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Another Shore
Seventeen-year-old Lyn, working in a reconstructed colonial settlement in Nova Scotia, suddenly finds herself transported back to 1744, when the French inhabitants are at war with England.
308 pages, Library Binding
First published November 1, 1988
3 people are currently reading
222 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Bond
29 books28 followersChildren's writer Nancy (Barbara) Bond was born in Maryland and was raised in the United Kingdom and Massachusetts. She received her B.A. in English Literature from Mount Holyoke College in 1966 and a graduate degree from the College of Librarianship in Wales in 1972. She taught at the Simmons College Center for the Study of Children's Literature from 1979 to 2001.
In 1977 Bond received the Newbery Honor for A String in the Harp. Her second book, The Voyage Begun, won the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award.
In 1977 Bond received the Newbery Honor for A String in the Harp. Her second book, The Voyage Begun, won the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
November 30, 2013
This has been a favourite of mine for many years - I return to it every few years and read it again.
I deeply enjoy the nitty gritty of the history - it's got a very down-to-earth feel. The author has captured a very convincing picture of daily life across the strata of inhabitants.
It's the ending that tantalises me, though, because it's so unique.
This is the year that I pass it on to my daughters - I hope they're as drawn to it as I am.
I deeply enjoy the nitty gritty of the history - it's got a very down-to-earth feel. The author has captured a very convincing picture of daily life across the strata of inhabitants.
It's the ending that tantalises me, though, because it's so unique.
This is the year that I pass it on to my daughters - I hope they're as drawn to it as I am.
July 4, 2009
Started reading the book. It took me three days to get pass the first 15 pages. It was a slow start for me. There were too many characters for me to keep track of at once, when Lyn was with her friends. I’m still not sure I know who everyone is, but I skimmed over them because I assumed they’re not going to be important. So I hope that’s the case.
The first chapter is one big HUGE info dump. The interesting thing was I could almost go along with it. The way it was presented, in the context, it seemed natural that all this explanation would be dumped on us. The only problem is I couldn’t take it all in. I’ve forgotten a big chuck or I mixed it up with other information and it’s a bit mumble jumble.
Dating! I never paid attention to dating a book until it was pointed out that I’d done just that in mine. Now I seem to pick it up everywhere. I’m still not sure whether I have a problem with a book being dated. I normally look up when a book was published anyway before I start reading. In this book Lyn talks about her walkman. Brought back memories or when I got my first walkman. And it makes me feel OLD!
I got into the portion where Lyn ends up back in time. That was interesting. I wanted to keep reading when I got to that portion. Things finally got interesting. However it was late and I needed sleep. I’m excited about picking the book up again tonight. So that’s good. Finally getting into the story.
A little over a third of the way through the book. The adverbs modifying dialogue tags are driving me nuts. It’s not just a few here and there, it’s a lot throughout the entire book.
The story is moving forward. We’ve got a good sense of the time period, the setting of the time… We finally have moved on. One of the characters realized that Lyn-Elizabeth weren’t the same person. And we’ve learned that there is another lady back in this time that is just like Elizabeth. We also learned that time in the past moves much slower than time in the present.
I’m 2/3 through the book. It’s lost a little of it’s appeal in some ways, yet has really gotten interesting in another. I like the life that’s happening around Elizabeth/Lyn. How she deals with it—how history dealt with it, her thought comparison, how she goes along and accepts it, but tries to make changes here and there, where she can. That part is fascinating.
HOWEVER— We were introduced to a third character trapped in the past with Lyn too—Donald. He is the biggest wimp I have ever met. He’s annoying, weak, and I can’t stand him. At first I thought that this was okay. After all, it make Lyn seem stronger, puts her in charge… I’ve come to the conclusion though that the character isn’t aiding the book. I might hate him, that might be the authors intention, but I hate him so much whenever he appears I want to just completely skip over that portion of the book until he’s gone. In face I did that, and I missed some information at one point. But Donald was so annoying it was too hard to read.
Food for thought though, you can make a character dislikable, but you better make sure he’s not too much so that the reader is tempted to put the book down because he/she can’ stand to read about the character.
Finished the book. I so tired of reading unsatisfying books. I kept wondering how the book was going to end. How was Lyn going to get back to the present? I couldn’t figure it out. Well I couldn’t figure it out because she never makes it back to the present. I like books that leave me with a satisfied feeling when I end. This book left me angry and unable to sleep.
I’m trying to figure out why I’m so upset. I think partially because I expected Lyn to find a way back. Time travel usually means the character starts at one time, journey’s to another and then returns to his/her time. That’s the formula. That’s what people expect. This book broke that formula and left me with so many unanswered questions.
