Out of Time

by Paula Martinac

It seemed like an accident at first. Escaping a downpour, Susan Van Dine steps into an antiques shop on Manhattan's West Side and discovers a scrapbook of women's photographs from the 1920s. She doesn't really mean to steal the scrapbook--but as one incident leads to the next, Susan finds herself drawn into a web of strange occurrences that are hard to explain, especially to her skeptical girlfriend Catherine.

Is Susan being haunted by the women in the scrapbook who call themselves 'The Gang?' By Harriet Timberlake, the budding actress, or Lucy Weir, Harriet's devoted lover and the author of many novels? By Sarah Stern, labor writer and organizer, or the aristocratic Elinor Devere?

Set in the antiques world of New York, with a memorable case of characters, real and ghostly, Out of Time is a delightful and thoughtful novel about history, love, and the persistence of passion.

Genres: Fiction, LGBT, Queer, Lesbian, Historical Fiction, Historical, Mystery

196 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1990

About the author

I'm the author of seven novels, including the most recent Dear Miss Cushman (12/7/21); Testimony (2021); Clio Rising (2019), Gold Medal Finalist, Northeast Region, Independent Publisher Book Awards; The Ada Decades (2017), a finalist for the 2018 Ferro-Grumley Award for LGBT Fiction; and the Lambda Literary Award-winning Out of Time, which was a finalist for the American Library Association Gay and Lesbian Book Award. I've also published three nonfiction books on LGBT themes; authored plays that were produced in Pittsburgh, New York, and D.C.; and written an award-winning full-length screenplay. I'm a lecturer in the undergraduate creative writing program at UNC Charlotte and a writing instructor with Charlotte Center for the Literary Arts. In 2019, I was lucky to receive fellowships from the Arts and Science Council (Charlotte/Mecklenburg County) and the North Carolina Arts Council, which helped me write my upcoming novel, Dear Miss Cushman (2021).

Reviews

[Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Minor, but it's a particular type of minorness that is often quite lovely, even when it's not entirely successful. Winner of the LAMDA Award in 1990, it begins with a young woman’s chance (or is it fated?) encounter with an old photograph album in an antique store, its brittle pages filled with photographs of four young women–identified as “The Gang” in the handwritten captions–from the early twentieth century. She is eventually told it is not for sale (it's a family heirloom just for display, in fact), but giving into an uncharacteristic impulse, she stuffs it in her bag when the shop owner’s back is turned, and flees from the store.

So begins a narrative of searching. That is, what ostensibly begins as the search to identify and learn about the life stories of these young women quickly snowballs into a number of different searches that intertwine the lives of “the gang” with the protagonist, Susan, including (but not at all limited to) Susan’s search to confirm that the young women in the antique photographs were not merely friends but consist of two pairs of lovers, Susan’s search for herself (she’s currently a graduate student but only because she has no idea what else to do with her life), and a search to clarify her tumultuous relationship with her own girlfriend, the scholarly and no-nonsense Catherine. To make matters even more complicated, Susan finds herself not only bewitched by these photographs and what they might possibly represent, but she becomes literally haunted by the spirits of several of the young women, causing the past to collide directly into the present.

For this particular scholar obsessed by forgotten queer histories, I can think of few premises more utterly enchanting than this one, and the automatic empathy I felt for Susan–both as an academic and as an individual navigating the messy details of life and romantic relationships–carried me through the very last page. As a critical reader, however, I had a much more conflicted experience: while Martinac has a breezy, easy-to-read prose style ideal for a page-turner, it is also (and I really hate to put it this way, but I see no way around it) exceedingly ungraceful, sometimes to the point of distraction. Susan’s incredibly visceral and emotionally charged first reaction to looking at the photographs is a representative example: “I flicked the pages over quickly, taking in the faces of four amazing women.” There’s... just no music there. I kept yearning for the moment for everything to kick up into another level, from the competent and compulsively readable to something indefinably but indisputably special. That moment, to my extreme disappointment, never quite materialized.

