What Time Has Kept

by

Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard

Suspenseful, informative dual-era mystery about ancient artifacts and women fighting to earn their rightful spots in history.

What Time Has Kept by Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard is not only a suspenseful, informative dual-era mystery about ancient carved stone balls uncovered in Scotland, but also an emotional tale of two academic women separated by more than 100 years as they fight to earn their spots in history. In the late 1800s, Christian Maclagan, an antiquarian in Stirling, Scotland, struggles to gain a foothold in the male-dominated field of archaeology while conducting meticulous, extensive research into ancient stone structures across the Scottish landscape. Her life and many of her experiences mirror the contemporary story of Ellen Byrne, a graduate student in archaeology from the US, who is in Scotland to further her thesis on the mysterious and ancient tennis-ball-sized carved stone balls that had been uncovered in the same region. Both have tragedy marring their pasts and must face their memories to overcome current challenges in their way. 

The author has crafted an engrossing dual-timeline tale that is both suspenseful and rich with history and speculation about the mysterious carved stone artifacts, including the “Towie Ball” found near Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The challenges the two women face in a male–dominated field are skillfully woven into each woman’s story as they strive to belong, participate, and reach their goals. Living over 100 years apart, they face surprisingly similar attitudes. 

At the time of the story, Christian is a strong single woman in her 60s, experienced in the prevailing attitudes of the time, and, because she has the financial means, not shy about going head-to-head with her male opponents or funding her own research trips. Ellen, in her early 20s, is just breaking into the field and has up till now depended upon her academic advisor, who is also her lover, to help open doors. When he abruptly breaks things off with her on the eve of her big research trip to Scotland, she is momentarily left adrift. However, she gathers herself, despite additional setbacks in her arrangements, and forges on, gradually learning to determine her own fate on her own terms. 

The dual-era plot is compelling, and the descriptions of time and place are vivid and atmospheric. While Christian can be prickly and Ellen gullible at times, they are engaging and easy to root for. Both women faced tragedy as children, including loss of a parent and sexual assault, so readers who are sensitive to these topics should consider this. I recommend WHAT TIME HAS KEPT to readers of historical mysteries and fiction, especially those who enjoy dual timeline tales and archaeological-themed stories. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.