This was such an emotional read. A multiple timeline book (which I love), you will also travel through Long Island, New York and Ireland and Vietnam. The story of Grace, Anh, and Bao will work its way into your heart and you will experience so many emotions. I appreciated the bond that develops between Grace and Anh as well as seeing how normal everyday people could make a difference in the lives of others. A nice historical fiction book that took a different approach than those I typically read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Union Square and Co. for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

Historical Fiction

I Just have mixed feeling about this book, it felt like some parts of it did not fit into the story. Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest opinion

I loved this book. It got under my skin immediately. The main story of Jack, who (barely) survived Vietnam, and his story once he was home. Even the sub stories were great … 2 bully kids, an Asian woman and child, a bratty teenager. You might shed a tear at the end.

The beauty of this novel is in the weaving of three storylines into a tapestry of emotion. Grace is an Irish immigrant, having experienced the loss of her sister when she was young and starting over in a smallLong Island town. Married to Tom, they have two daughters, one a teenager who is vexing to Grace. Anh and Bao are refugees from Vietnam, escaping the war after suffering many losses. Jack is a Vietnam vet, dubbed Hollywood by his Marine buddies, but disfigured after an explosion. Grace and Tom are empathetic and caring, with Grace learning about the refugees staying at a local church and tutoring, while Tom offers Jack a job and a place to live. The way these three story lines meld will remain in my mind and heart, as I could not put the book down. Highly recommended for everyone. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

The Time Keepers
I have mixed feelings about this book. It is the story of a Long Island, New York family who befriends a Vietnam Veteran, Jack. It’s also the story of Anh and her nephew Bao, who escaped from Vietnam on a dangerous boat journey. Anh is now taking care of Bao, whose parents were tragically lost during the trip. The story goes back and forth from Jack’s Vietnam days, to Anh and Bao’s arrival to the US as refugees, Jack’s pre Vietnam days and life, etc. Hence the mixed feelings, the story is a good one, but the events are all over the place even in a single chapter, the scene suddenly changes. I sincerely hope that some of those will be corrected in the final edition of the novel. I didn’t think, Buddy’s and Clayton’s stories added anything to this novel and really had nothing to do with it. For all these reasons, this book was only 3 stars for me.
I received a complimentary galley copy, opinions are my own.

While this is a very emotional read, I appreciated that it was based in truth and real life scenarios. People deserve to have their stories told, especially those effected by the Vietnam War.

I don't typically gravitate towards historical fiction set during the Vietnam War era, but I was glad I ventured outside of my comfort zone to read The Time Keepers. Obviously, it was a heavy read and the pacing would drag on a bit at time, but I would overall recommend this to other lovers of historical fiction.

Grace, a suburban mom in 1979 Long Island with two teen/tween girls, is walking home when she happens upon a young Vietnamese boy hiding on a street corner looking scared. When she brings him back to the home where he is living with his aunt Ahn, she learns that a group of Vietnamese immigrants are living with the nuns and Grace meets Ahn. Ahn and Grace slowly create a friendship comforted by the fact that they are both outsiders in the town (Grace is an Irish immigrant who married into the only Jewish family in town). Jack, a Vietnam vet works a Grace’s husband store and has become part of their family. Slowly these lives and their stories merge and form a beautiful found family.

I really liked the premise of this one but, the pacing seemed off for me. Maybe I am just reading at a slower pace but I felt that it was just a very slow story for much of the novel. Even so, I really did enjoy the stories of the characters and thought the time period and story was really interesting - the Vietnam War and its ramifications on the culture of the US, its veterans (and those who loved them) and its own people. I loved that this one had pain merged with optimism.

3.75 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Union Sq. & Co.

Thanks to NetGalley and Union Square & Co. for access to this title. All opinions are my own and I am auto-approved for this publisher.

It is no secret that Alyson Richman is one of my go-to authors and her latest title didn't disappoint.

Book tagline: An unforgettable novel that captures the power of longing, loss, and love, The Time Keepers transports us from 1979 suburban New York to war-torn Vietnam, revealing that sometimes the most unexpected friendships can save us.

Richman's thorough research into the period and the Vietnam War made me feel like I was travelling back in time. Bao, Grace, and Jack were three compelling characters who kept me turning the pages. Yes, other points of view were scattered throughout the book, but these three major players clung to my heart and have lingered with me today.


Solid historical fiction!


Publication Date 15/10/24
Goodreads Review 15/10/24

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy of The Time Keepers by Alyson Richman in exchange for an honest review. This book is being published tomorrow, so you can go and get it!

I always look forward to a new Alyson Richman novel, and was immediately captivated by The Time Keepers, set in 1979 Long Island with flashbacks to the Vietnam War. The book opens with homemaker Grace Golden discovering a lost Vietnamese boy on the street of her town, and learning that he, along with his aunt, are refugees being housed in a Catholic charity center. Along with the stories of Grace and her family, the boy Bao and his aunt Ahn, the novel also features injured Vietnam veteran Jack, who returns from his service a broken man in more ways than one. Tying them all together is the family watch store, The Golden Hours, where Jack works as an assistant to the store’s owner, Grace’s husband Tom.

Woven through the novel are the reverberations of the war and its impact not only on Jack, Ahn and Bao, but on other town residents who all deal with being confronted by the aftermath of the war - some kindly, and others not.

My only disappointment was that the advance copy wasn’t as polished as most; it felt choppy in places, but I’m going to assume that the final version will be much more polished. I also didn’t think the writing was quite as luminous as Richman’s typical fare, but it was still quite good.

