The Mine by John A. Heldt

"In 2000, Joel Smith is a cocky, adventurous young man who sees the world as his playground. But when the college senior, days from graduation, enters an abandoned Montana mine, he discovers the price of reckless curiosity. He emerges in May 1941 with a cell phone he can't use, money he can't spend, and little but his wits to guide his way. Stuck in the age of Whirlaway, swing dancing, and a peacetime draft, Joel begins a new life as the nation drifts toward war. With the help of his 21-year-old trailblazing grandmother and her friends, he finds his place in a world he knew only from movies and books. But when an opportunity comes to return to the present, Joel must decide whether to leave his new love in the past or choose a course that will alter their lives forever. THE MINE follows a humbled man through a critical time in history as he adjusts to new surroundings and wrestles with the knowledge of things to come."

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a huge fan of time travel stories, so I approached this book with some trepidation. Though the book was slow to draw me in, I did get caught up in the story and enjoyed reading about Joel's adventures in 1941. It was interesting to consider how Joel would have felt finding himself stuck in a country about to go to war. His knowledge of the fate of certain characters creates an internal conflict for Joel as he forms relationships with the people he meets. I do wish that Joel wasn't quite so perfect. I wanted to see more of his flaws. The picture of 1941 that Heldt painted was vivid and brought to life the era. Heldt uses words well and did a good job of keeping me guessing how Joel could possible resolve his problems. The book ended with a twist that I didn't see coming but that made sense and provided good closure for the story.

Overall, I enjoyed the read and think this is a good first book for Heldt. I'll be watching to see what he writes next. You can visit the author at his blog and purchase a copy of the ebook here.