The Minstrel Boy

Lisa Arsenault is an elementary-school teacher in Ajax, Ontario.

David, a troubled teen, steals a classmate’s motorcycle for a
nighttime joyride. He crashes the bike in the dark and wakes up to find
himself in 6th-century Wales, at the time of the legendary King Arthur.
He eventually adapts to medieval Celtic life and makes friends among his
new acquaintances.

This is a rite-of-passage tale. David acquires self-knowledge in the
course of his time-travel experience, which he uses to improve the
quality of his life when he returns to our time. He explores and
develops the positive aspects of his personality and improves his
skills. For example, he adds another dimension to his musical ability.
In the present, he plays electric guitar in a rock band; in the medieval
period, he becomes a master of the harp. The discipline he needs to
develop to master this instrument and the bardic memorization associated
with it serves to concentrate his attention and creates a sense of
achievement.

This is an exciting and well-written addition to the time-travel genre.
The medieval setting and time are realistically and evocatively
portrayed. The plot is well thought out and intriguing. There are also
some quite funny parts; at one point, David treats his medieval audience
to Led Zeppelin on the harp. Highly recommended.