The Jewel and the Key by Louise Spiegler

A book review for young readers

Set mostly in Seattle in the near future, The Jewel and the Key dips back into Seattle's past. Addie longs to act in her high school play, but the roles go to a snooty clique of girls. The U.S. is starting a foreign war, and Addie's friend Whaley plans to enlist. She loves Whaley like a brother and can't bear to let that happen.

In a disused closet in her father's bookstore, Addie discovers a cache of vintage clothing and an old mirror. She tries on one of the dresses and admires the mirror. On its back, "Three dancers wearing long flowing dresses were etched in the tarnished silver. Their hair was bound and wreathed like Greek goddesses', and the silversmith had sketched a grove of laurel and olive trees behind them."

Readers might realize, before Addie herself does, that the mirror has sent her back in time. Readers familiar with fantasy novels might think her a bit dense, although any accidental time traveler would probably feel just as disoriented and disbelieving as Addie. The past echoes the story's present. In 1917, the year the mirror sends her to, the United States was entering World War I. Union organizers known as the "Wobblies" angered people by demonstrating against the war.

The Jewel and the Key gets off to a slow start, emphasizing war protests in which Addie is not directly involved. It picks up steam when she realizes that what she learns during her time travel could help with the restoration of a beautiful old theater. Her wish to protect Whaley leads to a thoughtful exploration of the tension between wanting the best for a friend and respecting his right to make his own choices. (2011; 455 pages including an Author's Note separating fact from fiction)