Rachel

Rachel explores the continuing story of the Collier family, moving into the 20th Century with the inclusion of the telephone and the automobile becoming part of their daily lives.

In this sequel to A Sign of the Times, the lesson of teaching history through literature helps students relive the years leading up to World War I when the technology of weapons and war machines suddenly showed the world the power and terror the Industrial Revolution had created. 

When Rachel gets married and starts a family, she believes that her life is complete. After her husband is sent away to the Great War in Europe, her life—and the lives of millions of other people on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean—becomes a test to see if she can survive this dangerous new world.