Fare Forward was an interesting combination of science, mysticism, religion, and time travel. Gabriella comes from a mystic heritage and on occasion gets glimpses of the future. Her grandfather is a scientist who is preparing for a Nobel Prize, with research to prove that time travel is possible to other universes. While Gabriella is struggling through her first year of architecture school at Columbia she meets a man named Benjamin who she comes to discover has been at the center of her father's research and work with Albert Einstein. Benjamin changes everything in Gabriella's life, and helps her understand her unique gift. ( )

Gabriella Vogel always knew she was different. Like her grandmother, Sophie, she has premonitions and can see and feel things before they happen. But for Gabriella, is this a gift or a burden? Can she change what she sees or must she accept her destiny?

The story opens over 60 years ago when we meet Sophie as a young girl on a trip to Jerusalem. This was an important period for Sophie. Her time in the Judean Desert has given her a clear vision of the future. She meets the mysterious Benjamin Landsman, gains a greater understanding of her heritage and ultimately meets a young man whom she knows will be her future husband.

Fast forward 50 years and we meet Gabriella, her granddaughter, as a young girl living in Massachusetts. We then jump forward another 12 years to the present where Gabriella is a college student studying architecture. Her grandfather is about to receive the Nobel Prize in Physics. He is about to reveal proof of the existence of tunnels that connect our world to other universes, and that time travel might be possible. But Gabriella senses danger; there are people that do not want this information revealed.

We remain in the present for the remainder of the book and Gabriella is our narrator. We begin to feel her confusion, her need to know what is happening and why. Layer by layer we begin to understand. After Gabriella meets Benjamin, a man who doesn’t seem to age, the story becomes more intense. Gabriella cannot stay away from Benjamin; he is her destiny.

I found the story to be compelling in the same manner as the Time Travelers Wife. At times I was confused, things were vague and not always clear as Gabriella struggled to put the pieces together. We feel her passion as she strives to comprehend whether love can transcend time and space and asks herself if the choices we make are really our own.

Physics and science are ever present themes but do not overpower the reader, and a science background or understanding of physics is not necessary. Romance and mystery are woven into the plot engaging the reader in Gabriella’s emotional struggle to understand the meaning of her life.

To find the answers we eventually come full circle, back to Jerusalem. There Gabriella discovers the ancient secret hidden by her family for generations and the astonishing truth is revealed. Suspenseful, compelling and enticing, this was a page turner that kept me wanting until the very end. ( )