The Mirror

Written by Maryls Millhiser

Narrated by Lynda Evans

On the eve of her wedding in 1978, Shay Garrett peers into the antique mirror in her family's longtime home, the famous Victorian Gingerbread House on Pearl Street in Boulder, Colorado and falls unconscious only to wake in the body of her own grandmother Brandy on the eve of her wedding in 1900.  The virginal Brandy, in turn, awakes in Shay's body in 1978 to discover herself pregnant. What follows is a fascinating look at how two women - and their families - cope with this strange and even humorous situation. A classic tale of two women lost in time...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Books in Motion
• Release date: May 15, 2011
• ISBN: 9781605489438

Reviews for The Mirror

[Kat Jameson · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

This is one of my favorite books. However the narrator completely ruins it for me. Her constant mispronunciation of Macabe (Mack ah bee) as Muh kay buh, and the accent she gives thora K we're just too much. She puts inflections on weird places that don't make sense. This is an amazing book and I highly recommend it. Just not this audio version.

[stacey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Actually one of the best books I’ve ever read. I wish there was more. Was a bit slow to start and the recording is not great but the story is so worth it.

[carol420 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I believe that this was one of the most interesting and intriguing books that I have read this year, or perhaps any year. My library was putting some of the books that they had more than two copies of on the shelf that they have to sell them for a little bit of nothing... and I was lucky enough to be there to grab it up. Lucky, lucky, me! There are some unexplained deaths in the book and a supernatural plot, but it's not really horror. It's actually more of a time travel book, much like Jack Finney's famous Time and Again, which I have also read several times. Finney's book had a murder mystery plot, and this one doesn't. This mirror is an Oriental mirror of unknown origin that travels from one place to another, enticing its victims. It hums and crackles with anticipation, pulling the victim in to either drive them insane or to switch them with someone else either decades in the past or into the future. That was one of the things that I found extremely fascinating. Image being a young woman of the twenty-first century with equal rights and the freedom to do pretty much what you please and suddenly finding not only are you in someone else's mind and body and the rights and freedoms you enjoyed in 2022 are no longer yours and you may even face death if you object or attempt to pursue them. I absolutely loved it. I believe that The Mirror is going to be one of those books that really stands the test of time.

[lrquinn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book reminded me of The Time Traveler's Wife, which I also really liked. I was captivated in the first few pages, which is how I like to feel with a new book. I didn't consider it to be a "thriller," as the dust jacket described, but it had supernatural/sci fi feeling to it.

[melsbks · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

On the even of her wedding in 1978, Shay Garrett peers into the antique mirror in her family's longtime one, the famous Victorian Gingerbread House on Pearl Street in Boulder, Colorado, and falls unconscious only to wake in the body of her own grandmother Brandy on the eve of her wedding -- in 1900.

[cheryl_in_cc_nv · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Jacket blurb implies this is horror. Seems more like a romance so far, but not harlequin style, more classical style, with a time-travel gimmick.... ETA: Gimmick is not the right word though - it implies the TT element is light and minor but it's not; it is key to the story's premise and to the characters' development.

Ok done. Not horror, not sci-fi or fantasy, just a neat story about a couple of different young women who have an amazing adventure. I liked the descriptions of how each reacted to her new time-period - it really helped the reader see each time with a fresh and more observant perspective.

Lots of details about communities in Colorado in the very early 1900s. All the extra characters and sub-plots were interesting, too. Because the main characters are healthy young women, there's some sex, and also there's some fighting and skeletons etc, but the overall 'yuck factor' is pretty low in my opinion.

I guess you could call it a ghost story because it did leave me with that same unsatisfied feeling the few others I've read did. That is, the unresolved mystery, the supernatural element that we're to just accept as unbelievable but also as still real.

Everyone/ anyone *might* enjoy it, but a sheltered older teen girl is probably the best audience. I would have worn my copy to shreds when I was 17 and didn't know what sex was and was intrigued by Feminists.

I hear it's hard to find. My ILL had only one copy. If you want to read it, check your library soon, before they run another cull. Otherwise, I don't think it's so amazing you need to pay big bucks for a 'rare' copy.

[altheaann · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It's not, quite, but this book has a bit of the feel of one of those 'gothic' romances that were popular in the 1970's.

It's a time-travelling saga of how a cursed mirror twists the lives of the women of one family.

In 1978, Shay Garrett is on the verge of marriage to a wealthy and handsome man. But when she looks into a family-heirloom mirror, she suddenly finds herself in the body of her grandmother - in 1900. To her shock, she's still on the verge of a wedding - now, to a man she's never met.

At first, she is obsessed with finding a chance to return to her own life, but as time crawls on, she gradually learns to adjust to life in an earlier period.

