When physicist Michael Shelborne mysteriously vanishes, his son Shel discovers that he had constructed a time travel device. Fearing his father may be stranded in timeβor worseβShel enlists the aid of linguist Dave MacElroy to accompany him on the rescue mission.
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Their journey through history takes them from the enlightenment of Renaissance Italy through the American Wild West to the civil-right upheavals of the 20th century. Along the way, they encounter a diverse cast of historical greats, sometimes in unexpected situations. Yet the elder Shelborne remains elusive.
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And then Shel violatesΒ his agreement with Dave not to visit the future. There he makes a devastating discovery that sends him fleeing back through the ages, and changes his life forever.