Thirteen year-old Elizabeth Duncan visits Upper Canada Village with her Grade Seven class and steps back into the past when she enters Cook's Tavern. The time is October of 1813, just as Canadians are on the brink of the Battle at Crysler's Farm that ended the war between Canada and the USA. This, I learned, was an epic event in Canadian history, and I was prompted to do more research where I discovered that this battle ended the campaign to capture Montreal, the city where we live. My daughter said she studied some of this history in school.

Elizabeth steps into the life of another girl named Elizabeth Frobisher, who lives with her family in a modest log house. She has three sisters, two brothers and her father is the schoolmaster of the village. The modern Elizabeth becomes the Elizabeth in the past with occasional visions that give her a foreboding of what is to happen regarding the war and builds suspense within the story.

My daughter and I really enjoyed this book for several reasons. The mystery of why Elizabeth traveled back in time and how that was going to affect events kept us interested throughout. We learned a piece of Canadian history we didn't know about, or one that I learned in school and promptly forgot! Also, we were transported with Elizabeth to daily life in 1813 at a time when there was no electricity, when most girls in small villages tended to the household chores rather than go to school, and when famine could easily happen to families who were settling in a new land.

The ending held surprise and was satisfying because we finally learn why Elizabeth traveled back in time. My daughter loved it. The author includes at the back of the book a glossary of words that may be unfamiliar to today's youngsters. I think this book should be available in schools as it brings history to life in a fun and inventive way. Highly recommended.

Note: This book is rated C = clean read.

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