DEEP TIME
Deep Time follows the adventures of Lauren, a young woman from the East coast who falls in love with the West during a life-changing raft trip through the Grand Canyon. She begins graduate studies in the 1970s male-dominated field of geology, where she thrives on the explorations her classes afford her—studying undersea volcanoes, shepherding clueless undergraduates in a remote national park, and climbing canyons in Oregon to collect rock samples. But at home, things are deteriorating. After separating from her straying husband, she becomes best friends with Chris, an honorable male colleague who helps her fend off a predatory professor.
Deep Time follows the adventures of Lauren, a young woman from the East coast who falls in love with the West during a life-changing raft trip through the Grand Canyon. She begins graduate studies in the 1970s male-dominated field of geology, where she thrives on the explorations her classes afford her—studying undersea volcanoes, shepherding clueless undergraduates in a remote national park, and climbing canyons in Oregon to collect rock samples. But at home, things are deteriorating. After separating from her straying husband, she becomes best friends with Chris, an honorable male colleague who helps her fend off a predatory professor.
When Mount St. Helens awakens, geologists from all over the world flock to Washington. Lauren is determined to be part of the action and witness an erupting volcano. On a Saturday in May, she and her husband, with whom she has reconciled, convene with Chris to stake out Mount St. Helens at her chosen site on Disappointment Ridge. The mountain remains annoyingly quiet. The next day, it erupts with catastrophic power—and irreversibly upends Lauren’s life.
- She Writes Press
- Paperback
- May 2025
- 312 Pages
- 9781647429164
Buy the Book
$17.99
About Susan Sizer Bogue
Susan Sizer Bogue is a lawyer-turned-writer who has published many humorous essays and written the script for the musical The Christmas of the Phonograph Records. This is her first novel. She lives in the Denver, Colorado, area.
Praise
“Insightful and intelligent, Deep Time takes a deep dive into the life and times of a pair of 1970s geologists. The settings are palpable—both rich and enticing, from the Grand Canyon to the fantastically wild Pacific northwest. Bogue’s well researched debut educates and enlightens while pulling at your heartstrings.” —Jayne Mills, author of Bottom of the Breath
“In Deep Time Bogue skillfully guides the reader through the compelling geological world of shifting tectonic plates and earthquakes and volcanoes while avoiding straying too far into the weeds. Against this backdrop, her two main characters struggle with shifting emotions and triangulated relationships, and through it all are inevitably drawn to the cataclysmic conclusion.” —Chuck Brown, author of The Forgotten Lake Secession and Letters from the Attic
Discussion Questions
- What did you think of the ending of Deep Time? Were the events in the last chapter necessary to the book? Did Lauren’s actions reflect her character? Did you find the ending satisfying?
- Did your opinion of Deep Time change as you read it? Were you engaged early in the book or were you halfway through reading it before you were sure you would finish?
- Was Lauren a strong main character? What were her good qualities? Weaknesses? Was Chris a believable character? How would you describe Don, the professor?
- Do you have a favorite quote from the book? What was your favorite scene?
- What does “deep time” refer to? Why do you think this title was chosen? Was the design of the book cover appropriate for the story?
- What were the themes or ideas in Deep Time that were most meaningful to you? What was the strongest theme?
- What was the author trying to achieve in Deep Time, and did she succeed? What were your expectations when you began reading the book?
- What was your opinion of the author, Susan Sizer Bogue? Would you recommend Deep Time to other readers and book clubs? If so, why? Would you read another book by the same author?
- If you were interviewing the author, what would you ask her?
- 10. If a movie were to be made of Deep Time, who would you cast as the main characters? Would you recommend following the timeline of the book in the movie adaptation?
Excerpt
Excerpt from Deep Time
“Volcanoes are all-powerful. They can kill you in a hundred ways. A massive release of carbon dioxide from a caldera can snuff out everyone in a nearby village. Or innocent children playing near a volcano can die from carbon dioxide seeping from the ground. A shock deep in the earth can send millions of tons of earth and rocks down the side of a volcano to bury a town. Another volcano explodes with all the violence of the end of the world.” —Dr. Melvin Mumper (fictional professor)