Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus

 


Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus, A novel by Orson Scott Card

Goodreads describes this book as follows: 

"In one of the most powerful and thought-provoking novels of his remarkable career, Orson Scott Card's Pastwatch interweaves a compelling portrait of Christopher Columbus with the story of a future scientist who believes she can alter human history from a tragedy of bloodshed and brutality to a world filled with hope and healing."

So, I read this book because my parents recommended it to me years ago.  I remember they both told me that it was a really great read; that the premise of the book was that people from the future, after surviving devastating wars and human caused ecological disasters, have figured out how to both view and travel through time, specifically the past.  They realize that the world would be a better place, and would not have experienced the many horrors and catastrophes that it did, if the transatlantic slave trade had never happened. They decide to go back in time and change the past, so as to ultimately save the future.

Well, the premise alone had me interested.  I went and bought the book immediately, but, as with so many books that I buy, it then laid on a shelf collecting dust for years. I'm part of a speculative fiction book club, and for the most recent round of book selections, decided that it was time for me to finally read this book; and so through it into the hat of choices.

I enjoyed this book.  It ends really well and in a very positive way. I felt that the overall story was done fairly well too.  Some of the entries that were from Christopher Columbus's point of view were a bit dry, but there's a point about a quarter of the way into the book were I sat up!  That's when I got really interested and the story really started to pick up. I felt that the exploration of themes in the book were very interesting, and that what drove the future people to ultimately embark on their wild journey made sense.

My unasked for opinion on this book is that I was glad I read it, and I came away feeling good. It's a  decent what-if story.


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