The story begins with Ethan Morten being taken hostage in a would-be bank robbery in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Forced to drive the getaway car, Ethan soon finds himself and his two fugitive companions sent back in time to 1926, with his father and a local cop in hot pursuit. Later, in search of her twin brother, Lisa and her classmates area also transported back in time. The children have to learn quickly how to adapt to the life of the Old West as they encounter a pack of wolves and a Crow Indian who has been transported from the 1880s, not to mention saloon gunfights and J.D. Rockefeller himself.

A growing romance between Ethan and a pioneer girl adds an interesting twist to the story. Will they return to their own time? Will they want to, and what is the connection between their time travelling and the strange green lights in the sky? The young people in this story are burdened with all the important decisions, and risk their lives in an adventure where not only their lives, but their very place in the order of time is threatened.

The book throws the reader deep into the social, spiritual and political aspects of the Old West. Cohen’s understanding and exploration of the relationship between the pioneers, the Indians and the land between them is impeccable and moving. He presents a real quest for human adventure colored with the vivid tints of history. Cohen's storytelling is fluid and his language draws the reader into an intimate relationship with each of his characters as he blends sentimentality with humor and the dry flavor of the Old West.

Down Time will transport the reader to another time, where the values of life, nature and people are transformed into something more vital and spiritual, reminding us of what we might have lost in time.