Anywhen by Beth Duke

Narrated by Amy McFadden

Historical Scifi Romance. Stands alone.

I was sent a surprise paperback of the book for review, but purchased the audiobook and KU book myself instead. All reviews contain my honest opinion. This post contains affiliate links.

“While you were playing, you could feel the presence of invisible time travelers from the future who had come back to see Woodstock.”– actual quote from Jerry Garcia, co-founder of The Grateful Dead

There couldn’t have been a book more up my alley than Anywhen by Beth Duke. If I could time travel to any moment, it would be Woodstock—I’ve said that my whole adult life. At least six of my top ten favorite bands played there, even though I was only two at the time. I remember reading a YA book about a kid who traveled back to Woodstock about ten years ago and loving it. So when I saw Anywhen was an adult book with a similar premise? I was all in.

Besides being a bit of a hippie, I’m obsessed with space and the future. Anywhen brought those worlds together in the best way.

Baezy (rhymes with Daisy) was born in 2069, the 100th anniversary of Woodstock. That year, a wave of Woodstock nostalgia swept the country, introducing the music to a whole new generation. She was named after Joan Baez, and her great-great-great-grandmother, Kelly Adams—who later became a legendary AI pioneer—had actually gone to Woodstock. The stories were passed down through their family like folklore.

When Baezy is given a 3-day TIP (Time Insertion Protocol) for her birthday, she chooses to go back in time to Woodstock to meet Kelly and experience the festival herself. She studies up on the slang, borrows her mom’s vintage clothes, and heads off, ready for the trip of a lifetime.

In 2101, Baezy lives in a supposedly utopian society. There’s no weather, no war, everyone looks the same, and meals are engineered cubes that regulate hormones. People live to 150, but to me everything feels sterile and controlled.

When she travels to Woodstock, things go wrong immediately. She is transported to the middle of a pond and is rescued by a young man named Jack, who happens to be part of her great-great-great-grandmother’s group. Baezy (going by “Sarah” in her cover story) is so naive, so beautiful, her slang is so awkward, and her story is so outrageous that Kelly (the g-g-g-grandmother), who is absolutely NOT a hippie and is busy working on complex math algorithms instead of enjoying the festival, takes an instant dislike to her and thinks she is on drugs.

“Just let me tell you. And do not flip over your wig this time,” Sarah said. “First of all, you are working on the tiniest seed of what will become true artificial intelligence. I wasn’t pulling on your legs when I said your work is important. It will impact everyone in the world, everything in our lives. You’re at the very beginning of a revolution in computers. I’ve seen where it leads.”

It doesn’t help that Kelly has a quiet crush on Jack, who’s planning to dodge the draft by heading to Canada after the festival. When it becomes clear that Jack likes Sarah, Kelly’s resentment only grows.

Sarah spends the weekend enjoying every musical performance with Jack, and I loved reading about all the people she met and the shows they experienced together. The Woodstock setting was packed with accurate details, and it was so much fun to see a fictional character dropped into such a vividly real and well-researched portrayal. I adored Sarah and Jack, but Kelly and the rest of their group were kind of a-holes, and I was so disappointed for Baezy’s sake.

So much more happens after Woodstock, but I don’t want to even hint at spoilers, so you will have to read it yourself.

“I am yours always, anywhere and anywhen”

Likes:

All of the detailed descriptions of Woodstock, the bands that played, and people they met.
Learning about this future utopian society where everything is so “perfect” and homogenous.
Lots of discussion about Vietnam and running to Canada.
Accurate quotes and schedules from Woodstock. It was clearly researched well.
A fun cameo of Steven Tyler in the audience at Woodstock.
Told in three distinct parts, and I loved them all.
The romance was unexpected, but I was happy there was one, and this would definitely be considered a romance novel.
A completely unique story.
Baezy’s (Sarah’s) funny way of using slang. The narrator did an amazing job with this!
It was unpredictable.

Dislikes:

I wasn’t thrilled with the love triangle aspect–Kelly secretly loved Jack, but Sarah and Jack were meant to be.
There should have been more discussion about how every little thing she does can alter the future, like the Prime Directive if you’ve ever watched Star Trek.
I was disappointed in Kelly.
A crucial part of the story towards the end was skipped, and we were only quickly told about it after.

The Narration:

Amy McFadden knocked it out of the park. Listening to her use Baezy’s awkward 60’s slang that she learned in 2101 just made this listen so much better!

The Down & Dirty:

Honestly, my love of Woodstock may have influenced my rating a bit, but I can say without a doubt that this book will stick with me. In fact, while going through the e-book to find the quotes I flagged, I ended up reading it again. It was so refreshing to read something truly unique in a sea of similar stories. Anywhen by Beth Duke blends future tech, 60s music, and time travel in the most perfect way—and it caters perfectly to my love for both high tech and the 60s. If you’ve ever wished you could go to Woodstock, this is your book. While I can’t give it a full five stars due to a few minor issues, it will still be one of my favorite reads of 2025 and beyond.

“After you play Woodstock on acid, nothing’s a big deal anymore.” – Carlos Santana