The Time Traveler's Wife, published in 2003, is the debut novel of American author Audrey Niffenegger (pictured). It is a love story about a man with a genetic disorder that causes him to time travel unpredictably, and about his wife, an artist who has to cope with his frequent absences and dangerous experiences. Niffenegger, frustrated in love when she began the work, wrote the story as a metaphor for her failed relationships. The tale's central relationship came to her in a flash one day and subsequently became the novel's title. The novel, which has been classified as both science fiction and romance, examines issues of love, loss, and free will. In particular, it uses time travel to explore miscommunication and distance in relationships. It also investigates deeper existential questions. As a first-time novelist, Niffenegger had trouble finding a literary agent. She eventually sent the novel to MacAdam/Cage unsolicited and, after an auction took place for the rights, Niffenegger selected them as her publisher. It became a bestseller after an endorsement from author and family friend Scott Turow on The Today Show, and as of March 2009 had sold nearly 2.5 million copies in the United States and the United Kingdom. Many reviewers were impressed with Niffenegger's unique perspective on time travel. Some praised her characterization of the couple, applauding their emotional depth; others criticized her writing style as melodramatic and the plot as emotionally trite. The novel won the Exclusive Books Boeke Prize and a British Book Award. A film version was released in August 2009.

Read the rest of this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Time_Traveler%27s_Wife

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1138:

A massive earthquake, one of the deadliest in recorded history, struck Aleppo, Syria. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1138_Aleppo_earthquake

1852:

The University of Sydney, Australia's oldest university, was inaugurated in Sydney two years after the New South Wales Legislative Council established it with the passage of the University of Sydney Act. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Sydney

1865:

The Morant Bay rebellion, led by Paul Bogle and George William Gordon, began in Jamaica, but eventually it was brutally suppressed by Governor Edward John Eyre. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morant_Bay_rebellion

1962:

Pope John XXIII convened the Second Vatican Council, the first Roman Catholic ecumenical council in 92 years. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Vatican_Council

1968:

Apollo 7 , the first manned mission of NASA's Apollo program, and the first three-man American space mission, launched from Complex 34 in present-day Cape Canaveral, Florida. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_7

1987:

Sri Lankan Civil War: The Indian Peace Keeping Force began Operation Pawan to take control of Jaffna from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam the enforce their disarmament as a part of the Indo-Sri Lankan Accord. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Pawan

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

circumspect (adj): Carefully aware of all circumstances; considerate of all that is pertinent http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/circumspect

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Your true home is in the here and the now. It is not limited by time, space, nationality, or race. Your true home is not an abstract idea. It is something you can touch and live in every moment. With mindfulness and concentration, the energies of the Buddha, you can find your true home in the full relaxation of your mind and body in the present moment. No one can take it away from you. Other people can occupy your country, they can even put you in prison, but they cannot take away your true home and your freedom. --Nhat Hanh http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Nhat_Hanh