Kate Mascarenhas_29

In 1967, four clever English women invent time travel. One goes a little bit mad, but nevertheless time traveling develops into a elite profession managed by the secretive, eccentric Conclave. I can't make it sound any less silly in a short summation, but 'The Psychology of Time Travel' is not a silly book. Kate Mascarenhas is a psychologist and a writer, and this book is witty, insightful and full of clever details about the culture, community and mental health of time travelers. We meet multiple versions of each character from different time periods spanning 1967 to 2075; their 'green' and 'silver' selves interact freely across time periods, casually and cruelly trading foreknowledge. There's a classic locked room murder. A love story. A villain. And—an odd detail—all the protagonists and secondary characters are women; I can't recall a single male character of any importance. I didn't love this book, but others will, so it's back to the Street Library from whence it came.