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The Threshold
In 1980 Colorado, Aletha Kingman comes to the ski resort of Telluride to find refuge from a shadowed life. Cree Mackelwain comes to find the secret of his dead partner’s involvement in the drug trade. In 1901 Colorado, young Callie O’Connell faces a destiny of poverty and shame on the forbidden side of town. Her brother, Bram, faces a lifetime of danger in the gold mines along with the gathering threat of bloodshed between miners and their bosses. At the Threshold, they meet Aletha and Cree, astonished time travelers from a modern era.
Now Callie and Bram must confront not only the unbearable struggles of their own world but the unimaginable doorway to the future....
Now Callie and Bram must confront not only the unbearable struggles of their own world but the unimaginable doorway to the future....
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First published December 3, 1984
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About the author
Marlys Millhiser
22 books111 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 - 19 of 19 reviews
August 20, 2015
I really like Time travel/ parallel universe stories and this one fills the bill nicely. Years ago I happened on this author's The Mirror and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was haunting. In that novel the heroine gets trapped in the Colorado of the 1880's, but retains all her 20th Century memories and habits. I especially remember her trying to teach people of that time period how and why they should floss their teeth. But I digress. The Threshold isn't quite that good, but it's still loads of fun. Of course, the "modern" time period that the characters flash in and out of is the early 1980's, so, in a sense, there's a second time warp for today's reader. At any rate, it's an entertaining tale. I'm not even sure Millheiser is still writing, but I've hunted up another couple of her titles and I will certainly read them when I have some extra time. I've traveled frequently to Colorado and the landscape and familiar towns added to my overall appreciation.
April 17, 2013
I loved "The Mirror" and liked "Nella Waits." "The Threshold" was disappointing. It doesn't resolve very well. I am going to try "Michael's Wife", though. I highly recommend "The Mirror" if you are interested in time travel/displacement.
January 30, 2009
Millhiser keeps you guessing
June 10, 2021
The book is filed under “horror,” but I don’t know if I’d place the book in that genre. More science fiction, time travel adventure. But apparently horror is what it’s supposed to be, so horror it is.
The story is interesting, but I think it probably could have been shorter. Aletha travels a bit too much back and forth in time, so that there are more threads to the story than it really needs. Plus, a few time the jump was so sudden that I wasn’t sure in what time the travelers were in.
Yet, the book basically held my interest, though I actually preferred when the characters were in their own times. Their stories, especially Callie’s and Bram’s were interesting enough on their own.
And that’s what makes me wish for more, and why I gave it the rating that I did. We’re given a quick future history of the characters, but it doesn’t go far enough, in my estimation.
The story is interesting, but I think it probably could have been shorter. Aletha travels a bit too much back and forth in time, so that there are more threads to the story than it really needs. Plus, a few time the jump was so sudden that I wasn’t sure in what time the travelers were in.
Yet, the book basically held my interest, though I actually preferred when the characters were in their own times. Their stories, especially Callie’s and Bram’s were interesting enough on their own.
And that’s what makes me wish for more, and why I gave it the rating that I did. We’re given a quick future history of the characters, but it doesn’t go far enough, in my estimation.
August 8, 2025
Notes:
-The romantic subplot between Aletha and Cree was very of its time. Aletha doesn’t really want to be intimate with Cree, but Cree is insistent so she does. Then Cree chastise her for being a prude because she feels uncomfortable in the next day. The whole thing was extremely uncomfortable and I did didn’t see how they ended up together in the end.
-a ridiculous number of people to keep track of in both time periods. No idea who was doing what because there would be 4 women and 10 men in the scene and the author would say something like “he grabbed her and turned her towards him.” Who?! That in addition to the large number of characters, made it almost impossible to know what was happening near the end.
-slooooooow
-the main characters were as dumb as rocks
-all of the side characters who don’t believe the time travel story then continue to not believe the time travel story after the time travel. Really? You have clothes and bruises from 1901, but it was just your imagination?!
-poor Miss Heisinger. She was dealt a really shitty hand and became pretty miserable for it. But to have her still alive in current times and not have her give any info pertinent to Callie or Bram? Come on!!! What a waste! Just an old cranky lady to die at the end? Bah!
-I like how scientist can tell that the blood on Aletha’s clothes was older than the clothes, but they both came back at the same time so it should be fresh. If there was some time warp when old things came to modern time then George, the cat, would’ve been a pile of dust.
-The romantic subplot between Aletha and Cree was very of its time. Aletha doesn’t really want to be intimate with Cree, but Cree is insistent so she does. Then Cree chastise her for being a prude because she feels uncomfortable in the next day. The whole thing was extremely uncomfortable and I did didn’t see how they ended up together in the end.
-a ridiculous number of people to keep track of in both time periods. No idea who was doing what because there would be 4 women and 10 men in the scene and the author would say something like “he grabbed her and turned her towards him.” Who?! That in addition to the large number of characters, made it almost impossible to know what was happening near the end.
-slooooooow
-the main characters were as dumb as rocks
-all of the side characters who don’t believe the time travel story then continue to not believe the time travel story after the time travel. Really? You have clothes and bruises from 1901, but it was just your imagination?!
