And then it happened…

I read a passage in “The Time Traveler’s Wife” that shook me out of the negative state I was in. It said:

“Everything happens the way it happens. Once and only once.”

Hopefully this helps you this morning like it has helped me.  The Time Traveler’s Wife is easily one of the best books I’ve ever read. And I’ve read a lot of books. In fact, I was so impressed by this book that I was completely floored to learn that it was Niffenegger’s first novel. For starters, it’s hugely ambitious. Her plot involves not only an extremely imaginative premise, but also a complex chronology that is executed not only flawlessly, but in a way that is surprisingly easy to follow. And yet, she doesn’t take the easy way out—we don’t follow either of the two protagonists’ story in complete chronological order.

That alone would be impressive, especially from a first-time author, but the success of The Time Traveler’s Wife goes much further. To begin, it’s a beautiful love story — the story of two very real people coming together, all be it in a fantastical way, and building a surprisingly recognizable life and relationship. There is a spark and a life to her characters that is, to me, the hook of successful fiction.