OneoftheTenBestBooksofTheNewYorkTimesBookReviewWinneroftheLosAngelesTimesBookPrizeNowaminiseriesfromHulustarringJamesFrancoONNOVEMBER22,1963,THREESHOTSRANGOUTINDALLAS,PRESIDENTKENNEDYDIED,ANDTHEWORLDCHANGED.WHATIFYOUCOULDCHANGEITBACK?Inthisbrilliantlyconceivedtourdeforce,StephenKing--whohasabsorbedthesocial,political,andpopularcultureofhisgenerationmoreimaginativelyandthoroughlythananyotherwriter--takesreadersonanincrediblejourneyintothepastandthepossibilityofalteringit.ItbeginswithJakeEpping,athirty-five-year-oldEnglishteacherinLisbonFalls,Maine,whomakesextramoneyteachingGEDclasses.Heaskshisstudentstowriteaboutaneventthatchangedtheirlives,andoneessayblowshimaway--agruesome,harrowingstoryaboutthenightmorethanfiftyyearsagowhenHarryDunning’sfathercamehomeandkilledhismother,hissister,andhisbrotherwithasledgehammer.ReadingtheessayisawatershedmomentforJake,hislife--likeHarry’s,likeAmerica’sin1963--turningonadime.NotmuchlaterhisfriendAl,whoownsthelocaldiner,divulgesasecret:hisstoreroomisaportaltothepast,aparticulardayin1958.AndAlenlistsJaketotakeoverthemissionthathasbecomehisobsession--topreventtheKennedyassassination.SobeginsJake’snewlifeasGeorgeAmberson,inadifferentworldofIkeandJFKandElvis,ofbigAmericancarsandsockhopsandcigarettesmokeeverywhere.FromthedanklittlecityofDerry,Maine(wherethere’sDunningbusinesstoconduct),tothewarmheartedsmalltownofJodie,Texas,whereJakefallsdangerouslyinlove,everyturnisleadingeventually,ofcourse,toatroubledlonernamedLeeHarveyOswaldandtoDallas,wherethepastbecomesheart-stoppinglysuspenseful,andwherehistorymightnotbehistoryanymore.Time-travelhasneverbeensobelievable.Orsoterrifying.