It’s a little bit like a glass of champagne that has been allowed to sit out for a while: certainly drinkable, perhaps even still delicious to the taste, but there’s just something essential missing without the sparkle and bubbles. Five stars for the story, two stars for the prose, three stars overall.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my absolute favorite lesbian novels of all time. Is it a fantasy? Modern fiction? Romance? Surrealism? Historical fiction? Actually it is a little bit of everything, mixed with gripping characters, intricate settings, and wonderful pacing.

[Lili Robbins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may be my new favorite book of all time. I don’t know what it is about it. I think every setting and event was described perfectly - I felt totally immersed in the eras of the 90s and 30s in NYC. Also… lesbian ghosts and antique shops - this was pretty much made for me.

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Merci to Sarah for recommending this to me! I knew it was lesbian fiction, but I didn't know until I started reading that it was a ghost story as well. Lesbians and ghosts? Ghosts who are lesbians? Yes, please!

So perhaps this could've been better written, because it was missing that vital yet elusive (and ineffable) something, but I don't really have much complaint other than that. Seriosuly, I mean... it had antiques, friendships, old photographs, obscure and unpublished novels, secrets, lesbians, ghosts, lesbians, ghosts, lesbians.... &c. How could this not be an enjoyable reading experience?!

[Fay Van Kerckvoorde · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love lesbians in sepia photographs, antiques shops, time traveling and ghost whispering: this one is for you!

Out of time (1990) is the debut novel by Paula Martinac. She won the Lambda Literair Award for Lesbian Fiction for this book.

The story starts with Susan strolling around in an antiques shop where she discovers a scrapbook from the 1920s, full with photo's of 4 lesbian friends. Susan feels a spark and becomes obsessed with these women and their lives. She changes her whole life to learn everything about them and communicaties with the women in spirit.

This isn't the most literary book I've read, but I loved it nonetheless. It's adorable, nerdy, and a bit weird. From the first page the rich atmosphere drew me into the story and didn't let me go. I enjoyed this book and giggled a lot while reading.

[Linda Ulleseit · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the handtooled leather journal on the cover but that's not the only thing about this book that touches me. The eclectic cast of characters, each with their own compelling story, keeps you reading until the end. The concept of ghosts appearing out of a photograph, visiting someone to guide them in research and discovery of their lives, appeals to me. I love the scenes with the Ouija board! Lovely read.

[Katy Lohman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this. A lesbian supernatural thriller. Susan finds a scrapbook from the 1920s, and grows obsessed with the lesbian quartet whose lives were recorded. She changes her whole life to learn more. And she begins to commune with the four women in spirit. Will her life be consumed by fascination with the dead?

[Linda Wallis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well...what a strange tale this was.
I have to say I enjoyed it though....
So fascinating how Susan was enveloped in the story of the gang of ladies from the 1920's, when being gay wasn't legal!
It was almost as if the story wanted to be told & it found Susan to bring it to light.
Clever, very clever.

[Darlene Vendegna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book years ago and it remains on of my all time favorites. There’s a reason it won a Lambda Award. I read many genres, with a special love of lesbian historical fiction. Many I read and barely remember, this one persists, and will remain on my shelves forever

[Pat Stearman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably a three & a half? Maybe 4! Loved the atmosphere & subject matter, not sure I like my timeslip as a ghost story but it was certainly interesting. Probably more far fetched than the ghosts was two perfect people applying for a job out of the blue!! ;)

[Tabi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A novel with a little bit of everything: incredibly believable characters, romance, mystery, ghosts and hauntings, lesbian love as seen through the decades...this one sucked me right in and I could see myself as the main character. LOVED this book.

[Mel Luna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty adorable over-all. The writing feels dated and isn't the best, but the characters felt believable in that they annoyed the shit out of me sometimes, and the storyline more than made up for the general shortcomings. I mean, a lesbian ghost story romance mystery? Excellent.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the end, I loved this book. I'm pretty much a sucker for any kind of time travel and that was what I was expecting. But, it was more nuanced than that and more of a story of the communication of trapped spirits.

