We are introduced to Clare and Henry, a couple whose bond to each other is decided when Clare is only six years old. This is the age where she meets her future husband, Henry, only Henry is about 43 years old at the time. However, we soon learn that Henry has an interesting code written into his DNA that allows him to time travel. Forward, backwards, he is literally all over the place, only he does not get to choose where and when he travels....it is completely up to chance.
Clare and Henry keep track of his visits, and figure out when they will actually meet each other in "present time." When this happens, the story really begins and their life together starts to take off. And while some of their challenges are not typical to every couple (such as Henry disappearing when he goes out to water the grass, leaving behind only a pile of clothes), some of their tribulations are extremely relatable, like their struggle to start a family of their own. Henry begins seeing a doctor who works with him to try and figure out how to stop the time travelling once and for all. And while a solution appears to be just on the horizon, it doesn't seem like it will be realized in time enough to save Henry. As the time travelling increases in frequency and in dangerousness, Henry and Clare are forced to realize that the thing which brought them together all those years ago could also be the thing that separates them forever.
I really enjoy reading love stories that don't seem like they are love stories. It's refreshing to find a book that is able to capture the intimacy between two characters without having to focus purely on sex and mindless spoken sentiments. It is really incredible the way the author develops the relationship between Clare and Henry. It begins when Clare is still a child, and continues until she finally meets Henry in the present day. In the beginning of the novel the author lays out a number of building blocks and foreshadowing circumstances that don't immediately make an impact on the reader, but pay off big time toward the end of the book.
Aside from the story iteself, I think the overall layout of this book is one of its biggest triumphs. Even though there is a lot of jumping around from past to present, the author does a remarkable job of keeping the story moving forward, and keeps the reader grounded in the story. I didn't feel lost once, and what I really appreciated was that every seemingly odd passage or questionable action was explained by the end of the book. So many times I feel like there are scenes thrown into books that are meant to throw the reader off track, or create some kind of surprise element, but then they are never explained. When this happens I often wonder if the writer just forgot, or simply just didn't have a good explanation by the end of the book so decided it wasn't worth revisiting. The author really does a great job of giving the reader the entire story, so by the time the book is over you really feel like there are no more questions.
My only qualm with the book is Clare and Henry. It seems strange, I know, because while I really loved the overall story and thought the development of their relationship was superb, I couldn't quite connect to them as characters. I tried, but there was something very bland about them, and honestly I felt like they were so similar (aside from the time travelling) that if you removed the names it would be like reading about the same characters. In a way, for me, they were almost too predictable, and even though I liked them because of the story, I'm not sure I would have liked them set in a different story. Maybe that doesn't make sense, but I just didn't feel a very strong connection.
This is really a touching story, and if you're an emotional reader like I am you will definitely experience a broad spectrum while reading this book. It is so well written, and such an original story, I am beyond impressed with what the author has created. In terms of the modern love story, I think this book is as good as it gets.
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