To Say Nothing of the Dog

Connie Willis

In the mid 21st century, Mrs. Schrapnel is using her money for two projects. One is to fund the time travel program at Oxford University. The other is to rebuild the Canterbury Cathedral. Since she has access to time travellers, she wants everything to be authentic. All the historians are on constant time jumps to verify the authenticity of the rebuilding. They do not have to bring items back in time to the future because the time travel net will not allow anthing to go throught that does not fit the time parameters where the traveller is going. They do help locate missing items so she can get them or reproduce them in her time.

Ned Henry is one of the historians she has constantly jumping through time. He has jumped so many times he has developed a sever case of time lag. The only cure is a long rest. To hide him from Mrs. Schrapnel he is sent back to 1889 Victorian England for that rest. He knows he has one small task to complete when he arrives, then he is to rest.

If only it were that simple. He is so time lagged he does not know what he is supposed to do or who to meet when he goes back in time. Instead he finds himself involved with some contemps (contemporaries) of the times and discovers there are problems in the time net. What has happened? Has someone affected the time line inadvertantly?

This book is fun. Ned is confused, time lagged, and in love with a Victorian contemp. He knows there is some time problem connected with the period he is in. Can he solve it? Can he avoid Mrs. Schrapnel before she has him looking for the bishop's bird stump again? And what will happen when he returns to his own time? This is another chance to enjoy Nebula and Hugo award winner Connie Willis. That's always, in my opinion, the chance to take.

The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
Timeline by Michael Crichton