24. The Time Traveller’s Wife

By Audrey Niffenegger

I’m really glad I didn’t see the movie first, because I probably wouldn’t have picked up the book – and that would have been a shame, because the book was wonderful. I have no idea how anyone could expect such a complicated story to translate well to the big screen.

This is the story of Henry DeTamble, who was born with a genetic mutation that causes him to spontaneously travel through time. He has no control over this, nor can he take anything with him – not money, not identification, not even his clothing.

This is also the story of Clare, who meets him for the first time when she is six, but after Henry is already married to her. For Clare it’s the beginning of a friendship that turns into love, for Henry it’s a chance to watch the woman he loves grow up.

We share the lives of these two, the love and joy, pain and despair, through glimpses through time. The ending was . . . probably the only way it could have ended and I’m not going to spoil it by saying more than that.

I would love to see a sequel to this, perhaps about the time traveller’s daughter.

Pick up a copy of this book. You won’t be sorry.