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One night, over burgers and margaritas, my friend, Deb, recommended that I read The Time Traveler’s Wife. When she saw the skeptical look on my face, she quickly explained that it wasn’t a cheesy sci-fi novel. Actually, she said, it was the best book she’d read in years. How could I ignore a recommendation like that? I had to pick up a copy right away—so I could enjoy the time-traveling romance before the big-screen adaptation (starring Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams) hits theaters this winter.
The time traveler in Audrey Niffenegger’s best-selling book club favorite is Henry DeTamble. Henry was born with a strange genetic disorder that makes him travel through time without warning. This means that, at any time, he can disappear completely from the present and find himself in another time and place. He can’t control it—and he doesn’t know when (or where) it’ll take him. And, to complicate things even more, he can’t take anything with him—which means that he shows up completely naked.
Henry’s disorder often leads to some awkward moments—but none is more awkward than the day he meets Clare. Though 28-year-old Henry has never seen her before, she’s known his older self for years—since he started visiting her in the meadow by her childhood home when she was just six years old. Though she doesn’t know much about Henry’s life, she does know one important detail: in Henry’s future, the two of them are married.
The Time Traveler’s Wife is an engrossingly tangled tale—an imaginative love story that unfolds through time. Some of the story is told chronologically, but some of it skips back and forth, moving along Henry’s peculiar timeline. Still, despite all of the jumping around in time, Niffenegger’s almost dream-like writing style makes it feel completely effortless—and practically seamless. And even though the whole concept is so unusual, you’ll have no problem following along—because, for Clare and Henry, time doesn’t really matter. Their story defies the barriers of time.
As you read, you’ll fall in love with the two main characters—Henry, whose life has been filled with tragedy and confusion, and Clare, who’s spent much of her life eagerly waiting for Henry’s return. You’ll become so engrossed in their story, in fact, that you’ll start to read with a sense of urgency. You’ll worry about the risks they take and the dangers they face. But no matter how much you dread what seems to be the inevitable, there’s no way you’ll be able to put the book down—because the story will pull you in and hold you spellbound until the breath-taking conclusion.
The Time Traveler’s Wife is a truly moving literary masterpiece. It’s an elegantly-written love story that’s much like true love itself—it’s sometimes beautiful, sometimes heartbreaking. It’s touching and exhilarating and overflowing with passion. And you’ll want to savor every page.
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