I liked Mathieu. I understand how Lyn could end up with him, make a life with him, but what about Lyn’s life from 1980s. Nothing gets explained. Granted she can’t know what happened because she can’t get back. Are we to assume that every year someone new will appear back in time and they’ll never be able to get back? Obviously time in the future moves much faster than time in the past, so wouldn’t another person have appeared in the time Lyn was there if someone new appeared every year? Was it just three people who go back? I’m left with so many questions.
Maybe that’s a good thing. But it leaves me unsettled. I read books for happy endings—well overall happy endings. And you could say that this one has it. Lyn will go off, she’ll marry Mathieu and make a life for herself, but that’s a harsh reality accepting life in 1700s. The book deals a great deal with it, but there are other modern things that I think Lyn would forever miss (shampoo being one…this comes from my research…). How can you accept that fate? How can you agree to live your life knowing you’ll never see your family again? Just so many unanswered/not dealt with issues that I want…need to know more about.
PS: I didn’t feel one bit of remorse when Donald died. Couldn’t stand him. The wimp got what he deserved. Okay that’s rather mean, but his character was weak and annoying.
The first chapter is one big HUGE info dump. The interesting thing was I could almost go along with it. The way it was presented, in the context, it seemed natural that all this explanation would be dumped on us. The only problem is I couldn’t take it all in. I’ve forgotten a big chuck or I mixed it up with other information and it’s a bit mumble jumble.
Dating! I never paid attention to dating a book until it was pointed out that I’d done just that in mine. Now I seem to pick it up everywhere. I’m still not sure whether I have a problem with a book being dated. I normally look up when a book was published anyway before I start reading. In this book Lyn talks about her walkman. Brought back memories or when I got my first walkman. And it makes me feel OLD!
I got into the portion where Lyn ends up back in time. That was interesting. I wanted to keep reading when I got to that portion. Things finally got interesting. However it was late and I needed sleep. I’m excited about picking the book up again tonight. So that’s good. Finally getting into the story.
A little over a third of the way through the book. The adverbs modifying dialogue tags are driving me nuts. It’s not just a few here and there, it’s a lot throughout the entire book.
The story is moving forward. We’ve got a good sense of the time period, the setting of the time… We finally have moved on. One of the characters realized that Lyn-Elizabeth weren’t the same person. And we’ve learned that there is another lady back in this time that is just like Elizabeth. We also learned that time in the past moves much slower than time in the present.
I’m 2/3 through the book. It’s lost a little of it’s appeal in some ways, yet has really gotten interesting in another. I like the life that’s happening around Elizabeth/Lyn. How she deals with it—how history dealt with it, her thought comparison, how she goes along and accepts it, but tries to make changes here and there, where she can. That part is fascinating.
HOWEVER— We were introduced to a third character trapped in the past with Lyn too—Donald. He is the biggest wimp I have ever met. He’s annoying, weak, and I can’t stand him. At first I thought that this was okay. After all, it make Lyn seem stronger, puts her in charge… I’ve come to the conclusion though that the character isn’t aiding the book. I might hate him, that might be the authors intention, but I hate him so much whenever he appears I want to just completely skip over that portion of the book until he’s gone. In face I did that, and I missed some information at one point. But Donald was so annoying it was too hard to read.
Food for thought though, you can make a character dislikable, but you better make sure he’s not too much so that the reader is tempted to put the book down because he/she can’ stand to read about the character.
Finished the book. I so tired of reading unsatisfying books. I kept wondering how the book was going to end. How was Lyn going to get back to the present? I couldn’t figure it out. Well I couldn’t figure it out because she never makes it back to the present. I like books that leave me with a satisfied feeling when I end. This book left me angry and unable to sleep.
I’m trying to figure out why I’m so upset. I think partially because I expected Lyn to find a way back. Time travel usually means the character starts at one time, journey’s to another and then returns to his/her time. That’s the formula. That’s what people expect. This book broke that formula and left me with so many unanswered questions.
I liked Mathieu. I understand how Lyn could end up with him, make a life with him, but what about Lyn’s life from 1980s. Nothing gets explained. Granted she can’t know what happened because she can’t get back. Are we to assume that every year someone new will appear back in time and they’ll never be able to get back? Obviously time in the future moves much faster than time in the past, so wouldn’t another person have appeared in the time Lyn was there if someone new appeared every year? Was it just three people who go back? I’m left with so many questions.
