Tunnels of Time

Steve Pitt is a Toronto-based freelance writer and an award-winning journalist. He has written many young adult and children's books, including Day of the Flying Fox: The True Story of World War II Pilot Charley Fox.

When 13-year-old Andrea was first told that she would have to be a
bridesmaid at her rival cousin’s wedding, she expected to be
alternately bored and teased to tears by her annoying Saskatoon
relations. Instead, Andrea is trapped like a rat in a maze of
underground tunnels. Somehow, she has gone back in time to the year 1924
when drinking alcohol and gambling were illegal in Canada. Dressed in
boys clothes, Andrea is mistaken as a new recruit for a criminal gang
run by Scarface, a ruthless mobster from Chicago who uses the tunnels to
hide his activities from the police.

Despite Scarface’s sometimes violent outbursts, Andrea finds herself
almost liking her boss and feeling conflicting emotions when she
accidentally hears a disgruntled gang member conspiring to turn Scarface
over to the police.

This is an impressive first novel from Saskatoon writer Mary Harelkin
Bishop. Besides turning out a fast-paced, time-travel adventure, Bishop
manages to include several fascinating subthemes, such as why Andrea was
such a brat to her Saskatoon relatives and how some people—even as
repulsive as Scarface—can generate loyalty, even affection, from the
very people they abuse. Bishop also helps to remind readers that
Saskatoon, like all places, can be a fascinating setting when someone
knows how to tell a story. Highly recommended.