Review: Henry DeTamble stumbles through time erratically and without control. An extremely rare disorder propels him unexpectedly in and out of time, and he struggles to deal with the chaos it creates in his life. Claire is the love of his life, a woman whose love endures while she copes with Henry’s disappearances as he flits in and out of the chronological progression she is a part of.

Due to Henry’s disorder, Claire experiences moments with her husband that most people will never have. She and Henry are able to connect throughout their lifetimes in a myriad of ways which the rest of us can only find in our dreams. And, while they meet each other across time and at various ages, Henry has to come to grips with his own private tragedy which he is forced to be witness to time and time again. Their story is a sweeping romance, two people dedicated to one another against the odds, told with excitement, charm, humor, enchantment and adventure.

Recommendation: This was a very personal gift from someone close to me, and I read it during the summer of ‘06. At first I was quite wary of it. The name of the book as well as the fact that it was billed as a “love story” meant that it immediately went to the bottom of my pile. Only after I had gotten through Zorro was I willing to give it a try. The book drew me in right away, and I was enraptured with the story. The possibilities that the author unfolds made me wish that I too could have the opportunities that Henry and Clair have, despite all the pitfalls and danger. When I finished the book on a beautiful, warm day in Santa Monica, my good friend returned from an audition to find me crying like a small child on his back porch, book in hand. That was the first and only time I have ever been moved to tears by a book.

Niffenegger, Audrey. The Time Traveler’s Wife. New York: Harcourt Inc., 2003

currently reading: The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

on deck: Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert or Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen