Crossing the Rubicon
By R. C. Richter
One fold in time and you're gone...This time travel merely leads us to an exciting tale of courage by teenagers who were once out spelunking never to return...sort of...
Ok, that was a little unfair, because they never do return, but because of what they did..oh, forget about explaining--how can you explain that seven teenagers went into a cave and came back up to the same place, but hundreds of years ago. Of course, when they finally realized something like that had happened, they still didn't know whether they had gone into the past or into the future. What they did know was that all of their electronic gadgets were now not functioning...except for those brought by one of the boys who had some special items that kept them going...
I really enjoyed this extraordinary novel and will be sharing it with my great niece. It is definitely suitable for mid-teen and above and for anybody who has ever thought they'd like to have lived in the past! Myself, I'd prefer the future, but I did enjoy story as presented and admired the tenacity, knowledge and strength of those that were suddenly facing a totally unknown world.
But before I go any further, I want to share how beautiful this entire book is--surely the cover, artwork and continuity of border throughout makes this worthy of keeping in your personal home library or giving it as a gift. There are some spacing issues that you soon quickly forget simply because of the overall effect of seeing our main characters against an unusual, colored background...perhaps meant to reflect the age and use of the journal that was created? Kudos to all that were involved in the technical creation of this novel!
One of the first fascinating realizations is that there was nothing in existence where they had once lived in Canada! So, the very first thing they had to do was start south to somewhere they thought already had people settled there... Whew, that in itself is amazing--one day you are surrounded by family, home, neighbors, cities.
The same day it is gone; that is, had not yet ever been homesteaded or built...
Jacob was the unofficial leader and quickly began to consider what they would have to do, where they would go. One of the first things was to take a complete inventory of what each of them had in their backpacks! Trinity Warner is the narrator for the story and decided to keep a journal to document everything. She was very concerned that their parents would never understand what happened--and she wanted to make sure that a record would be available!
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| I found this painting that I thought illustrated how they must have felt! http://www.flickr.com/photos/jinterwas/5390930041/sizes/m/in/photostream/ "In the last years of school, in history class, we were taught about Julius Caesar, who in 49 BC crossed the Rubicon River in Northern Italy. He built boats to cross the river with his army. Once they had crossed, he ordered the boats burned so that he and his men could no longer retreat back across the river if they should fail taking Rome. It was for Caesar and his men a point of no return. "That afternoon we said goodbye to our campsite. We all knew we had crossed the Rubicon. and there was no turning back. Our boats were burned. Whatever happened in the mountain had changed the course of our lives. This day and all the days ahead would test who we were. It would tear us down and build us up, and make us stronger. "It was at that point that I started to take the first notes of our journey, so that someday our story could be told... |
They had coined the phrase of crossing the Rubicon based upon what they had learned in their history class when Julius Caesar had crossed the Rubicon River. Indeed, what they had learned in their history classes was routinely used as they tried to establish a future...
It was on Day 35 that they came to an old abandoned Native campsite, the first sign of civilization! But it wasn't until Day 110 that they finally realized that they were being watched... Natives with painted faces and carrying spears did not produce a welcoming feeling but Jacob bravely extended his hands, striving to show their friendly intentions. The time spent with the Salish was, I think, my favorite time on their travels. Spending 200 days with them allowed a family relationship to develop and, equally important, a chance to build boats to allow them to proceed...
That, too, was amazing for me--that Jacob had set out a plan--almost a travelogue of where they would go and ultimately establish as their home...
The most exciting story came when a ship on which they sailed was attacked! I'll let you find out which two countries were at war--it didn't really matter to the travelers, they knew they had to fight alongside the people on that ship, in order to live!
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But what was really great was the exhilarating ending... which, for me, began when they reached the Orange River. And if you don't know why, you may need to study your history! Because by the time Jacob had graduated, he knew where and when he wanted to wind up...and why!
Ok, if you didn't study your history, then you'll just have to read this book! It's kind of scary to contemplate, but once you're there, you just might think you're a contestant on The Survivor TV program...NOT!
This author has create a truly outstanding trip for us, even if it is in novel form! He has made every effort to help us "feel" like we are actually on that trip. I loved it...for so many reasons... And, the ending? I'll just say--Unbelievable! Epic story that deserves to be made into a movie! Or two??? Be sure to check everything this book has to offer you!
GABixlerReviews
About
http://www.RCRichter.com/ RC Richter was born in 1964 to German parents and resides in Calgary, Alberta Canada, just 45 minutes from the Rocky Mountains where his book Crossing The Rubicon begins.
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