Maybe that’s a good thing. But it leaves me unsettled. I read books for happy endings—well overall happy endings. And you could say that this one has it. Lyn will go off, she’ll marry Mathieu and make a life for herself, but that’s a harsh reality accepting life in 1700s. The book deals a great deal with it, but there are other modern things that I think Lyn would forever miss (shampoo being one…this comes from my research…). How can you accept that fate? How can you agree to live your life knowing you’ll never see your family again? Just so many unanswered/not dealt with issues that I want…need to know more about.
PS: I didn’t feel one bit of remorse when Donald died. Couldn’t stand him. The wimp got what he deserved. Okay that’s rather mean, but his character was weak and annoying.
November 12, 2024
.
Another Shore • by Nancy Bond (1988)
Historical Fiction concerning the French port town of Louisbourg (Nova Scotia), an important French town and fortress. In 1745 the British attacked. Over 200 years later part of this historic town & fortress was rebuild as a tourist attraction. The Louisbourg, Living History Museum is a replica that closely resembles all aspects of the original town, including the staff, all of whom are outfitted in the fashion of the day; townsfolk, shopkeepers, French soldiers and more.
Carlyn "Lyn" Paget, age 17, in her summer before college takes a job as a Museum character actor. She becomes the historic resident Elizabeth Bernard. Lyn studies the history of the port and details of her charactor's life. One of the 20th century items she has in her pocket is the Yale key to her apartment. One day something strange happens, she blacks out and regains consciousness in the real town of Louisbourg, in the year 1744. Willing suspension of disbelief is needed at times, since Elizabeth's family readily believes Lyn to be Elizabeth--not to mention that whole time travel thing.
It's a struggle to adjust to the strict rules, mores and routines of the family and community in this 18th century French seaport. She wears her 20th century key as a necklace which becomes a beacon, identifying her as being out of time.
Donald Stewart is also stuck in this past, but his plight is much worse as a soldier. Coming into the store owned by Lyn's family, Donald sees that key hanging around her neck and of course he can't take his eyes off it. She sees him staring and her hand immediately grasps the key. Lyn is his only connection to the reality of his former life. He doesn't have the "comforts" of warmth, plenty of food and safety that Lyn has. He's also overwrought in the role of the lowly private, Gerard Grossin.
It's not permitted for a young gal to be fraternizing with a soldier, so they meet in secret, discuss their plight and speculate on how to get back to their own time. He's hungry and cold and Lyn gives him food, but the blanket she provided was stolen by other soldiers. Donald wonders if the whole world is in this past or if it's just a local phenomenon that you can walk away from, if you walked far enough. He deserts and trys walking out of this nightmare and doesn't survive the cold.
Some suggest the Donald character is just a whiner who's death is no great loss for the story. I saw him as the most believable of all the characters and the portend of the French defeat, months away. He's been pulled from his life in the late 20th century (a Montreal grad student in 1983) to a highly restrictive life in a cold, hostile, ill-equipped fort some 200 years in the past, with no apparent way to get back home. Yeh, he's freaked out.
He dies and Lyn attends his brief funeral. She's haunted by his death in this horrible place; his family and fiancée knowing only that he vanished one day in 1983. His true identity, his life, this displacement in time and his grave are now only known to Lyn and God.
Angélique / Agathe Grimard is also trapped here. She has to live the role of a wife, raising the children of the real Agathe. Our three protagonists don't know where the real residence of 1744 went--maybe they're struggling in, what is for them, a very strange 20th century. The embittered Agathe arrived well before Lyn and Donald, but she offers them no helpful advice, other than reminding them they are permanently stuck here, unpleasant as it is, and should just accept it.
Lyn develops a love affair with the Frenchman, Mathieu Martell and shares with him the truth of her predicament and the coming defeat. No doubt an unbelievable tale. At one point he asks Lyn's little brother if she's his sister. Apparently the kid is the only one in the family who's paying attention. He shakes his head no, certain this girl is absolutely not his sister. In the end Martell proposes to her and with no way of returning to her life in the 20th century, she plans to make a life with him in his world.
.
It's a well done historical fiction and the accidental time travel gives it intrigue and urgency. The tale is often somber with these three displaced protagonists trapped in an austere life they cannot escape. Informative, but not a cheerful tale.
Written for YA readers, but enjoyable for all.
Mostly loved it.
..
