There are past events in the lives of almost all of us we wish we could change - especially if the event was tragic, resulting in the death of someone we loved. Such trauma leads to soul-searching, trying to find a reason that makes sense of something that strikes us as senseless.

Portals, at its core, explores a simple question: If I could change the past, would I?

It sounds like a simple question. As the novel reveals, it isn't. Wrapped up in the eight small words encompassing this question is the sum of our personal world view, the lens through which we interpret the world around us. Key to our perspective is what we believe-or don't believe-about God.

If we believe we are a product of time and chance working the miracle of life upon the material universe unguided, then how we respond to the question might be quite different from someone who contends that a loving God is actively concerned with our personal welfare