Just like Harry, Hermione and the Weasley brothers in Harry Potter, the
Fitzgerald kids continue their adventures in Time Benders and the Two
Promises. In this second book in the series, the full impact of what Joe
has done sinks in, angering Deb and Ken, and causing Ken to say no more
to the time machine. Later, when Deb learns about Mr. Brewster's
history, she and Joe defy Ken and take the machine to Las Vegas, 1958 to
keep Mrs. Brewster from a certain accident. Bolstered by the success of
this trip, Deb decides recklessly to try to undo what Joe had done in
his solo trip in the machine, returning to Cambridge to stop Joe. The
unknown forces of the universe and energy are working against their
efforts to be in the same space and time and she barely makes it back
alive! All of this creates a rift between Deb and her best friend Mary,
because of the spiritual questions of whether one should try to change
someone's fate, until she finally understands, when she learns she may
face a terrible future and major illness. She convinces the Fitzgerald
siblings to use the machine to go forward in time to find out her fate.
Through all of this, the siblings commit to two major promises about the
machine, and their parents, and wrestle with their faith, the questions
presented by the time travel; the loss of their parents and the fact
that there trips continue to wreak havoc on their memories; and their
relationships amongst the siblings, with their friends, girlfriends and
boyfriend. This heartwarming story packs a punch of history, faith, and
science sprinkled with kindness through these relatable teens.
