In the war-ravaged England of 1940, Lottie Bromley and her best friend Kitty McLaughlin are inseparable. They read their favorite books, they play imaginary games, and they promise to stick together, no matter what the future may bring. But that future is more uncertain than they could imagine, as Lottie's scientist father has unearthed a staggering truth: time travel is real. And when this discovery attracts the attention of cruel forces, throwing the two girls into peril, Lottie is faced with an impossible choice between danger and safety, between remaining with her friend or following a portal to another time and place. In a split second, Lottie's life changes forever. Alone and far from home, unsure of Kitty's fate, she know that somehow, no matter what, she must find her way back to her friend. Beautifully rendered and utterly absorbing, Once Was a Time is an imaginative and timeless tribute to the unbreakable ties of friendship.