in the book, we find that Brandy has been simultaneously transferred into Shay's body in 1978. In the middle we get the point of view of their daughter/mother Rachael, who can remember her eccentric mother's uncanny predictions of the future and lives to see her daughter suddenly become a stranger who sits ramrod straight and doesn’t know what the dishwasher is for.
I liked the way the displaced women never quite accept ownership of the bodies they are living in: Shay speaks of moving and feeding Brandy's body.
I enjoyed many of the secondary characters, particularly Thora K, who finds the futuristic visions of her new daughter-in-law to be less strange than the fact that a woman of twenty years doesn’t know how to cook or sew.
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