Braving Red Waters: A Time Travel Adventure

by Sarah Hanks

Phoebe Bristow has spent a decade guarding her heart after her father walked out and shattered her family. When she touches a mysterious antique mailbox aboard a whale-watching cruise in Baja California and wakes up in Civil War St. Louis, she must learn to trust again, first the quick-witted man who greets her on shore, then the God who placed her there for reasons she cannot yet understand. Back on the cruise, her mother Erica clings to the mailbox as the only thread connecting her to her missing daughter, while a thoughtful marine biologist, Rodney Duncan, steadily dismantles the walls around her wounded heart. Together and apart, mother and daughter discover that the courage to love again may be the most dangerous mission of all.

348 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 10, 2026

About the author

Sarah Hanks is a multi-award-winning author of split-time Christian fiction. Her background in teaching and children’s ministry prepared her for exercising her creativity as a writer, now her full -time job. She and her husband have ten children, a couple of whom seem to have inherited their mother’s love for playing with words and crafting stories. Though Sarah dreams of a cabin by the beach, the family lives jammed together in beautiful chaos near St. Louis, Missouri. She buys earplugs in bulk.
You can follow her on Facebook or Instagram @authorsarahhanks. Check out the freebie page of her website at www.sarah-hanks.com.

Reviews

[Becky Van Vleet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Sarah Hank’s time-sailing novel, Braving Red Waters, blends romance, historical detail, and a compelling dual-timeline structure into a memorable story. The twists of love between Phoebe and Miles and Erica and Rodney give this story emotional depth, while the two centuries create a strong sense of contrast and suspense. I appreciate how the author uses the Civil War thread to add historical texture, The interwoven facts help the story feel vivid and grounded, rather than simply imaginative. I received an advanced copy of this book from the author, and this is my honest review. Well done!

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story! The message of letting fear hold you back from living is something I needed to hear. The story was captivating with history woven through and the characters were so transparent and real with their struggles and with their triumphs. God has a plan that is often unseen and it’s easy to wonder why we find ourselves in certain situations. God is with us and has a purpose for situations and people that cross our path. I’ve enjoyed each Time Sailor book but this has been my favorite so far.

[Erma Ullrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read an ARC from the author

This time travel novel kept my attention the entire time (not easy to do given my ADD). A simple mother-daughter vacation turns into an amazing adventure for each of them. I loved how the author worked through each woman's hurts and brought them full circle - back to reliance on the Lord and back to each other.

A wonderful read!

[Tricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining book, full of drama, adventure, romance, and faith. Mother and daughter goes on a long-planned cruise and ended up with much more than they expected. I enjoyed the historical part of daughter, Phoebe's journey back to 1862 and mom, Erica's journey with learning first-hand about the sea world and its inhabitants.

[Jennifer Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book

I was so glad we got to run into Miles from book 2 and that he was able to get a finish to his story. Phoebe was so sweet and while her mission wasn't what she thought it was. I feel her time on the Red Rover made her a better nurse when she got back to the future.

[Angela Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What an adventure!

This book was such a fun read! Found myself reading longer than planned to get through one more chapter, only to crave the next chapters story too. The characters were sweet and the double love story was awesome!