Another Shore • by Nancy Bond (1988)
Historical Fiction concerning the French port town of Louisbourg (Nova Scotia), an important French town and fortress. In 1745 the British attacked. Over 200 years later part of this historic town & fortress was rebuild as a tourist attraction. The Louisbourg, Living History Museum is a replica that closely resembles all aspects of the original town, including the staff, all of whom are outfitted in the fashion of the day; townsfolk, shopkeepers, French soldiers and more.
Carlyn "Lyn" Paget, age 17, in her summer before college takes a job as a Museum character actor. She becomes the historic resident Elizabeth Bernard. Lyn studies the history of the port and details of her charactor's life. One of the 20th century items she has in her pocket is the Yale key to her apartment. One day something strange happens, she blacks out and regains consciousness in the real town of Louisbourg, in the year 1744. Willing suspension of disbelief is needed at times, since Elizabeth's family readily believes Lyn to be Elizabeth--not to mention that whole time travel thing.
It's a struggle to adjust to the strict rules, mores and routines of the family and community in this 18th century French seaport. She wears her 20th century key as a necklace which becomes a beacon, identifying her as being out of time.
Donald Stewart is also stuck in this past, but his plight is much worse as a soldier. Coming into the store owned by Lyn's family, Donald sees that key hanging around her neck and of course he can't take his eyes off it. She sees him staring and her hand immediately grasps the key. Lyn is his only connection to the reality of his former life. He doesn't have the "comforts" of warmth, plenty of food and safety that Lyn has. He's also overwrought in the role of the lowly private, Gerard Grossin.
It's not permitted for a young gal to be fraternizing with a soldier, so they meet in secret, discuss their plight and speculate on how to get back to their own time. He's hungry and cold and Lyn gives him food, but the blanket she provided was stolen by other soldiers. Donald wonders if the whole world is in this past or if it's just a local phenomenon that you can walk away from, if you walked far enough. He deserts and trys walking out of this nightmare and doesn't survive the cold.
Some suggest the Donald character is just a whiner who's death is no great loss for the story. I saw him as the most believable of all the characters and the portend of the French defeat, months away. He's been pulled from his life in the late 20th century (a Montreal grad student in 1983) to a highly restrictive life in a cold, hostile, ill-equipped fort some 200 years in the past, with no apparent way to get back home. Yeh, he's freaked out.
He dies and Lyn attends his brief funeral. She's haunted by his death in this horrible place; his family and fiancée knowing only that he vanished one day in 1983. His true identity, his life, this displacement in time and his grave are now only known to Lyn and God.
Angélique / Agathe Grimard is also trapped here. She has to live the role of a wife, raising the children of the real Agathe. Our three protagonists don't know where the real residence of 1744 went--maybe they're struggling in, what is for them, a very strange 20th century. The embittered Agathe arrived well before Lyn and Donald, but she offers them no helpful advice, other than reminding them they are permanently stuck here, unpleasant as it is, and should just accept it.
Lyn develops a love affair with the Frenchman, Mathieu Martell and shares with him the truth of her predicament and the coming defeat. No doubt an unbelievable tale. At one point he asks Lyn's little brother if she's his sister. Apparently the kid is the only one in the family who's paying attention. He shakes his head no, certain this girl is absolutely not his sister. In the end Martell proposes to her and with no way of returning to her life in the 20th century, she plans to make a life with him in his world.
.
It's a well done historical fiction and the accidental time travel gives it intrigue and urgency. The tale is often somber with these three displaced protagonists trapped in an austere life they cannot escape. Informative, but not a cheerful tale.
Written for YA readers, but enjoyable for all.
Mostly loved it.
..
July 28, 2013
I found this book as a tween in the library and every few years I would have to re-read it and every time we moved I would look for it in the new library. I really enjoyed the idea of time traveling back into history and i really enjoy romance too. I have been lucky in that I was finally able to buy a copy from a library, as this book is not printed anymore. But i really enjoy this book.
December 9, 2012
Too many unlikeable characters and unanswered questions. The ending was unsatisfying. It started out really interesting, but then it got bogged down. I kept reading until the end because I remained curious about the outcome, but the ending was a disappointment.
July 7, 2010
Well-written and interesting. There were far too many characters for me to keep track of, and on the whole it was too romantical for the likes of me. I found the historical aspects very interesting. I liked the indomitable old woman, and loathed the whiny Donald. I hated the ending with a fierce and fiery passion.
February 1, 2008
Wow! I really loved this book! I couldn't put it down, and I really got into it and felt the feelings that the characters were feeling. The ending was just so-so, though. I would have used a different ending, but then, I didn't write this book. :)
August 31, 2009
This audio book is an excellent time travel story for families with children aged 10-18 years. This story will not only shorten a long car trip, but will inadvertantly teach a Canadian history lesson and more.
