Joe and Linda Murphy worked hard for three years to restore an old Victorian house in Marshalltown, Iowa. When they entered into the massive restoration project, they hoped the project would bring the family closer together after drifting apart the past several years. As the family searched for antiques and restored the house, they began to long for the past they grew to believe was a better time.

With two teenagers and five-year-old Sammy, the Murphy’s realized they were drifting apart and hoped the restoration would bring them closer together. They poured all their money and time into the project hoping to fill a void in their lives.

The family placed the final piece into place, an antique door with a missing key, just as their summer vacation began. Early the next morning when Joe went out to get the paper he heard the sound of horse’s hooves. A milk wagon was coming down the street. The paper on the porch was a 1909 edition. Joe suspected someone was playing a practical joke on him.

On further investigation, the family found it really was 1909, the year the house was built. Although they were in the same house, their furnishings, neighborhood and town looked totally different than their life in 2009 Marshalltown.

They could remember their 2009 lives, but had to adjust to living in 1909 as they tried to figure out how to return. As soon as they arrived in 1909 Marshalltown, they met next door neighbor Dr. Silas Fischer and his housekeeper Mrs. Clark, both of whom would play an important part in their new lives.

Robert Kerr's Completely Restored is a heart-warming part mystery, part time-travel tale of a family in crisis due to unexpected circumstances. He shows how a family’s struggle to adjust to their new life also helps them begin to learn more about one another.

The book is interesting, especially for its historical information and the real life characters mixed with fictional characters. As the story proceeds, the chapters pick up momentum to a satisfying and unexpected end. The detailed storyline draws the reader into the times the family is forced to live, allowing them to feel the frustration and longing to return to a world from which the Murphy’s were suddenly and abruptly removed.

Mr. Kerr does an excellent job of recreating their new lives and giving the reader a sense of their frustration and anger. He also ably shows how they slowly adjust to their new circumstances. The question is, when push comes to shove, will they decide to remain in the town with people they have grown to love, or do they once again travel through time.

A special thank you goes to Mr. Kerr who provided a free copy of Completely Restored for me to review. If you would like to purchase a copy, the book is available through Amazon.com.