Karen Marie Moning was the author to introduce me to time travel. Prior to that I hadn’t read anything but straight historical or straight contemporary. The idea of people crossing that threshold and dealing with both was fascinating to me.
I remember cracking open Beyond the Highland Mist and freaking out right along side Adrienne at the thought of being dropped into an unfamiliar world. Yet the idea intrigued me. How amazing would it be to travel back in time? To experience first hand some of the major events in history, or even just daily life in the 1200’s or 1800’s, would be awesome. And..scary.
I’m sure we’ve all thought about how wonderful it would be to travel back in time – whether to some major event in history or just some major event in our lives we wish to experience again or change – but have we considered the true consequences of that? Living without cell phones and televisions would probably be easy enough to adjust to, but what about bathrooms and showers? How about if, like many of KMM’s characters, you were thrust back in time with no thought or warning, leaving behind friends and loved ones?
In The Highlander’s Touch, KMM really explored some of these issues. Lisa is transported back to the fourteenth century, pulled away from her ailing mother – whom she’s the sole caregiver of – and thrust into a world she’s completely unfamiliar with. Although much of it is heart wrenching – especially as she tries to deal with the loss of her mother – some of it is highly amusing. One scene in particular cracks me up every time I read it. Lisa has been tricked into thinking she has to use a chamber pot, but here she finds out they have garderobes:
Smiling her agreement, Lisa stood on tiptoe and kissed him. When he moved to deepen the kiss, shepulled back. He looked startled, so she hastened to reassure him.
“I’ve drunk too much wine, Circenn. I’m afraid I must find one of those dratted chamber pots.” She sighed morosely. “There are some things I really miss about my century.”
“A chamber pot? Why not use the garderobe?”
“The what?”
“The garderobe.”
“You have garderobes here?” she said stiffly.
He looked at her as if she’d lost her mind. “Not that I wish to pry, lass, but where have you been going?”
“Chamber pots,” she muttered.
“And what have you been doing..er…?”
“Dumping them out the window,” she said, prickly as a porcupine. So much for demure privacy. If therewas a garderobe, why on earth had Eirren told her to use the chamber pot? Then she realized how mischievous the lad could be. It was just like Eirren to be prankish. “Was there a garderobe at Dunnottar, too?”
“It is you who has been dumping them out the windows? I have been blaming it on my men, making them wash down the stones. Aye, there was one at Dunnottar. I had garderobes put in every keep I own or visit.”
“You never told me.”
“You never asked. How was I to know? When you first arrived here, I wasn’t about to address such private issues. I assumed you had found our garderobe on your own.”
Lisa snorted. CEirren had truly bamboozled her, and her pride had kept her tidily trapped in his jest. “I can’t believe all this time I’ve….Oh! Where is the blasted garderobe?”
He told her, biting his lip to keep from smiling.
So hilarious, but also a fairly realistic portrayal of what someone not familiar with the times might experience.
Obviously these books are fiction. The chances of getting thrown back in time because of a cursed artifact or at the whim of a jealous fae are about none. Still, it’s fun to imagine.
Have you thought about what it would be like? If you could choose one period of time to travel back to – or one event – what would you choose? Would you go, even if it meant giving up everything you hold dear today?
The first time travel I read was by Constance O’Day-Flannery back in the 80s. I remember thinking then that if I were transported back in time what would happen if I developed a cavity or if one of my many fillings came out. Would I have to suffer with abundant tooth pain? I decided that if I were lucky enough to miraculousy travel back in time to meet my hunky soul mate, then somehow my teeth would manage to repair themselves in the transfer.
The lack of sanitation combined with the inequality that women faced prior to the 20th century would make me refuse to time travel to any era, unless, of course, I was guaranteed that hunky soul mate ;).
BTW, I’ve never read anything by KMM. Your author spotlight has convinced me to pick up this series. Thanks.
KMM introduced me to time travel too…the first book I read was The Spell of the Highlander which was a Time Travel the other way…Highlander coming to present day. I think if I were involved in any kind of time travel that would be the way I want it…hunky man coming to my world.
The unsanitary conditions would be what would stop me from going back in time…