Title: Time Stitchers by Pat Scheckel

Publisher:  WWA Press, 2026

Language: English

Format / # of Pages:  e-book, 277 pages

Genre: Mystery with Science Fiction elements

ISBN: 979-8295599927

Reviewed by: Lee Cantillon

What would you do if you stumbled in 1989 Wisconsin and stepped into the middle of the Civil War?

I have loved time travel stories since I read Andre Norton’s The Time Traders as a teenager. Time Stitchers by Pat Scheckel, which is part mystery, part historical fiction, and part speculative fiction, provides an exciting new twist on the genre.

In most time travel novels, the characters intend to travel. They have a specific mission. In Time Stitchers, Wisconsin college student Jimmy Foley just wants to enjoy the last few weeks of summer with his friends. And to learn what really happened the night his sister was killed by a hit-and-run driver.

When Jimmy finds himself in the middle of the Civil War, all he wants is to return home. His parents have already lost one child and are not coping well with that. He questions whether they would survive losing him, too. Then he learns that someone is trying to change history. Jimmy must make a choice—return to his old life or risk everything to help the time-traveling “stitchers” repair a damaged timeline. In the end, the choice is easy. Jimmy’s parents did not raise him to ignore injustice when it’s right in front of him.

Reminiscent of the 1980s television show Voyagers and the newer show Timeless, Time Stitchers provides non-stop action, coupled with a little romance, as Jim and his new friends unravel truths that connect the two times and places.

I admit that I didn’t get many of the pop-culture references but they will probably add an extra layer of interest for many others. I did enjoy the friendship and loyalty shown between Jimmy and his friends, old and new. I believe readers who enjoy alternative history, time travel, and good adventure with a strong moral point-of-view will enjoy this book.

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Reviewer Bio: I am a recovering engineer, avid writer, author of Away with the Fairies, proud techno-freak, and pet mom of up to twenty cats and one dog. Born in Wisconsin, she’s lived many places. A member of the Wisconsin Writers Association, Leoma builds worlds in her dreams and seeks to share them with others. Reviewer website