Time and Again is a skillfully constructed narrative. The double plot and quick-paced dialogue hurry the story forward. As the plots gradually interweave and Si is forced to become an active participant in Jake Pickering's plot as well as an observer of the past, Time and Again becomes a novel that cannot be put down until the last page.

The unusual feature of Time and Again is the fact that it is illustrated with pictures and sketches of nineteenth-century New York. Professedly testifying to the reality of Si's adventures, these black-and-white illustrations also create a nostalgic mood.

Seeing the faces of the people Si meets and the places he visits helps the reader easily accept Si's decision to remain in the past. Through the photographs Finney conveys much factual information about New York City's history and architecture.

Illustrated novels are rare today, but once the common practice was...