-poor Miss Heisinger. She was dealt a really shitty hand and became pretty miserable for it. But to have her still alive in current times and not have her give any info pertinent to Callie or Bram? Come on!!! What a waste! Just an old cranky lady to die at the end? Bah!
-I like how scientist can tell that the blood on Aletha’s clothes was older than the clothes, but they both came back at the same time so it should be fresh. If there was some time warp when old things came to modern time then George, the cat, would’ve been a pile of dust.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 13, 2019
Slow beginning, abrupt ending
Unlike my favorite novel "The Mirror" which flowed beautifully and had a plausible plot this novel had a sketchy plot that didn't really come together much less have even one character that one could admire much less identify with. It ended abruptly with a synopsis on each character as if the author just got tired of writing a novel with characters she didn't even like herself. I have this three stars because I admire the author only. I was glad when it ended because I could find no sympathy with any of the characters and found them rather boring. Reviewed by Jeana
Unlike my favorite novel "The Mirror" which flowed beautifully and had a plausible plot this novel had a sketchy plot that didn't really come together much less have even one character that one could admire much less identify with. It ended abruptly with a synopsis on each character as if the author just got tired of writing a novel with characters she didn't even like herself. I have this three stars because I admire the author only. I was glad when it ended because I could find no sympathy with any of the characters and found them rather boring. Reviewed by Jeana
November 3, 2022
I loved "The Mirror" by Ms. Millhiser and read it more than once a long time ago. This book, however, I found too confusing. It also ran overlong and I must admit that I skimmed through the last quarter or so trying to get to the end. I thought Callie and Bram were quite interesting characters and more interesting than Aletha and Cree. There were so many characters, so much action, and violence, and I got confused about who belonged where and when was action taking place. I don't think I would recommend it to anyone, but maybe other of her books might be easier to read.
January 25, 2023
I found this time travel novel choppy. I suppose it is partly because the modern characters were jerked around in time, but I think the book could have been smoother. I am also still mystified by how a rock made the whole thing work, and caused the tears in time.
I did enjoy the Telluride history. I have been to Telluride and the descriptions of the miners' lives, and the cruelty of the mine owners, seemed accurate. The author gave quite a long bibliography at the end!
If looking for a better time travel book about the mining era in Colorado, I think "The Mirror" by the same author is a much better book.
I did enjoy the Telluride history. I have been to Telluride and the descriptions of the miners' lives, and the cruelty of the mine owners, seemed accurate. The author gave quite a long bibliography at the end!
If looking for a better time travel book about the mining era in Colorado, I think "The Mirror" by the same author is a much better book.
May 17, 2022
Review of The Threshold
Not to bad. Not as good as The Mirror. I loved that! This book was confusing at times. It was difficult to follow in places. All in all i enjoyed it. But just not as good as the other
Not to bad. Not as good as The Mirror. I loved that! This book was confusing at times. It was difficult to follow in places. All in all i enjoyed it. But just not as good as the other
January 4, 2024
Very different from the author's book "The Mirror," one of my favorite books ever. What I really like about this book is the history of Colorado mining in the early 1900s. Some of the 1980s vernacular was amusing from my view in 2024.
October 20, 2020
Not what I wanted this to be. The Mirror is one of my all time favorite book, and I expected this one to be better!
March 13, 2021
Good book
December 4, 2022
2.5 stars
April 3, 2023
Confused most of the reading about the plot and the ending did not help either. Not a very good book.
June 17, 2015
The Threshold
Another winner from Marlys Millhiser. She is without doubt one of the best time travel authors around. True to life history of the mining industry in the old west interchanged with modern American makes for an interesting and entertaining story.
Another winner from Marlys Millhiser. She is without doubt one of the best time travel authors around. True to life history of the mining industry in the old west interchanged with modern American makes for an interesting and entertaining story.
May 24, 2016
Exciting and engaging time travel adventure
Ecstatic to see Marlys Millhiser's books available in electronic form! The Threshold is one of her best works. If you like history and time travel books, this is definitely worth the read. Also, her book The Mirror is highly recommended.
Ecstatic to see Marlys Millhiser's books available in electronic form! The Threshold is one of her best works. If you like history and time travel books, this is definitely worth the read. Also, her book The Mirror is highly recommended.
July 9, 2009
This was pretty good, although I haven't read it for a number of years. I'm going to find it again and read it again.
I remember it takes place near one of my favorite towns, Telluride, CO.
I remember it takes place near one of my favorite towns, Telluride, CO.
June 15, 2016
This book is an incoherent mess badly in need of a proof reader and an editor. I can't believe it's by the same author that wrote "The Mirror" and "Nella Waits," two of my favorite books.
April 13, 2017
It was okay - I probably would have liked it better several years ago. Times have changed
There is time travel (even a time travelling cat!)
There are secrets in both time periods - and yes, they do intersect
Interesting concept
There is time travel (even a time travelling cat!)
There are secrets in both time periods - and yes, they do intersect
Interesting concept
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews