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Jane O'Brien discovered her love of writing at the age of ten when she wrote her first ten-chapter book in pencil on notebook paper. She passed it around to all of her friends at school and told them she wanted to be an author. And that planted the seed.
O'Brien's career life has been varied. She was a piano teacher for over 50 years, a librarian, and a professional proofreader. She is also interested in genealogy, having worked on her own family tree, as well as her husband's, for over 37 years, which helps to color most of her novels.
Today, as a grandmother, Jane is finally fulfilling her lifelong dream, after successfully having her sixteenth book published, which includes two trilogies, one five-book series, two Christmas novellas, and a time slip series. She lives in West Michigan and writes romance with a little history, mystery and family entanglements, all set in her part of the state. The stories she weaves are about family and the intricate connections of relatives, past and present.
Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite
The Clark family had lived on the farm for over a hundred years. The treasures that had accumulated over the years added to its ambiance. Especially the treasured hope chest full of quilts lovingly created over the years by the Clark women. Franny loved visiting as a child and she still loved it as an adult. But this time, there were so many memories, cherished thoughts of her grandparents. Her grandfather had passed years ago, but her grandmother had only recently passed. Franny had come early to start sorting through her grandmother’s treasures. It was a difficult job, a sad job. As she fondly unpacked the chest and studied each quilt, one unfinished quilt caught her eye, particularly a water stain. When she allowed her own tears to drop on the quilt, Franny found herself swept back in time to the Clark homestead in 1875. While her much-loved sister, Dora, and her parents try to find a reason for Franny’s disappearance, Franny settles into life in the past, unexpectedly falling in love. She fits in well, her grandparents having taught her how to survive without modern conveniences. But will she, can she stay?
Jane O’Brien’s time travel novel, Yesterday’s Tears: A Slip in Time, is a heartwarming story about love, community, family, heirlooms and so much more. The characters are believable and the stumbles Franny frequently makes while trying to fit into the 1870s will have the reader chuckling. Figures of speech from 2019 have no place in 1875. The plot moves along with care, allowing the reader to follow Franny’s adventures in 1875 while, at the same time, following her sister Dora’s attempts to find her in 2019. The descriptive narrative enables the reader to feel the place and the events as they happen. The dialogue helps move the story along. I loved this story from start to finish. In fact, I was startled when I reached the end, craving more. Can’t wait for book 2!
