Running Out of Time

Running Out of Time, by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Main Characters: Jessie, Ma, Pa, Mr. Neely, Frank Lyle, Mr. Clifton
Chapters: 25
Setting: Frontier village of Clifton, Indiana

Miles Clifton a millionaire wanted to make Clifton Indiana a historical preserve village. Miles invited twenty-five families to life like the 1800's even though it was the 1900's.  He promised them any modern goods.  He wanted the people to live as authentically as possible.  Some of the twenty-five families left because they did not like the life style.  Jessie's father wanted live this experience because he felt the modern world would corrupt his family and he loved the thought of being a blacksmith so his wife agreed to live this way.  Miles did not want tourists come in and out of the village and he did not want the families leaving so he blocked all the ways to leave and come in.  He kept them guarded.  All of the children thought it was the 1800s but the grown ups knew it was 1996.  Living like this brought back an 1800s disease diphtheria.  The doctors had pills that worked but did not use them.  Instead they used herbs to cure illnesses like they did in the 1800s.  The people put signs that said Quarantine.  Clifton ordered them to be taken down because he did not want the tourists to know about the diphtheria.

Jessie's mother told her about Clifton's secret that it was really 1996.  Her mother said she had to do something very dangerous, to go on a mission to get help before someone died in Clifton.  Her mother gave her 1990s clothes that she kept jeans and a t-shirt so nobody will know she is from Clifton.  She remembered her mother told her to watch out for the guards.

She finally begins her mission.  When she heard people coming she hid.  The next day when she goes in the hallway it was loud and crowded with children tourists.  The way she is dressed lets her fit in with the children.  She sees that tourist watch Clifton from glass windows.  By pretending she is a student is how she escapes.  She sees modern day stuff like cars, roads, lights, etc...that confuses and scares her but excites her.

Jessie faces many obstacles in her search for help.  Her mother told her a man named Mr. Neely would help.  She starts looking for a phone.  She does not know how to use a phone.  When she does she reaches Mr. Neely.  Jessie tells him about the diphtheria and he makes her believe that he is Mr. Neely.  He comes and picks her up.  She thinks she is going to Clifton with help instead he says she needs to rest a bit.  He attempts to drug her water but she dumps it.  Jessie hears him talking about maybe having to kill her.  They realize she has escaped Clifton and might tell someone what the real truth is.  The people of Clifton are being held captive without necessities of modern-day medicine.  Jessie had to find help before the children died.

Jessie called the board of health and told them about the diphtheria.  They thought it was a prank call.  Jessie called someone and said there was going to be a news conference.  The new media knew it was something to do with Clifton and so Jessie told them her story.  She felt hot and fell down.  She was rushed to the hospital.  The police and government heard the story and cleared out Clifton saving most of the lives except for two.  All of her brothers and sisters were at the hospital.  She found out Frank Lyle was a scientist that worked with Clifton to attempt an experiment on disease and immune systems pretended to be Mr. Neely while the real Mr. Neely died.  The children were sent to foster homes for safety until their parents were interviewed and reunited.  When they went home Jessie's family were the only ones that stayed in Clifton because her father was taking care of the land until the judges decided what would happen to it.  A doctor said it would help father ease in to the twentieth century after living a lot of years in an 1800s life style.

The scientist compared Clifton to the Nazi concentration camps because they were treated in an inhumane way like second class citizens depriving them of necessities especially in modern day world.  Also keeping them from communicating with others and keeping them imprisoned in Clifton.

--TK, 6th