[Ashley Blackburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightfully spooky and intriguing 🧐

[Sophie Dolman · Rating 4 out of 5]

really fun plot! though I wanted a more interesting twist at the end

[Kayleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, while the narrative sometimes felt a bit lost or lacking, maintained a sense of home or familiarity. The characters were full of personality, even as large as the cast was.
The way history haunted the main character was compelling. Without being overt, it represented well how young lgbt folks look into the past to find themselves.
I enjoyed the way that the book held an air of romance the entire way through, without being a purely romantic plot. The romance was found in the history, the adventure, and the mystery - though also with the main character and her girlfriend. It was a realistic romance, and nicely done.

[Luna Selene · Rating 3 out of 5]

I rather liked Out of Time. It wasn't a work of absolute literary genius, and one I honestly came across obscurely, in a second hand shop in where else but Manhattan. For what it was, I did enjoy it and finished it in two days. It's an easy read, and the overall plot was interesting, to say the least, but there were a few things to get over. The main character, Susan, is a little flat, and I found it a little hard to "care" about what happened to her. In the end, some things were left a little... opened ended... especially because one is never really given a reason why Susan was so destined to have this scrapbook and why these lives were meant to be so important to her. All in all, though, I'm not sorry I read it and I did like the mix of modern and 1920s New York it had to offer. I suppose this book would be best in the hands of someone who walked the grounds of Manhattan with a love for the past.

[Wayne Spiceland · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Lammy winner. If you only know Martinac from _Chicken_, this is very very different. Quite intriguing on various levels: Paranormal "ghost" story. Contemporary romance. Historical romance. Study of Women's
History in the early 20th C. Character study. Martinac masterfully combines these elements for a satisfyingly eerie read. I found especially interesting the impact Susan's uncanny relationship with "the Gang" has on her on more mundane relationship with Catherine. An altogether enjoyable and thought-provoking novel which also made me want to learn more about womens' politico/cultural roles in early 20th C. America.
Highly recommended.

[kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

fun quick fiction love story(ies). lesbian love story(ies) to boot. a bit of mysticism ghostiness as well. i think the most interesting bit was about the women in the 20s/30s and their lives-made me want to read more nonfiction on women activists and lesbians at that time, but it also tied into where i am in zinn's people's history with women's suffrage and the triangle shirt factory fire.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this because it was a Lambda award-winner and its women's history/supernatural theme sounded intriguing. I read it in two sittings and really enjoyed it! It was a quick, intelligent read with romance, mystery, and women's history. It stayed true to its plot and didn't stray into the typical dyke angst that dominates lesbian fiction.

[Jeanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure why I liked this book but I did - it was haunting yet embarrassing for the protagonist. A lesbian love triangle involving unresolved ghosties and flickering real-time relationship drama? Sounds lesbianic to me! Made me want to go collect things in antique shops....

[Faith Reidenbach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Debut novel. One of the better U.S. lesbian novels I've encountered. I was reluctant to read a "ghost story," but it's not really that. It's multiple love stories rolled into one, well plotted. Winner of a Lammy in 1990, back when they were harder to come by and meant more.

[Tracy Kuper · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 Kind of hated the main character most of time, but I enjoyed reading about the history of feminists. I wish we learned more about the characters in the past. Sometimes this book was dull and took a while for the story to progress.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

not my typical read but I liked this part mystery, part love story, part time travel

[Drianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great novel about a woman who becomes obsessed with a scrapbook of lesbians from the 1920s. Compelling.

[Shannon Flores · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful tale connecting history and modern love with enjoyable characters and great writing! The women of this book would be welcome at my table any day!

[Lisa]

Interesting to read just before taking a course on historiography.

[John Bess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unique read I would not have read if it wasn't part of a book challenge through my library.

[Ulla · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really charming, delightful story . . . and especially if you love ghosts!!