S. F. Prescott

So fun, with a unique hook!

Jessica M. Goldstein is a journalist and humorist whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Vulture, Marie Claire, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, and more. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, she was born and raised in New Jersey and currently lives in Washington, D.C. Retro is her first novel.

When I read the synopsis, I couldn’t wait to read Retro by Jessica M. Goldstein. Anything with time travel as the hook is an auto-read for me. The idea of being an agent and traveling into the past sounded intriguing.

I loved the concept of the retro train, and this book felt different from others about time travel. Definitely felt more character-driven with less sci-fi elements steering the plot, which was new for me in the genre. I thought Ash’s acting skills being put to good use by immersing into the timeline she traveled to was an interesting angle for her character, adding something different to the story. I also found the idea of a time travel agent being a job, and companies monetizing it, very risky but also entertaining, especially when considering the possible impact(s) it could have in the present timeline. I was gripped by the romance sub-plot, but overall felt there were too many characters for me to keep track of, which tended to slow the pace at times. I would have enjoyed learning more about the science behind the discovery of time travel. Overall, I enjoyed this book, but would have preferred it to be a bit shorter. Congrats to the author for a fun debut!

Synopsis:

When Ash spots an ad for Retro during a depressing Instagram scroll—she’s in debt and unemployed; everyone else is, evidently, thriving—she’s surprised the algorithm sent it her way. She’s heard of recreational time travel, but it’s way out of her budget. Then she sees the caption: Come away with us! We’re hiring.

So begins Ash’s life as a Time Travel Agent, leading wealthy tourists on vacations to historical hotspots. She takes bachelorette parties to live out their cowboy-romance fantasies in the Old West; she chaperones “’20s for your twenties” birthday excursions to speakeasies; she smiles politely as rich Wall Street guys give prospecting a shot during the Gold Rush. It’s all thrilling, outrageous, and totally surreal. Bygone America is just a Retro Metro ride away.

Despite Ash’s tendency toward cynicism, she finds herself swept up in her dazzling new job. Sure, Ash isn’t the actress she’d always dreamed she’d be. But isn’t this so much better? It’s like Ash’s life is a movie, complete with an impossible love triangle. How is she supposed to choose between her mysterious office crush and the handsome private eye pursuing her in 1937?

For the first time in years, Ash’s life feels enviable—so she’d really rather not pay attention to the strange things happening to her memory and relationships outside Retro. But as her trips threaten to unravel her real life, she confronts an unsettling truth: Escaping into the past was never really an escape at all.