In that mysterious place where the past slips its boundaries and intrudes on the present, in a small English village where history is as alive as the nearest plowed field, James Long brings us the unforgettable story of three people who meet on an adventure through time that will lead to the depths of the human heart.... Patrick Kane is a man haunted by his past. He has returned from his annual pilgrimage to a graveyard in Wales. Now he hopes to take refuge from his memories by heading an archeological dig in the village of Wytchlow. It is a simple project -- checking for ancient relics before a land developer levels the earth -- until a woman with an all-too-familiar face stumbles into the path of his car. Bobby Redhead bears a striking resemblance to a woman he loved and tragically lost years ago. Bobby cannot understand the emotions she evokes in Patrick, but she can sense his deep suffering. What has he done that he cannot forgive? And why is Bobby so drawn to him? As Bobby reaches out, Patrick retreats into silence and shadows, focusing obsessively on the dig. They are hunting ancient Roman mosaics, but there is something more tantalizing in the soil of Wytchlow. It is only a myth, a local folktale, a song sung one night in a pub by an otherwise mute man. The story goes that a Saxon girl called the German Queen has been buried close by. The only evidence is the old song, but it is enough to capture Patrick's imagination as nothing has in years. It has also captured the unwanted interest of a television producer fascinated with Patrick's past. Yet nothing will deter Patrick from the project -- not the television hype, nor the developer's greed, nor the bittersweet relationship of working so close to Bobby. As centuries fall away, the Saxon warrior woman lost to time is suddenly as vividly alive to Patrick as the woman standing beside him. As Patrick struggles with the unforgivable tragedy he cannot forget, he senses a connection between Bobby and the lost queen and discovers his destiny is powerfully entwined with them both. Beneath the shadows of a timeless moon, under layers of earth that have protected her secrets, can the fragile bones of a royal matriarch heal the hearts of those who would dare free her? Patrick Kane, rock superstar, has an epiphany about his lifestyle, but it's too late to save his marriage and his son. He disappears from the spotlight, retreats into his studies, and emerges as an archaeologist. His new profession brings him out in public for the first time at a Roman dig in the small town of Wytchlow, England, but a greedy developer ruins the dig. Then Patrick hears a mysterious fellow named Joe, who sings but doesn't speak, sing a song about a German queen. Intrigued, he lets Joe lead him to an ancient burial mound, and Patrick and his group of volunteers begin a new excavation. As each layer is revealed, the song comes hauntingly close to what is unearthed, and the warrior queen seems to take on a real-life form in Bobby, the crew's cook. She reminds Patrick of his former wife, and he has trouble separating the past and the present, especially because he finds her attractive. Long succeeds in concocting a clever and engaging tale of romance awry and romance anew. Patty Engelmann Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved "Long does a fine job of juxtaposing modern scientific investigation with the mysteries of ancient history, especially the heyday of the Saxon tribes in Britain. Stressing spiritual links between the past and the present, he avoids the excesses of romantic fiction while making the ancient world vividly interesting." -- Publishers Weekly erious place where the past slips its boundaries and intrudes on the present, in a small English village where history is as alive as the nearest plowed field, James Long brings us the unforgettable story of three people who meet on an adventure through time that will lead to the depths of the human heart.... Patrick Kane is a man haunted by his past. He has returned from his annual pilgrimage to a graveyard in Wales. Now he hopes to take refuge from his memories by heading an archeological dig in the village of Wytchlow. It is a simple project -- checking for ancient relics before a land developer levels the earth -- until a woman with an all-too-familiar face stumbles into the path of his car. Bobby Redhead bears a striking resemblance to a woman he loved and tragically lost years ago. Bobby cannot understand the emotions she evokes in Patrick, but she can sense his deep suffering. What has he done that he cannot forgive? And why is Bobby so drawn to him? "Long does a fine job of juxtaposing modern scientific investigation with the mysteries of ancient history, especially the heyday of the Saxon tribes in Britain. Stressing spiritual links between the past and the present, he avoids the excesses of romantic fiction while making the ancient world vividly interesting." -- Publishers Weekly