How It Works: How the Earth Works by John Fardon

How It Works: How the Earth Works by John Fardon

I have no hankerin' for thrills if needs be sought in the heavens. I shall keep my feet firmly planted in contentment. - Harriet, The Crossing Hour

I shall yield a rifle of fury, loaded with the justice of time and the raging storm of my soul - John, The Crossing Hour

In this debut novel, time travel is a naturally occurring phenomenon. The aged scientist, Stanley Graf, has discovered it in a planetary black hole in northern Delaware. He appoints his granddaughter Leigh to await the latest event. One traveler appears: a 28-year-old runaway slave from the 19th century. Leigh and her family serve as her guardians and slowly introduce her to the 21st century.

When John, a young, mysterious man arrives from rural Pennsylvania, Leigh and her brother Stan try to balance their duty to Harriet and the past with the actions of the peculiar gentleman. As they realize there is more to their grandfather's research, they work to uncover the secrets their family is keeping from them.

John Farndon is a Royal Literary Fellow at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, UK, and the author of numerous books on science, technology, and nature for adults and children.