The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds

November 1, 2024
Josephine Reynolds wishes she had never been born. Her young husband has died, and along with him, her purpose for life. But as her sister points out, Josephine no longer has to mold herself into what everyone else expects her to be. Josephine decides to purchase their ancestral home to remodel and to reinvent herself in the process. And that small wish that she made? Well, it is starting to come true. Her family time line is slowly being erased, and she must find a way to stop it. Mysteriously enough, the door of her new-old home happens to be a door to another time line--a time line where she has the chance to save herself in her current one. Stepping back to the Prohibition era and befriending her great-grandmother might be the key to reversing her wish. Through her discovery of family and friends, no matter the time, Josephine finds herself. With rich descriptions of scenery, fashion, and characters, Moorman creates a vivid portrayal of the Jazz Age. She blends history and magical realism seamlessly in this absolute treasure of a book.

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November 18, 2024
Moorman (The Magic All Around) delivers a heartwarming story of love, loss, and time travel. In a bout of grief and depression, 35-year-old widow Josephine Reynolds wishes she had never been born—a wish that changes the course of history. After her sister, Katherine, suggests a fresh start, Josephine buys Carter Mansion, her great-grandmother Alma’s home in Nashville’s historic district, aiming to restore it. She tracks down the house’s original front door and key at a local salvage yard—and, after installing and stepping through the door, finds herself transported back to 1927. As Josephine is swept into the Jazz Age, she meets and bonds with Alma and finds love with a handsome man named Danny. But Josephine soon realizes her careless wish has altered the timeline, and unless she can change history by stopping a police raid on Alma’s speakeasy, her existence in the future will be erased. Josephine’s low-heat romance with Danny takes center stage for much of the light and entertaining narrative, which comes full circle in a predictable yet cozy ending. Despite a slow and somewhat superficial plot, readers will be captivated by Moorman’s lovely descriptions of the 1920s. It’s sweet and comforting reading.

November 15, 2024
In this magic-tinged novel, time travel to the Prohibition era gives a grieving woman a way to change her life and save her family. Following the death of her husband, 35-year-old Josephine Reynolds is wallowing in grief and wishing she could just disappear. Months later, she's still unable to move forward, until her sister encourages her to buy their ancestral Nashville home. Josephine has big plans for renovating the house, including finding the perfect replacement for the shabby front door. She's flabbergasted when the door she finds at a local salvage yard turns out to be the house's original entryway, and, incredibly, it's a doorway into the past. How is it possible that when Josephine uses the original key, she steps into the Jazz Age? It's 1927, and Josephine quickly realizes what's at stake. When she returns to the present, an internet search reveals that her great-grandmother Alma died during a raid on her basement speakeasy that year--and that she had no children at the time of her death. But if that's what happened, how did Josephine's grandmother and mother--and Josephine herself--come to be born? Josephine takes on the daunting task of stopping Alma's death so her family can exist. Meanwhile, in the present, her possessions begin to disappear as if they and she are already being erased from the world. Fans of time travel will love this imaginative, high-stakes novel, as will fans ofThe Great Gatsby, thanks to the vivid descriptions of the Jazz Age, its parties, music, and dancing, and the way women were fighting for their rights and potential. Part fantasy, part romance, part coming-of-age story, this sweetly told tale of a woman's search for her true self is imbued with Moorman's trademark touch of magic. A delightful heroine jumps into the past in order to embrace her future.

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