Hazards of Time Travel

In a dystopian United States after 9/11, Adriane Strohl is named valedictorian of her high school class. Before she can deliver her valedictory address, she's arrested for treason, having asked questions rather than staying within approved limits for her speech. Because Adriane is only 17, she's exiled—transported—to a college in Wainscotia, WI—in the 1950s. She's given a new name, and a chip is implanted in her brain to prevent her from disclosing information from the future, to muddle her memory of her previous life, and to keep her under surveillance. Adriane struggles to understand what has happened to her, abide by the rules for exiles, and gain something from her college experience. When she discovers that her psychology professor is also an exile, they form a bond, but then he suggests they escape to California, with devastating results. Multi-award-winning author Oates creates a world in which cherished American freedoms have disappeared and technology has risen to include time travel. And in the end, the will to survive outweighs the search for truth.