Four solid stars for this one. I know I’ll be thinking about it for a long time to come.

This was a beautifully written novel about community and helping others that are in need. How our own traumas can help you understand others pain and perhaps help each other heal. The ending was pretty much perfect.

The Time Keepers by Alyson Richman is perfection historical fiction with an intelligent engaging storyline. I loved the characters and their journey. Alyson Richman is one of the authors that I will read everything she writes.
Excellent novel!

Readers will be touch by this heartfelt book featuring two women from different countries. The author’s research of the Vietnam War and that time period makes the story realistic. The connection between Grace and Anh through their own stories can be felt by readers. Heartbreaking but touching. So much miscommunication and misunderstanding.

The writing, the characters, the emotion. I enjoyed it all. Some perspectives did resonate with me more than others but as the reader gets to know the characters the more emotional it becomes. Some of their past experiences broke my heart. I loved the role the shop played even if it was smaller than I was expecting. The way everything connects is so heartwarming. I loved the friendships made and lessons learned for the children.

Thank you @getredprbooks @alysonrichman @unionsqandco for the gifted copy.

Despite the ongoing deluge of novels about the two world wars, more recent US military engagements have tended to receive short shrift. Iraq and Afghanistan may not be far enough behind us for literary reflection, but the Korean War has already entered the realm of historical fiction, as has the war in Vietnam. Even the chaotic US exit from Saigon will reach its fiftieth anniversary next year.

So the time is ripe for this new novel by Alyson Richman, which follows three lives affected by the Vietnam War in different ways. Set in the town of Bellegrove, NY, the story opens with Grace, an Irish immigrant and the mother of two girls, finding a small boy lying alone on a stoop, in obvious distress. She takes him home, feeds him, calls the police, and eventually locates his aunt, Anh, at a Catholic shelter where the two have been living as they try to learn English and struggle to find their place in this new world. Anh and the boy, named Bao, are boat people, the sole survivors of their South Vietnamese family. Anh lost her husband to the communists; Bao’s parents died at sea. Grace, who has her own tragic past, embraces both the new arrivals and the opportunity to do more with her time than keep house.

To these intertwined lives, each with its own back story, Richman contrasts the experiences of Jack, a young man from Allentown, PA, whose draft number comes up six months before he hopes to age out of conscription, forcing him to leave behind his mother and his girlfriend and ship out to Vietnam. We see the war through his eyes, leading up to a horrific injury that changes the entire course of his life.

To say more would be to give too much away, but what’s important is that Richman makes all these contrasting points of view sympathetic and believable. Even if you’re not a fan of military stories per se, this one will draw you in. It’s less about war than the importance of human relationships and healing, and for that reason alone, it’s well worth your time.

I plan to interview this author on my blog (link below) in October or November 2024.

The Time Keepers is a heart breaking and heart warming story. I loved the way that being kind is central to the book. Alyson Richman deftly portrays her characters from different worlds and backgrounds in such a caring way. The Time a keepers is an excellent read, ripe for book club discussions.

I have always enjoyed this author’s novels. This one was no exception although I must admit I did find it a little slow and it took me a while to actually read it to the end. It did not have any sort of page turning quality for me, though the writing is charming and the story evolves nicely. Definitely read it and make up your own mind.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. The Time Keepers by Alyson Richman. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for this advanced reader copy. We start in 1979 Long Island. Irish immigrant Grace finds a young runaway boy on her way home from Mass. This starts her relationship with Anh who escaped from wartorn Vietnam with her orphaned nephew. We meet Grace’s husband who owns a clock and watch store. Jack is an employee at the store, and he’s still grappling with significant injuries from his time as a Marine. We journey with him before and after Vietnam as well, and his character brought tears to my eyes. This book slowly shows us how kindness and time can heal damaged souls. I’ve loved previous works by Ms. Richman and this one didn’t disappoint. #bookstagram #netgalley #whatiread #alysonrichman #reading #books #bookgram #bookworm #goodreads

I thought this was an elegant and very moving story, a quiet but incisive read about lives coming together after tragedy. The themes of war and its lasting damage were profound. The character of Jack, a wounded war veteran with a devastating injury, affected me most deeply, although I was also struck by the story of Bao and his aunt Anh, who come to the US as refugees after a harrowing escape. Grace, as a mother of daughters who seem to be growing up faster than she expected, was very relatable. Above all, I enjoyed theme of time passing, revealed and explored so beautifully through the use of the timepiece store owned by Grace's husband. For me, there were a few loose ends I'd have liked to see tied up, But overall, I think this is a lovely book to lose yourself and maybe find yourself in.

This was a very touching and heartfelt book. I don’t think that you could read this one and not feel some immense emotion. My heart went out to some of the characters, and I adored them. I really enjoyed the connection between the characters. However, I didn’t like how one of the storylines played out. While yes it felt realistic, I didn’t like it because it was based on miscommunication, and this is my least favorite trope. Had the characters simply listened to each other, they would have gained so much. In this case they would have gained a lifetime of togetherness, which is in itself heartbreaking. The fact that we can think so poorly of those we love the most, that they would turn their backs on us based on a simple misunderstanding makes my blood boil. However, at the heart of this story it is touching, it invoked strong emotions. I felt for the characters. They were so well written, and it was gorgeous and again, realistic. While I was not around for this point in history, I did take a class on the Vietnam War during college and this book reminded me of some of the stories I had heard, so it felt very well researched. I would highly recommend it but overlook the miscommunication and get lost in the story.