Publication Date: August 4, 2026
In her dazzling new novel, award-winning author Jaclyn Moriarty asks the question, if you could revisit one moment in your life, what would it be?
On a bustling road in Sydney, Australia, lies a nondescript storefront known simply as the Time Travel Agency. Inside, you’ll be welcomed by the smell of fresh-brewed coffee, a selection of baked goods…and the question, Where in time do you wish to go?
The guidelines are simple: you can go whenever you wish into the past, and there’s no fear of altering the present. Have tea with Jane Austen, scream at a Beatles concert, witness the Olympics in ancient Greece. Perhaps a more personal trip? Visit your long-lost grandmother, recapture the heady days of your youth, return to the idyllic time when your teen was a babbling baby—or watch yourself make the one decision that changed everything.
Is it a hoax? And if it’s real, what’s the catch?
When single mother Anna is offered a job at the agency, she glimpses the possibility of happiness. Meanwhile, Teddy’s a customer hoping to untangle his recently imploded marriage. And Jade, who has a deeply buried secret, despises the agency for offering false hope.
In Jaclyn Moriarty’s incandescent novel, Anna, Teddy, and Jade leap headlong into time, hurtling on a crash course toward one another. At turns entertaining and illuminating, Time Travel for Beginners explores the moments, big and small, that shape our destiny.
What would you do with a chance to go back in the past without fear of altering the future?
That’s the premise behind Time Travel for Beginners by author Jaclyn Moriarty. The introduction featuring a customer satisfaction report sets the humorous tone to follow, along with a bit of snark.
The story alternates between three seemingly unrelated characters—Anna, Teddy, and Jade. While the common thread appears to be the Time Travel Agency, a deeper dive illustrates problematic relationships.
Each character must confront the past in order to move forward. Along the way, readers gain valuable insight about appreciating every moment.
Time Travel for Beginners takes a quirky approach to emphasize the importance of living life with no regrets.
Jaclyn Moriarty is the prize-winning, bestselling author of books for children, young adults, and older adults, including the Ashbury-Brookfield series, the Colours of Madeleine trilogy, the Kingdoms and Empires series, and Time Travel for Beginners. Her books have been translated into several languages. A former media lawyer, Jaclyn grew up in Sydney, Australia, lived in the US, UK and Canada, and now lives in Sydney again.
