The Root of the Matter

Time travel. The North Atlantic in winter. Which is worse?

Geneva Fielding is a researcher in the Archives of the Applied History department, prepping time travelers for their destinations. She loves the smell of old paper and chocolate croissants.

One day, a Traveler fails an important test and cannot go. Instead of canceling the Trip, the dean appoints Geneva and her friend Peter Donatelli, a physicist, to take his place. They have three days to prepare to Travel to 1630s New England.

Geneva's always wanted to know more about John Winthrop. But the truth is, she's scared stiff. No one knows her private struggles. And she's not about to tell.

Geneva and Peter are dumped into an early, struggling Massachusetts. Roger Williams's arrival sends shockwaves through the frail settlement. Can the Bay Colony afford to allow a critic of the king to dwell among them?

And what will Geneva do when she discovers Peter's secret?