The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger is an extraordinary book. This could possibly be one of the most unique love stories I’ve ever read.
The book focuses almost entirely on the two central characters: Henry DeTamble and Claire Abshire.
Henry has a rare genetic condition: he time-travels within his own lifetime, into his own past and future.
However, time traveling is not a fun and amusing condition. It is a disease that he has no control over and it throws him into dangerous and possibly fatal situations.
Because Henry cannot control his time traveling and can disappear at almost any time and reappear in an unknown place completely naked and lost, Henry is always on the move, always alert.
Claire's life, however, follows one straight line interrupted every now and then by a meeting with Henry as he reappears in her life.
Surprisingly, Claire is an incredibly patient woman. She suffers when Henry is gone, but she remains always strong and hopeful. She is strong for herself but also because Henry needs her to be. She accepts Henry’s problem without a second thought because she believes so strongly in their love.
This book is so beautiful and touching because their love is so real. It made me cry about four times because their love is so powerful and true. It is one of the most insightful looks at relationships I have ever read. The Time Traveler's Wife is a very moving book.