The Rushton Inheritance, by Elisabeth Mace, for Timeslip Tuesday

Back with another vintage one for Timeslip Tuesday--The Rushton Inheritance (1978), by Elisabeth Mace.  It's a nice seasonal read set in a rural pub in the cold and snowy north of 19th century England.

Tom's time at school is running out; soon he'll be old enough to work alongside his father in the family pub.  He feels (with good reason) trapped, and dreams of running off to London to do something (he's not sure what exactly....).  Escaping the needy baby of the family who he gets stuck with more than he thinks is right and his youngest sister, who's a bit of a brat, would be an added bonus.  In the meantime, his grandmother makes use of his excellent penmanship to record her treasury of wisdom, mostly rather disgusting treatments for various conditions that bring Tom no joy to contemplate.  

But then a mysterious boy, Steve, appears seemingly out of nowhere, who turns out to be a visitor from the 20th century, coming and going to Tom's time unpredictably.  His family has found suggestive evidence that there was something of value at Tom's home back in the 19th century.  And so a treasure hunt ensues, gradually involving more and more people, including the local bullies and Tom's excentric great-aunt, who lives in a hovel of her own choosing instead of with the family.

It's a fine read, with Tom's world and family coming into sharper and sharper focus as it progresses, which was nicely done.  And Steve's time traveling was also good--it takes a while for it to be clear both to the characters and the reader what is happening.  It also serves not just to provide plot, but to provide to Tom greater perspective on his own life.

Sadly the ending was a bit of a let down, and it ended up not being quite a book I loved, though I did enjoy it.