The Secret Under the Whirlpool describes the lives of Acadians eking out an existence on Prince Edward Island in 1757, just before their deportation. The author uses the familiar device of time travel to deposit two modern teens in the middle of the 18th century. Maggie, an orphan, finds living in a busy family comforting, while Marc, who lost his legs in a car accident, is thrilled to find them restored by the time journey. They stay with the Acadians for several seasons, and slip away back to their own time just as their families are being herded onto British ships.

Hammond does a good job balancing information and plot, but the transition in time is laboured and overly complex. In addition, readers may find the ease with which Marc and Maggie integrate with the Acadians tough to swallow. The Secret Under the Whirlpool is well written, but might have worked better as a straightforward historical fiction novel.