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Originally Posted by fantasyfan
A Traveller In Time by Alison Uttley is a very fine fantasy YA novel. It was written in 1939 and involves a young girl, Penelope Taberner, who time slips into the 16th century two years before the Babington conspiracy to murder Queen Elizabeth. She actually meets the head of the Babington family, Anthony, who later became the lynch-pin of the plot.
Of course, history cannot be changed and yet Penelope knows the terrible outcome of that later attempt on the life of Elizabeth. How does she avoid creating a time-paradox? Well, read the book and you will see how adroitly Uttley handles that problem! 
The characters are superbly created. They have a vivid reality and one will not forget Aunt Tissy {nor her 15th century counterpart}, Uncle Barnabas her sister Allison and the host of other characters in the two time periods. Above all, Penelope Taberner is a delightful, sensitive heroine. Over the two year period of the novel she matures and strengthens. She has the ability of “second sight” which, in her case, allows the time slips to occur. The transfers have a dreamlike quality and Uttley had a fascination with dreams and visions which she outlines herself in the Forward to the novel.
An interesting fact is that Uttley came from the area where all the historical events take place and she has a remarkable precision and selection of detail which makes the world of this novel stand out with wonderful clarity.
This is a wistfully moving book and well worth reading. It is not yet available in e-format but easily obtainable in paperback. For not too much more one can get the HB edition which includes beautiful woodcut-style illustrations by Phyllis Bray.
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Oooh thanks for reminding me of this book. I read it when I was a young-un and enjoyed it.
I've tracked it down at Amazon and put it on my wish list.
