Across the Ages by Gabrielle Meyer is quite the adventure! I loved every single second of this uniquely intense story. My most favorite aspect is the dive into history we readers get to take. All of Meyer’s Timeless novels have been time machines into history, but I feel like the historical detail in Across the Ages jumps off the pages in such a fun way. Simply put, I was transported in time…and learned SO much. I learned about pirates and preachers, gangster cops and the criminals they let slide, and the laws made to skirt around Prohibition and other criminal behavior. I had no idea about Minnesota’s sordid criminal history and the O’Connor Layover Agreement (essentially, it made Saint Paul a sanctuary city for criminals in the 1920s). It was quite evident early on in this tale that regardless of the time — 1727, 1927, or today — nothing is new. As long as there are people on this earth there will be humans striving to be good, humans being bad, and leaders to exploit it all. King Solomon was right when he said in Ecclesiastes that there is nothing new under the sun.

Of the very many topics and ideas discussed in this novel, the discussions in regards to hypocrisy and second chances resonated the most with me. When I was a teenager, one of the leaders from my church was relieved of his official duties. Why? Because his teen daughter got pregnant. I will never, ever forget the day our pastor, in front of the whole congregation, basically condemned this man because he couldn’t keep control over his own household. The man said he agreed with the pastor, but I always felt this was cruel. Shortly after, this man left the church. He forced his daughter to give up her child. This hurt the daughter deeply, and I feel like she never quite recovered. How the church reacted towards the man and his family was disgusting and totally not how Jesus would ever have dealt with the ordeal. The whole situation was a big mess. I always felt this was one of the cruelest moments in my church’s history. There was no grace, no mercy, no forgiveness. Just a tossing away like trash. It was the first time I realized that church and God were two different things. Similar issues arise in this story, but instead of condemnation and excommunication, Meyer treats us readers to an illustration of what genuine forgiveness and the grace of second chances could look like. It was refreshing, and honestly it brought me to tears. The illustration of second chances and how they build people back up was the absolute best part of this stellar story. The world would truly be a better place — a more God-like place — if we all reacted with grace and mercy rather than self-righteous indignation and pearl-clutching judgement.

Across the Ages is another home run Historical Romance. This story is a journey and I loved and valued every single second. I will miss these characters greatly. If you’re a fan of insanely good stories that keep you on the edge of your seat, then you will NOT want to miss out on this story!