The 23rd Hero

By: Rebecca Anne Nguyen

Narrated by: Rebecca Anne Nguyen

NEW YORK TIMES essayist and 2024 Reader’s Choice Award winner Rebecca Anne Nguyen’s stunning debut. In The 23rd Hero, an ordinary woman with an extraordinary memory travels back in time to 16th century France to stop climate change before it starts and return to the man she loves.

In a world ravaged by climate change, a mysterious time travel agency known as the Program sends carefully selected Heroes back in time on missions to prevent environmental damage before it happens. Sloane Burrows secretly longs to be a Hero and restore the natural world of her childhood—a world she can envision with absolute clarity because of her superpower memory. But her father raised Sloane to believe her “freak memory” is a shameful flaw that should be hidden from the world. Sloane stuffs her dream of being a Hero and conceals her memory to the point of making herself sick. Her only respite from the shame is the recurring dream she’s been having for nearly a decade. In it, a breathtakingly beautiful man makes her feel accepted in a way she never has in waking life—not despite her memory, but because of it. But when the man in the dream shows up in real life, Sloane’s world is turned upside down. Not only is Bastian a flesh-and-blood person, but he’s from the Program, and he wants her to do the one thing that will shatter her chances of winning her dad’s love: become a Hero, travel back in time to sixteenth-century France, and use her superpower memory to save the world.

©2024 Rebecca Anne Nguyen (P)2024 Rebecca Anne Nguyen

Critic reviews

“ A page-turning, wild and marvelous ride.”— Susan Choi, Pulitzer Prize finalist and National Book Award Winner for Trust Exercise.

“Fans of time travel romance are likely to find this…Outlander-esque adventure…deeply satisfying.” — Kirkus Reviews.

Exciting from start to finish!

One of those books you finish and think, “my goodness, how did something think of something like this!?!” Go on an awesome adventure with Sloane, a normal woman, struggling to embrace her true self, as she time travels, falls in love with herself (and a sexy man!) and also saves the planet for climate change. You won’t be disappointed!

“A wild and marvelous ride.” — Susan Choi

“Rebecca Anne Nguyen is so fierce, funny, rollicking, racy, unsparingly insightful about our talent for making a mess of things and irrepressibly optimistic about our chances for fixing them that she makes us eager to follow her anywhere, whether to times past or futures newly imagined.  The 23rd Hero is a page-turning, wild and marvelous ride.”

— Susan Choi, Pulitzer Prize finalist, National Book Award Winner and author of Trust Exercise

"A breathtakingly original and gripping story. Nguyen weaves a beautiful and compelling narrative that is ultimately about our universal search for identity and connection—even across the centuries. I stayed up late reading, utterly captivated by this surprising and magical combination of dystopian science fiction, call to environmental action, and passionate love story. A fabulous debut!" 

— Melodie Winawer, critically acclaimed author of The Scribe of Siena and Anticipation

“The consistently high emotional intensity throughout Nguyen’s novel is the fuel that powers its narrative engine, as is the complex dynamism between the two lead characters. The passion is incendiary…in this Outlander-esque adventure. Fans of time-travel romance are likely to find this story deeply satisfying.” 

— Kirkus Reviews

“The 23rd Hero by author Rebecca Anne Nguyen follows the journey of an extraordinary young woman who travels back in time to sixteenth century France to try and save the planet. Nguyen successfully combines an environmental disaster, with a historical time travel adventure, and a passionate love story. With an intriguing plot, beautifully written prose, and plenty of humor, this is a unique and remarkable novel from a debut author. Fans of time-travel, eco-dystopian fiction, history and romance will love this story. With plenty of humor and a passionate romance, this is a time-traveling adventure like no other.”

— Reader’s Choice Awards (2024 Bronze Winner for Best Adult Book)

“A love story that transcends time with a hero the reader will never forget. This compulsively-readable debut will transport you from a dystopian future to the idyll of 16th century France, all on the wings of a love story for the ages. Nguyen’s razor-sharp humor, gorgeous prose, and lush world-building had me turning the pages late into the night. A writer to watch.” 

— Jessica Pearce Rotondi, author of What We Inherit: A Secret War and a Family’s Search for Answers

“The 23rd Hero is a thrilling, escapist ride through time, an old-fashioned romance, a modern parable about climate change, and, most importantly, the story of a woman finding her purpose. This is a delightful page-turner by an exciting new voice in fiction. Do yourself a favor and get lost in this story; you’ll return feeling a little more hopeful about everything.” 

— Mandy Berman, author of The Learning Curve and Perennials

“The passion Rebecca Anne Nguyen captures between the two [lovers] is equaled by the challenge to their psyches…as the story evolves. Readers who look for intriguing time travel settings will find the tale steeped in unusual connections. The result will appeal to both romance readers and time-travel enthusiasts…with satisfyingly original dilemmas and outcomes.” 

— D. Donovan, California Book Watch

Wow, what a performance!

I can’t believe how much I enjoyed this! I usually read rather than listen to books - and in this case, I read The 23rd Hero a few months ago (and enjoyed it so much), then found out the author narrated the audio version, so I decided to give a listen. I wanted to hear what the author emphasized, how she imagined certain lines should be read - and I did. I felt so connected to the characters, especially through the distinct voices. It really felt like a performance rather than just a narration! And I appreciate the care and respect that went into all the different voices, no matter the gender, race, or nationality of the character. I can’t recommend this enough!

Amazing, unique characters, exciting adventure, beautiful love story that wasn't at all predictable!

I don't typically read fiction novels, let alone those of time travel or the future (or those with actual historical facts) but I am so glad I picked this one up! If you're not into fiction, get outside your preferred genre and try something new!

Mesmerizing

As I listened, I was able to easily discern which character was speaking. The nuanced difference in pitch and inflection and accent made it easy to follow who was speaking, especially during in depth dialogue. Your transitions from narrator to character and back flowed with ease and precision

Imagination!

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to The 23rd Hero with Rebecca narrating it! The story line was incredibly imaginative. I loved that it started in Vancouver, BC, since I know the areas she referred to. The was impressed to consider how much research Rebecca must have done for the time travel experience. She did a great job on the voices so that I could recognize them throughout the story. The ending leads me to believe that there could be a sequel?!