August 30, 2011
Interesting story. I liked how Lyn learned to care and love the people in her 1744 family. She found injustice and unfairness but learned to work through it. I didn't quit understand how Lyn got to 1744, but as the story went on I was able to put things together and come up with my own theory.
March 25, 2008
I really like time travel books! This one was very interesting, and disturbing. It made me want to study history and pay attention. I highly recommend this book!
April 13, 2009
Grades 6+. Working in a reconstructed colonial settlement in Nova Scotia, 17-year-old Lyn finds herself transported back to 1744.
August 16, 2013
Young Adult Reading about time travel in Colonial Canada!
June 30, 2016
Haven't read this in awhile, but I remember thinking that it was one of the best time-travel books I had read.
December 28, 2022
I read this book way back in 1990 and found it absolutely fascinating. Lyn is spending the summer before starting college working at a fort that took part in the French and Indian war. She and many others are re-enacting that era, dressed in costumes from that time. But something very strange is happening: a few of the participants are suddenly acting confused and traumatised and speaking French when before they spoke only English. Then, one night, Lyn is hurrying to a building in the fort (can’t remember to where after all this time) when she trips and falls. But when she gets back to her feet she notices that things look different - there are no lights on, for one. People she didn’t recognise were speaking French to her, seemingly recognising her and calling her by another name.
I’d love to read this again and will try to find a used copy somewhere.
I’d love to read this again and will try to find a used copy somewhere.
April 5, 2020
So hard to find this book! I finally was able to read it via Archive.org after having it on my to-read list for 7 years. Glad that I read it. It was quite enjoyable, and I like that there is some discussion of things that I always wonder about with time-travel, like how to deal with normal bodily needs. I mean, one of the first things Lyn does is have to find a bathroom! And Lyn is a very likeable heroine and quite practical. Quite refreshing in a lot of ways.
What I didn't like is that it just...ended. I didn't really feel ready for that ending, and I didn't really feel like I got resolution. Perhaps it's a sign that I had grown to like the characters, but I did find myself saying aloud, "Wait, that's the end?"
Well, glad I read it, anyway.
What I didn't like is that it just...ended. I didn't really feel ready for that ending, and I didn't really feel like I got resolution. Perhaps it's a sign that I had grown to like the characters, but I did find myself saying aloud, "Wait, that's the end?"
Well, glad I read it, anyway.
April 19, 2019
I seem to be drawn to time travel books, and this is a prime example of that genre. Lyn is a re-enactor at Louisbourg in Canada, a Williamsburg/Sturbridge Village historical site that is extremely well cared for and presented to the public. While there she finds herself suddenly and actually back in 1744, with all its smells, violence, cold, illness and hardships. A vivid picture of the actuality of history -- I liked it!
December 10, 2019
I liked the characters and writing and the whole plot of the time slip and all but what am I meant to do with that ending? Like it was never truly resolved I feel.
February 6, 2020
I would have given the book more stars if not for some contents I found inappropriate. I loved the idea of the book and the general plot. It was intriguing and different.
November 8, 2020
One star off for the last page of what was otherwise a rich and well-written novel.
August 17, 2024
An enjoyable time travel read. My biggest problem with time travel books, where a woman time travels to the past, is her NOT WANTING TO LEAVE. This annoys me to nth degree. They begin spouting nonsense ''oh it's just so peaceful and calm here, no loud cars and traffic, people are so nice, mmh fresh air no modern world pollution uwu ~'' Girl be fr. I liked just how nearly everyone was so rude and abrasive and that's understandable, considering their situation. I also liked how Lyn/Elizabeth wasn't an important figure in anyone's life and how almost no one paid attention to her and how the protagonist herself acknowledged this. Even Donald, who claimed that he wouldn't have survived this long without her, didn't really care for Lyn herself, because he was neck deep in his own misery. Everyone had their own problems and both that, and their life were of equal importance. Lyn wasn't a black hole of a protagonist, who just sucked all the attention to herself.
April 3, 2023
Bought this one in high school, wasn't able to get into it then, but kept it on my shelf because I had a feeling I would come back to it one day. I'm so glad I did. It's a timeslip that's much more interested in psychology and character development than it is with providing a clear-cut explanation for why the time travel is happening. Great to pair with other children's timeslips like Charlotte Sometimes and Elizabeth, Elizabeth.
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April 14, 2019Also read this one in middle school! I remember being disturbed by the romance at the time, but again have no idea how I'd react now.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews