Lucy has a long lost uncle. Literally. He was lost at sea when he was just 13 in the year 1914. Except there is one problem; how could Lucy's uncle, Oscar, have disappeared in the middle of Iowa? When Lucy moves into Oscar's old house, clues begin to uncover themselves one after another. But the weird thing is, Oscar is the only one who can help save Lucy's father from a tragic mishap. In this thrilling novel, Lucy and Oscar encounter hardships, kings and queens, magic, and everything else that might cause trouble. Go through this wild adventure and good luck! ( )

This was an amazing book ( )

A fun read. Lucy and her family have moved to an Iowa farmhouse inherited by them from an eccentric aunt. Lucy starts investigating the disappearance in 1914 of her great-uncle Oscar, when he was a teenager. The plot involves mysterious notebooks, magic potions, time travel, and some interesting musings on the power of writing to transport one to a different world. I recommend it. ( )

After moving with her parents to Iowa, twelve-year-old Lucy discovers a mysterious notebook that can bring stories to life and which has a link to the 1914 disappearance of her great uncle.

Twelve-year-old Lucy isn't happy about her family's move to Iowa . When her great aunt Lavonne died she left the old family farmhouse to Lucy's father, and since he has just lost his job this is the perfect opportunity for the family to save money and start over. Despite her distress, Lucy's interest gets piqued when she reads the letter Aunt Lavonne sent shortly before her death. Lavonne had devoted her life to studying magic and to solving the mystery of her brother's disappearance in their youth. She claimed that she woke up one night to see her brother rowing out to sea – in Iowa, where there is no ocean.

At the farmhouse, Lucy discovers her great uncle's notebooks, and the strange Book of Story Beginnings, which has the power to bring stories to life and is clearly linked to the disappearance.

This is an absorbing fantasy adventure with elements of mystery. Issues of the nature of time and of difficult family dynamics add complexity and depth. ( )