Breathe To Read

Breathe To Read

Friday, May 10, 2019

Extra Book: The Art of the Swap

Book: The Art of the Swap
Author: Kristine Asselin and Jen Malone
Pages: 352


This is my 60th read of the year.  I read this book with my two, 12 year olds, and we finished it up last night.

This is the story of Hannah Jordan and Maggie Dunlap.  Hannah lives in a mansion that was turned into a museum.  It is the Elms in Newport, Rhode Island.  Hannah's father is the caretaker of the museum, and Hannah has spent her time learning about the family that lived there.  She seems to know more than ever the guides who take visitors through the museum.

The biggest mystery of the Elms is an art heist that took place in 1905.  It involved the 12 year old niece of the homeowners - Maggie Dunlap - and a painting of her that her aunt had commissioned.  Hannah has always been fascinated by the story of the heist, and Maggie.  One day, she is cleaning a mirror and touches a spot on the mirror that sends her swirling into the past.  The next thing she knows - she is Maggie in 1905 and Maggie is her.

The girls have no idea why this happened, but they are determined to find out.  Hannah gets her wish to see what it was like to live at the Elms while it was a house and Maggie gets a chance to see what it is like in the future.  The girls think that the art heist is the heart of the reason they were switched, and now they must work together - and quickly - to set things right.

This was a great book.  I actually know the author, Kristine Asselin quite well.  She is an amazing person in real life, and her personality shines in this book.  There is a nice message woven within the pages of the mystery, and my daughter, especially, was tuned into that.  Plus, there are a lot of true to life elements in the book that I was drawn to.  (The Elms, The Berwinds, Maggie, etc - all real places and people). 

I am glad we had a chance to read it and I cannot wait to see what Kris writes in the future.  Bravo!

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