A good part of the way through the book, we switch perspectives and find out what happened to the grandmother, Brandy. At that point, I have to admit that I had a few moments where it felt a bit repetitive, but soon enough I was interested in Brandy's experiences in 1978 as well. After all, from the perspective of a reader in 2015, both 1900 and 1978 are almost equally 'historical' settings! And, in the end, it needs both to provide the balance that the tale's ending gives it.

Many thanks to Open Road Media for providing me with the opportunity to read this book, and bringing attention to a tale that may have fallen into obscurity. As always, my opinions are solely my own.

[philsyphe · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is one book that does live up to all the hype I’d previously heard about. Aware that the premise was two women – grandmother & granddaughter – swapping bodies via time-travel when both are aged 20, I wasn’t sure that this would work very well. Glad to state that I was wrong, as it does work *very* well.The novel is divided into three parts, the first of which is my favourite by far. It’s fascinating to observe how a young woman from 1978 copes with life in 1900 and onwards, not to mention being trapped in her grandmother’s 20-year-old body.The troublesome mirror that causes the time swap, plus much more chaos besides, is a character in its own right. The idea behind it and the story on the whole is an admirable feat on the author’s part. A narrative of this scale may easily be flawed but I didn’t spot any continuity errors or anything of an implausible nature whatsoever.Without giving anything away, I was slightly disappointed in the ending, as it seemed to fade-out, feeling a little flat. That’s not to say the ending was poor, because it wasn’t, but I’d hoped for something stronger after such a fantastic read.

[kris_anderson-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Mirror by Marlys Millhiser is an interesting novel. Shay Garrett is twenty years old in 1978 and it is the night before her wedding to Marek Weir. Her mother is giving her an ugly old mirror as a wedding gift. The frame is composed of hands with finger nails shaped like talons. It is in her bedroom of her family’s home The Gingerbread House in Boulder, Colorado. Shay is looking in the mirror when she hears a humming noise. She remembers mist and blackness and then nothing. Shay wakes up in the same bedroom, but it is different. It is 1900 and they keep calling her Brandy. Shay is in her grandmother’s body. Brandy is also twenty and being forced by her father, John McCabe to marry the next day (everyone thinks she is crazy because of things she saw in the mirror). Shay finds herself stuck in Brandy’s body despite attempts to get back to her own body and time. Shay makes the best of her situation and lives a full life (it helps that she knows things that are going to happen). She does, though, keep a diary of all her adventures while in Brandy’s body. When baby Shay is born, she wraps up the diary and puts a note on it. It is to be given to Shay on the day of her wedding. Rachel, Shay’s mother, puts it away and forgets about it.Brandy was going to run away the night before her forced marriage when the mirror takes her to 1978. She finds herself in Shay’s body and her grandmother dead on the floor in her bedroom. The grandmother is Shay in Brandy’s body (it can get a little confusing at times). Brandy does not understand this new time period. She feels that everyone is not dressed appropriately. Brandy retreats into herself and waits for Shay to figure out the mirror. Her family thinks something is wrong with her and are contemplating putting her in a mental asylum (real caring family). After sleeping so much, her family calls in a doctor. Brandy is pregnant (and shocked since she is a virgin). When her family talks about an abortion, Brandy runs away. Luckily for Brandy she is taken in by a nice, eccentric, elderly man. He helps her to stay hidden from her family.When The Gingerbread House is robbed, the diary is found. Rachel ends up reading it and finally understands what happened to her daughter. It also explains a lot about her mother. You will have to read The Mirror to find out what happens! I have to admit that I put off reading this novel because it was so very long. But once I started reading it, I could not put it down. A little over half of the book is taken up with Shay’s story (with her in Brandy’s body). We then get to find out what happens to Brandy in Shay’s body. I truly enjoyed this book. The only thing I did not like was Brandy in Shay’s body. She made no attempt to read books and understand the time period she was in (or her new life). She acted like some fragile woman with no brain (it was insulting). Otherwise, this was a great book to read. I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars. It is well-written and I loved the plot. The writer even left it so there could be more books as the mirror continues on with its adventure.I received a complimentary copy of The Mirror from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The review and opinions expressed are my own.

[kat32969 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is one of the best books I have ever read!!!! If you like books about time travel, you will love this one too!

[ellenh_28 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I first read this in the late 70's and again in the 80's and again in the 90's. I always was captured by the story. There are very few books I have reread, and still loved as much.

[slamkin-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Clever, interesting and enjoyable. These are the best words to describe this book. Shay, a young woman of the 1970's thinks of herself as a young and independent thinker. once she finds that she has switched lives with her grandmother, she learns to adapt and survive in very clever ways. It was also interesting to see how the author tied up all the loose ends. And it was very enjoyable to see how, through all the twist and turns, the plot tied into some of the current event of the day.

