Travel Far, Pay No Fare

Synopsis

"A muddled fantasy-cum-problem novel, narrated by Owen, 12, whose divorced mother plans to marry the widower of her late sister. ... [9-year-old cousin] Parsley has a magic bookmark, with which she can visit stories she's reading; she has brought back 14 felines (the Cheshire Cat, Puss in Boots, etc.) from her literary travels, hoping to aggravate her aunt's allergies and disrupt the wedding plans. After she lets Owen in on the secret, the two rescue imperiled animals from The Yearling, Little Women, and the National Geographic ..." This one lacks the humor of other Lindbergh novels. -- Kirkus Reviews 1992-11-01 (moderately negative) Publishers Weekly is very negative: "An intended fantasy-adventure story is instead a tedious labyrinth of events connecting parental remarriage, time travel and reading appreciation."