The Time Keeper

Written by Mitch Albom
Review by Chiara Prezzavento

“Long ago, at the dawn of man’s history”, somewhere in ancient Mesopotamia, Dor is the first man on earth to devise ways of counting things – especially time. It is a world-altering discovery and also the sort of human arrogance that gods see fit to punish, so Dor is condemned to witness the consequences of his invention from a timeless seclusion. In modern-day New York, Sarah Lemon is 17, too smart to fit in, struggling with her first love, and terrified of all that endless time awaiting her, while Victor Delamonte is a very old, very ill, very high-handed millionaire, determined to cheat death itself in his quest for more time. It’s up to Dor – now Father Time – to untangle Sarah and Victor’s troubles, as well as his own – but how? Mitch Albom weaves an engaging parable about the meaning of time, with fantasy elements and a smattering of history of timekeeping. Be warned, though: while a pleasant, well written book, The Time Keeper may not meet everyone’s notion of historical novel.