Rhian Ivory’s top 10 books set in the past and the present
When I was eight my mum bought me a copy of Tom’s Midnight Garden and everything changed for me as a reader. I didn’t know what the words “time slip” meant but when I fell into Tom and Hattie’s world I knew I’d found my kind of book. I’ve since read a lot of time slip, time travel and historical novels but for me there’s nothing better than a book which straddles the past and the present - and that’s partly why I wrote The Boy who Drew the Future. Here are some of my favourite novels set in the past and the present.
1. Tom’s Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce
Winner of the Carnegie prize in 1958, Tom’s Midnight Garden has long been regarded as a children’s classic and each time I re-read it I can see why. The story of Tom and Hattie holds such appeal because no matter how much technology has to offer Generation X, nothing can beat the hope and possibility of being able to walk into a garden and step back into the past when the clock strikes 13.
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2. Darkmere by Helen Maslin
My twitter feed has been buzzing with positivity about this book and now I’ve read it I can see why. Curses, tunnels, towers and castles all feature in this gothic dual narrative told in alternating chapters by Katy in the present day and Elinor in the past. Maslin leads the reader back and forth in time weaving a web of clues to follow, luring us into the history of the castle in the 19th century as the events of the past seep into the lives of Katy, Leo and the rest of the gang in the present. Reminiscent of the iconic Rebecca in places, fans of Du Maurier will enjoy Darkmere very much.
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3. The Next Together by Lauren James
The Time Traveller’s Wife was the first book I read with my reading group and it provoked much debate so I was interested to read The Next Together because many comparisons had been drawn between the two. Lauren James has taken many of my favourite themes (time travel, science, history and romance) and worked them into one book with skill, great warmth, lots of humour (look out for the hilarious notes on the fridge) and intelligence. Katherine and Matthew’s story reminded me of high concept films such as The Butterfly Effect, The Adjustment Bureau, Back to the Future and Inception. But this book is more than just clever and thematic it also has a timeless love story at the centre pulling all these threads together in a subtle and convincing manner.
4. BlackFin Sky by Kat Ellis
I’ve always loved books set in a circus (The Wanderers by Kate Ormand is another great example in this genre) and that secretive and mystical world comes to life in a very filmic and visual way in Blackfin Sky. Events don’t happen in a normal manner in Blackfin and when Skylar Rousseau drowns on her 16th birthday she doesn’t simply die. Sky spends the rest of the novel trying to unravel what happened the night she supposedly died by revisiting the events of 16 years ago, when a mysterious circus visited Blackfin. This is a sharp and clever novel full of Angela Cartereque bizarre characters, creepy settings and atmosphere aplenty.
5. Lady of Hay by Barbara Erskine
I can remember seeing this chunky novel sitting on my mum’s shelf. I knew I shouldn’t read it, it didn’t look like a teenager’s book but I couldn’t resist once I’d read the blurb. You had me at “past lives, regression and time travel”, Barbara! I now have my own copy, very worn and battered from re-reading and even though I know well the story of Jo who travels back to the reign of King John it still sends shivers down my spine, especially the regression scenes which are both dangerous for Jo and deeply fascinating for the rest of the characters. There’s something very spiritual and magical about Hay and it is the perfect setting for this eerie and atmospheric novel.
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6. Crow Mountain by Lucy Inglis
I’d have bought this book for the cover alone but once I’d read the blurb I was sold. While on holiday in Montana, Hope meets a local boy Cal Crow who works on the ranch. As the result of an accident they are forced to take shelter in a mountain cabin where Hope makes an interesting discovery taking the reader back to 1867 where another English girl, Emily met with a similar fate. The setting of the Wild West allows Inglis to explore themes of survival, love and fate through the characters of Hope and Cal in the present and Emily and Nate in the past. Inglis draws parallels throughout the novel blending historical fiction with the present day in beautifully written alternate chapters.

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7. North of Nowhere by Liz Kessler
The charming setting of Porthaven, the clever use of weather and of course the dog, Flake, all stand out in this novel as does the importance of friendship. The growing friendship between Mia and Dee in North of Nowhere reminds me of Tom and Hattie’s relationship in Tom’s Midnight Garden. The use of a diary brings the two girls together giving this novel a classic feel and there’s a great twist at the end which I won’t spoil here.
8. Angel’s Fury by Bryony Pearce
As someone who has a lot of nightmares I was really interested in the way in which Pearce shows Cassie’s night tremors in Angel’s Fury. The visions she has about Zillah and the Holocaust are haunting and desperate; fallen angels, psychopathic killers and reincarnation all feature. When Cassie realises that she has lived before and that she is dreaming of a past life she is sent away for treatment but her problems are not solved, instead she meets fellow sufferers and her nightmares become reality. Angel’s Fury explores the concept of redemption leaving the reader with a clear message - this cycle of violence and hatred can be broken but only by forgiveness and peace.
9. Sorrowline by Niel Bushnell
I love and am quite jealous of the unique idea at the heart of this book: you can travel through Sorrowlines, the channels that connect every gravestone with the date of the person’s death. Why didn’t I think of this first? This beautiful and sensitive way to explore time travel takes Jack, the protagonist, back to 1940s war-torn London, with his then-teenage grandfather, Davey. However Jack’s time travelling hasn’t gone unnoticed, there are dark forces lurking in the wings, the Dustmen. I read this book to my 11 and eight year old and we were all completely hooked by the unique concept, the strong characters and the fast-paced plot. Thank goodness it is part of a trilogy.
10. A Brighter Fear by Kerry Drewery
A Brighter Fear examines the effects of the war on ordinary people and the courage and determination they have to show to survive the chaos of war. As Lina says “We lived as animals, thinking only of survival.” At the core of this novel is not a story of Us and Them or heroes and villains but the journey of ordinary people who knew things needed to change but had no idea what it would cost them. As the narrative moves between 2003 and 2005 Lina is able to look back in hindsight on the bombing of Bagdad and share with the reader her story of determination and courage against all odds as she tries to find out what happened to her mother in the years preceding the war.
Rhian Ivory teaches creative writing and a children’s literature course for the Open University as well as being a National Trust writer in residence. She lives near Northamptonshire with her family. The Boy who Drew the Future is her fifth novel. You can buy it here at the Guardian bookshop.