Maggie, a teen orphan who lives with her aunt in New Brunswick, is once again transported into the past in Hammond’s second historical time travel novel – this time, into a Manitoban pioneer settlement. She soon learns that she has mysteriously replaced the only daughter of a farm couple – a switch no one seems to notice. Before she knows it, Maggie is milking cows, caring for the farm’s horses, and attending a one-room school with pupils so poor they don’t wear shoes.

The strength of the novel lies in its portrayal of early 1890s prairie life. Hammond doesn’t whitewash the harsh realities of the time. She describes the unrelenting abuse an impoverished “home child” from England suffers at the hands of a penurious farmer. She also depicts, in context, racism toward the Métis and an otherwise dedicated teacher using corporal punishment on students.

Several compelling plots interweave to create great suspense, and for the most part, the characters grab reader interest if not necessarily sympathy. It is disappointing, therefore, that the one character who falls short is Maggie. She feels generic throughout: more a device to steer the reader through the past than an active agent in the plot. This is especially apparent at the start when she is pulled inexplicably towards the waterfall that transports her back in time. At no point does curiosity play a role in her decision to go through the waterfall. Nor when she arrives in the past is her ingenuity tested in figuring out how to cope. She is constantly pulled to the right place to do the right thing. Not only does this make for a passive main character, but some good occasions for cross-century gaffes are passed up. This is not to say the book isn’t a fun, interesting read – it is. The author simply missed some opportunities to make it more so.