[johngrant1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Modern-day (well, 1978) Shay, on the night before what promises to be a loveless marriage, is given a family heirloom as a present: a grotesque mirror. Gazing into it as a thunderstorm rages outside, she is suddenly transported back to the turn of the century to occupy the body of her grandmother Brandy, who has likewise been given this mirror on the night before what's likely a doomed marriage. At the same time, Brandy is shot forward in time to inhabit Shay's body. The two young women, despite a couple of moments early on when the mirror seems prepared to restore the status quo ante, must learn to live in each other's worlds. The first part of the book shows Shay-as-Brandy doing this; the middle, linking part follows the life of the two women's daughter/mother Rachael; and the third part sees Brandy-as-Shay coping with the far more difficult task of adapting to what is for her a future world.

In a way The Mirror is a sort of inverted generational novel: certainly it doesn't read like a fantasy despite having a fantasticated premise and despite the fact that, for obvious reasons, so much of it deals with its main protagonists tackling problems consequent upon that fantastication. Most of the logic of the situation is meticulously worked out, though there does seem one major flaw: In 1978, Grandmother Brandy, who long ago suffered a stroke and cannot communicate, arrives for Shay's wedding, and she dies in the moment that the mirror makes the Shay/Brandy swap, on the basis that there can't be two Brandys at the same time. However, Grandmother Brandy is in fact Shay, grown old in Brandy's body, and there have been two Shays coexisting without disaster for as long as modern-day Shay has lived. There's no evident reason why Shay-in-Brandy couldn't coexist with Brandy-in-Shay.

Reading The Mirror is an enjoyable way to spend some time, and its interwoven tales are moderately involving, but in truth the book doesn't have a whole lot new to offer. Ideal for the beach, perhaps.

[lindapanzo · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This might well be my favorite book so far this year. It's a time travel book but hard to categorize: Part science fiction/fantasy, part historical fiction, part romance, and part mystery.My all-time favorite book is Jack Finney's time travel book, [Time and Again] and I have to say that this Millhiser book is my favorite time travel book since I read the Finney book many years ago. Only 288 pages, though. I wish it had been longer as I didn't want it to end. How this sat on my shelves, unread, for over 20 years is a mystery to me.Picture a young woman, on the verge of being married in 1978 (which was the present-day when it was written) being thrown back to inhabit her young grandmother's body in 1900 just as the grandmother was about to be married. Further, the young 1900 grandmother is brought forward to inhabit her 1978 granddaughter's body. It's the story of the grandmother, granddaughter, and their daughter/mother.For me, besides enjoying the story, I found it to be quite thought-provoking. I kept thinking about whether it'd be tougher for a 1970s girl to go back and live life in the early 20th century or the early 20th century girl coming forward to live life in the late 1970s.I also wondered quite a bit about how, if this whole body switch thing could’ve been reversed, would that be a good thing, or not.This might well be the best book no one's ever heard of. Absolutely loved it!!!

[bobnolin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is at least as good as Jack Finney's classic Time and Again, which I just read again prior to this. It's very cleverly plotted, very convincing and real. An under-appreciated classic. If you like time travel stories, don't miss it!

[ladybug74 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book! I was thinking I might not like it as I read the first few pages, then I got sucked right in and could hardly put it down. A young lady looks into an antique mirror on her wedding day and goes back in time into her grandmother's body on her wedding day years before. The book first tells the story of the granddaughter as she travels back in time, then tells the story from her daughter's point of view, then finally tells the story of the grandmother as she travels forward in time to live her granddaughter's life. This is just the type of book that has interested me lately, so this one did not disappoint me. I only wish there were more of this type from the same author.

[brendajanefrank · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An imaginative story that really grabs you. Great use of time travel. The author includes the details of daily life in each time period that add interest and authenticity to her tale. A great read.

[amazon_books · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a surprisingly good book. It leaves you thinking about it long after it's read.

[cathyskye · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Protagonists: Shay Garrett and Brandy McCabeSetting: Boulder, Colorado in 1900 and 1978SciFi/Time TravelIt's 1978 in Boulder, Colorado, and Shay Garrett finds herself on the eve ofher wedding. After looking into an ugly heirloom mirror, Shay passes out andwakes up in her bedroom, but it's 1900 and she's not Shay anymore, she'sBrandy McCabe--her grandmother. It is the eve of Brandy's wedding. Rumor intown has it that Brandy is crazy, so when she begins to act even crazierthan usual, it's chalked up to her past behavior...and an attempt to get outof the marriage being forced upon her by her father. Going through with themarriage, Shay moves with her husband to a small town up in the mountainsoutside Boulder, keeping the mirror with her so she can keep trying to getback to her own life.The book has three main sections: Shay living Brandy's life, Brandy livingas Shay, and Rachel who's the mother of Shay and the daughter of Brandy. Alot of research went into this book--the history of Boulder, the ins andouts of the characters' genealogy, and the time periods. Even the portrayalof that blasted mirror is well-done and creepy. I found this to be apage-turner!