Mine-Shift

by John Kitchen

Time shift novel. When fifteen year old Joel Penberthy sees a white hare being pursued by a black dog, he knows exactly what it means. Every Cornish man knows that the white hare, pursued by a black dog, portends disaster. For Joel it means a catastrophe threatens the eighteenth century mine where he works. But he can never imagine how this will turn his own life upside down, threatening his very existence in his own time. Nor does he guess how it will find him new, amazing friends in today's world, and a future he could never have dreamt of.

In this gripping time travel novel set in the depths of the Cornish tin mines, Joel - a young miner from the 18th century - finds himself hurled into the bewildering present day, only to return to face accusations of sorcery. Rich in atmosphere and tension, the novel cleverly blends historical drama with an impending modern-day accident, making Joel's journey both heart-pounding and unforgettable,

(Stephanie Hale)

Paperback

First published May 12, 2025

About the author

John Kitchen was born and grew up in Cornwall.

After graduating from London University with one of the first Bachelor of Education degrees, he went back to Cornwall to teach, but after four years he moved ‘up-country’. The main part of his teaching career after that was spent in Oxfordshire, where he still lives.

He left teaching in 2001 to devote himself to writing for young people. His first book, Nicola’s Ghost won the ‘New Generation Publishing Award’ and was winner of the ‘Writer’s Digest best self-published Young Adult Novel 2001’

His second Novel, A Spectre in the Stones is published by Thames River Press. He also wrote a story for younger children and persuaded an artist friend, Daniel Drury, to illustrate it, (see Kamazu's Big Swing Band). His next book, Jax' House, was his first to be centred around his native Cornwall and is published by Union Bridge Books. During COVID he published an autobiographical novel, Fragments of Springtime, and in 2025, has published a further novel set in Cornwall: Mine-Shift

John is widowed with a daughter and a son, and four grandchildren.

He lives in a four hundred year old Cotswold cottage where he writes every day in his very cheerful bright yellow study.

Reviews

[Moira Proudfoot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mine-Shaft is an excellent story about a Cornish Miners Son, Joel, being transported from his victorian life to the present day .John uses the supernatural of Cornwall and in particular the tale of a coming disaster when a black dog is seen chasing a white hare in a mine. The explosion occurs in the mine and Joels father is severely hurt but has the local services of a healer who is no help. However, one day Joel goes back to the mine and finds a new passage which he follows hoping to lead him outside. The passage takes him out where he meets children of the present day. His new friends introduce him to a Doctor who gives him a new medication for his father.With great difficulty he managed to give his father the new medication which helps him recover.This story is so well written that the transition from Victorian times to the present day appear as a natural development. A most enjoyable and very interesting book by John Kitchen.

[Angela Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mine-Shift is an outstanding time-slip novel for young adults, vividly bringing to life an 18th-century mining village. The historical detail feels authentic and immersive and is clearly the result of careful research, yet the story never gets bogged down by it. Instead, the author weaves a powerful coming-of-age tale that blends danger, friendship, and discovery across the centuries.

Joel must fight for survival in both his own time and the present day, using his hard-won knowledge of mining to try and avert a modern disaster. The characters are well drawn and leap off the page, while the tension remains taut throughout. There is also humour, as Joel grapples with the oddities of our world, from suncream to Burger King.

At its heart, this is a story about courage, connection, and choice. The bonds Joel forms with Cass and her friends in the twenty-first century make his final dilemma all the more poignant: should he return his own century or stay in the twenty-first? That is, if he survives long enough to decide.

[Daniel Drury · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great story, and those who aren’t big fans of science fiction need not be put off as the time-travel element is mostly simply a clever device to weave together two intimately-connected narratives separated by several centuries. The eighteenth-century and present-day passages are deftly interwoven with sometimes comic and at other times highly suspenseful results. A keen understanding of human psychology and relationships is in abundant evidence. Overall this is a hugely enjoyable read and one which I can imagine being adapted into a gripping TV series.

[Barbara Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping, moving and often very funny. A touching account of friendship and young love woven into an exciting timeslip story. I particularly enjoyed the imaginative and comical descriptions of modern-day life seen through the eyes of an eighteenth century teenager.
An extra treat is the sprinkling of Cornish expressions and mining terms.