Elsewhere Girls — Emily Gale

Elsewhere Girls is a fresh and feminist take on time-slip novel in the tradition of The Parent Trap and Freaky Friday in which two young swimmers: one from modern-day and the other from the early 1900s swap places and must figure out how to fit into their new time zones and ultimately, to get home.Two fabulous characters working out what matters most—I love Cat and Fan so much! Sally Rippin, author of the Billie B. Brown booksThis is the story of Cat and Fan. Cat has recently started at a new school on a sports scholarship, and she’s feeling the pressure of early morning training sessions and the need for total commitment. Fan loves to swim and she lives for racing, but family chores and low expectations for girls make it very hard for her to fit in even the occasional training session.Cat and Fan have never met. They both live in the same suburb, but in different worlds, or at least different times: Cat lives in the present, and Fan in 1908. But one day, time slips and they swap places. As each girl lives the other’s life, with all the challenges and confusion it presents, she comes to appreciate and understand herself and the role of swimming in her own life.Narrated in alternating chapters, Elsewhere Girls is a moving and funny story of two girls with a deep connection, one based on the Olympic champion, Fanny Durack. It’s a fresh and engaging exploration of the challenges and pressures for young women growing up in the past and today.