This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub
“The way you spend your days is the way you spend your life.” ― Emma Straub, This Time Tomorrow
Summary:
It is the eve of her 40th birthday, and Alice’s life is not terrible. She likes her job, even if it is not exactly what she expected. She is happy with her apartment, romantic status, independence, and best friend. But her father is sick, and it feels like something is missing.
When she wakes up the next morning, she finds herself back in 1996, reliving her 16th birthday. Being back in high school shocks her, but what is even more shocking is her dad: the 40-something version of her father. Now, with a new perspective on her life and his, some past events take on new meaning. Is there anything that she would change if she could?
My Thoughts:
I love how the ‘time travel’ does not give the story science fiction vibes but it enhances the story of Alice’s emotional journey. She struggles with the impending loss of her dad as she reflects on her teenage years.
Straub urges us to realize that what we have now, we will look back on in the future as perfection. This is a story of do-overs. It is a story of loving what you have. When Alice time-travels back to when she was 16, she is blown away at how young her father looked and how healthy he was. She is also shocked that she did not see herself as she was: young, intelligent, and attractive.
It stirs questions in the reader about happiness and the satisfaction level in one’s own life. What would you change in your life if you could? I enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it!