The Time Traveler's Wife

This exceptional first novel is the story of Henry and Clare, who have known each other since Clare was 6 and Henry was 36, and were married when Clare was 20 and Henry 28. This is possible only because Henry is one of the first people diagnosed with Chrono-Displacement Disorder: periodically his genetic clock resets and he flashes to other points in time, usually moments of emotional gravity for him. His disappearances are spontaneous, his experiences unpredictable, alternately harrowing and amusing. Audrey Niffenegger explores the effects this condition has 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 strain to live as normal a life as they can, pursuing goals that will be familiar to most readers - steady jobs, love, good friends, children of their own. That these are all threatened by something Henry can neither prevent nor control makes this story profoundly moving and entirely unforgettable.