A story about time traveling back to save JFK from being assassinated is a crazy idea for a story. King really took this idea and ran with it because depicting something that is somewhat historically accurate while also being a thriller is a task. Jake (a.k.a. George) is a fantastic main character that truly wants to do as much right as he can. The implications of everything that he does in the past affecting the future, really impacts his decision-making. He stops and really considers before he does anything, which is admirable given what he’s trying to do. Sometimes his emotions do get the best of him though.
One thing I really appreciated about the story was King‘s attention to detail. He shines lights on the darkest parts of the 60s, but doesn’t dwell on them as much as he could have. This is mostly to keep the focus of the story on saving JFK though he doesn’t try to hide the dark side of the era. There’s a depiction he makes of a colored person bathroom that is brought up a few times to illustrate the point that things were not great for everyone. Back when prices were low, people were generally nice as long as you shared their values, gender and skin color (mostly white men). With so much of the story taking place in Texas, I was surprised to see racial tensions on the back burner, but I understand it from a narrative perspective.
Jake has a mission to save JFK, however the portal to the past goes back to 1959, so he has to live there for four years to get a chance at it. Because of this. his story is mostly about his life in the past, learning to fit in and eventually stalking Lee Harvey Oswald. You would think that this would lead to a meandering and somewhat boring story but the life that Jake lives is a full one and I felt kinship with him as a fellow fish-out-of-water. It was transportive and maybe that’s because of how realistic characters felt. They’re not from an era that I am familiar with, however, I could see their environment reflected in their actions, not just because their actions affected Jake, but because of the way each character was written.

The task of somewhat humanizing someone like Lee Harvey Oswald is a herculean one and King manages it. There were times that I hoped for his redemption and times where I could see he was too far gone. I wouldn’t say he’s a victim of circumstance, because everyone has a choice, though I can sympathize with the situation that he was in. Does that excuse his actions? Definitely not, but I understand his frustration.

The story does get a bit more supernatural near the end, but it’s overall well grounded. I was surprised how much I was into the story. I’ve only read a few historical fictions and this was definitely my favorite one. If you like period pieces or stories of people in a strange land then this one is one you would enjoy. I’m not into every King novel that I’ve read, but I do appreciate how much depth he gives his stories and I think this is one of the ones that you definitely should give a shot.