Alan Brennert.com TIME AND CHANCE

TIME AND CHANCE (Tor Books, 1990, Reprinted 2011)

Before Alan Brennert became a bestselling author of historical novels, he wrote this lyrical fantasy in the vein of The Time Traveler’s Wife. Part love story, part deeply affecting character study, it is a literary tour de force chronicling the parallel lives of two men who were once the same man--until, as the poet Robert Frost wrote, “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood/And sorry I could not travel both/And be one traveler...”

Thirteen years ago, Richard Cochrane left his small New England town to pursue his dreams of an acting career. But on some other level of reality there is also a Rick Cochrane, who chose instead to set aside his dreams, marry the woman he loved, and raise a family. Today, neither man is happy with the choice he made--but as their lives, once separated by time and chance, now draw closer together, Richard and Rick are offered another a last chance to discover “the road not taken.”

Time and Chance displays the same vivid sense of time and place--and the vibrant, memorable characters drawn with compassion, warmth, and humor--that have made the author’s historical novels national bestsellers and reading group favorites.

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PRAISE FOR TIME AND CHANCE

“Excellent. I was moved by the story and thought the writing vivid, the characters interesting and affecting.” -- Larry McMurtry

“A dazzling novel. Sure and honest. True and deep...not merely poignant but movingly illuminating. A marvelous achievement in storytelling.” -- San Diego Union

“Affecting...suffused with feeling and grace...an unexpected pearl.” -- Kirkus Reviews

“A splendid tale.” -- Philadelphia Inquirer

“Without veering into bathos, it plays on the seemingly universal longing to be given a second chance in life...[a] strong grasp of character and vivid writing...moving and satisfying.” -- San Francisco Chronicle

“Alan Brennert has taken one of those wishes most deeply buried in the human heart, and brought it into the light. He has woven a spellbinding plot and created intriguing, believable characters, but he has done more...there are a few rare books you continue to think about after you’ve finished reading them. And there are even fewer you continue to recall for the rest of your life. Time and Chance will be one of those I recall for the rest of mine.” -- Morgan Llywelyn, author of The Lion of Ireland and 1949

“Vivid and totally involving...so engrossing that I finished the last hundred pages in the middle of a houseful of people on Christmas afternoon.” -- Midwest Book Review

“An absolute joy to read, a honey of a book. I took it in in large gulps, pulled along by the sheer narrative magic. Brennert does more than keep you interested; he does the more difficult thing of making you care like hell.” -- Parke Godwin, author of Sherwood and Beloved Exile

“Spellbinding, magnificent, and compelling. Brilliantly executed...I found myself absorbed in the idea of two faces inside every person. Brennert takes you on a journey inside yourself; you will be delighted at what you find.” -- Dr. Dan Kiley, author of The Peter Pan Syndrome

“An engrossing and disturbing novel.” -- Dallas News

“An enormously satisfying and, above all, humane novel...intelligently written, with a rare sense of ethics that draws the reader ever more deeply into the book’s well-crafted and intriguing suspense.” -- Ken Grimwood, author of Replay

“A brilliant premise. Profoundly moving. A wise and wonderful book.” -- John R. Maxim

“A playful, affecting and well-written tale in the best tradition of The Twilight Zone..” -- Publishers Weekly

“Brennert takes a fascinating premise and breathes new life into it by means of a humane vision, well-rounded characters, strong narrative drive, and adept plotting. The book is a satisfying, intensely pleasurable read that will strike a chord of recognition with anyone who has ever felt trapped by choices made at an earlier time in life.” -- Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel

“[Brennert] brings sparkle and realism into the story through well-crafted character interaction and detailed descriptions of the New York theatre scene. Readers will willingly follow this skillfully plotted tale through sentiment and suspense to a satisfying conclusion.”
-- ALA Booklist

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