King has written a story of redemption from a prior evil that had profound effects. An unassuming English teacher goes back in time to...save Kennedy from assassination? Yes, but really his purpose ends up changing, and what he wants most is to save his love interest, Sadie, from her past (an abusive and frigid husband) and her future (an attack by the same man that mars her appearance, affecting her forever--or so Jake assumes). King spends many pages developing the romance between Jake and Sadie, which has plenty of time to develop since Jake arrives in Dallas a few years before the assassination. It is a sweet story, not a sidebar at all but really the heart of the story. Jake cares for Sadie, for the other residents of his adopted home in Jodie, Texas, and for the people of his "future," whom he believes will benefit from his prevention of the assassination.
But the past is obdurate, as Jake says often. It's a common theme of time travel books, and used to good effect here. Jake is beset by accidents and personal tragedy as he tries to "fix" history. His best efforts turn out, well, not as he expected. I see an aspect of the gospel here: Jake can no more bring about redemption through his efforts, great though they may be, than man can bring about his own salvation. King does not name the "force" that keeps the past obdurate, but watch the "Yellow Card Man" and you will eventually see that there's someone watching over things. Is it the benevolent God or something more sinister that wants to protect the Plan and cares not for the individuals therein? Hmmm.
King wrote an ending and then a suggestion of his son (also a writer) caused him to rewrite it. If you have read the whole book, read the original ending here and you will find that the ending as printed is better. It harmonizes with the balance of the book, it satisfies the reader more, and it answers that last question I posed.
King did his homework on Dallas. I was not here in 1963, being only one year old, but the streets and descriptions are accurate, and the attitudes of the people coincide with what I have learned of the past during my 17 years in the Metroplex.
I got this from the library, and finished it on 3/25/12.
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