Clare first meets Henry when she is a girl of six and Henry is an adult. Since Henry is a time traveler, however, the age difference is minimized when Clare is twenty and meets Henry again in "real time." Since this meeting occurs before the first time Henry meets Clare while time traveling, Henry is as confused as the reader might be if Ms. Niffenegger were a less skillful writer. To her credit, she keeps one's attention on the evolving relationship despite the inherent confusion in documenting Henry's multiple time trips. Even so, as the story of their relationship unfolds, it becomes increasingly harder to sort out the tangles in the time lines. (Complete review below.)

(Source: Harvest Books)