This extraordinary, magical first novel is the story of Clare, a beautiful art student, and Henry, a librarian, who have known each other since Clare was six and Henry was thirty-six, and were married when Clare was twenty-two and Henry thirty. Impossible but true, because Henry is one of the first people diagnosed with Chrono-Displacement Disorder: periodically his genetic clock resets and he finds himself misplaced in time, pulled to moments of emotional gravity in his life, past and future. His disappearances are spontaneous, his experiences unpredictable, alternately harrowing and amusing."The Time Traveler's Wife" depicts the effects of time travel on Henry and Clare's marriage and their passionate love for each other as the story unfolds from both points of view. Clare and Henry attempt to live normal lives, pursuing familiar goals - steady jobs, good friends, children of their own. All of this is threatened by something they can neither prevent nor control, making their story intensely moving and entirely unforgettable.
I didn't have any expectations when I started reading this story. Frankly, I didn't even know what it was about. I believe I got the book because of a rec from PBS, but it had been sitting on my shelf for a better part of two years. I gave it to a co-worker to read and she insisted that I needed to read it. Well, I finally did and all I can say is WOW! What a great book. It's basically about a guy named Henry who time-travels, his relationship with his wife, Clare, their inability to conceive and the attempt to stop or, at least, control Henry's time-traveling. Henry cannot control when he goes or where he goes. I experienced many emotions while reading this book: happiness, sadness, laughter, wonder, awe. It's a beautifully written novel that will stay with me for some time. It's definitely one of the best books I've ever read.
