all the time in the world
“I glanced out of the window at the poor peasants who could not or would not shell out the sixteen dollars to tour Elvis’ earthly digs. They stared back at our privileged group. As I watched their envious faces, I considered tossing a few coins to see if they would scramble for them. Then I decided not to think quite that hard about the peasants.
“Let them eat mashed banana sandwiches,” I decided, in tribute to Elvis’ favorite lunch fare. I smiled smugly at the onlookers as I gave them my best royal wave…”
Excerpt from All the Time in the World by Richard Leigh Penn. Quoted with permission.
Shortest Summary: The Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy minus space travel meets your 10th grade history book.
Longer Summary: Wanna see Elvis at the Louisiana Hayride? Meet Lincoln, Booth, battle the Clanton Gang in the old west, make movies in the 1930′s, seek and destroy Jack the Ripper? Seems highly unlikely, right? It sure is for most of us, but for Brian Willard it’s reality. The man is a travel agent who hasn’t been many places up until the point when we join him at the beginning of the story –he’s checking out Elvis’ Caddy at Graceland.
Brian is chosen by “The Big Idea” because he is completely and utterly mediocre. Since he’s an average joe, of average intellegence and abilities, and has nothing tying him down, he is chosen to get as much time travel experience as possible “just in case” something should happen that would cause a rift in time. See, The Big Idea can’t physically change the flow of time, but a human can–somehow–the Big Idea’s not so sure on that one. Brian stumbles through time periods and into situations that are frightening, exciting and sometimes very lovely.
Richard Penn’s work of commercial fiction is an exciting fast-paced read. The story twists and turns but never loses its way as the protagonist matures from a silly bumbler into a more thoughtful man.
Get your copy of All the Time in the World.
**I normally write about young adult fiction, this is not YA. That’s just an FYI. 
