Tom Hazard (with his truly hazardous life) appears to be in his forties. However, he was born in 1581. If you are different, others are sure to notice. Thus, Tom watches his mother, tried and convicted of witchcraft, drown because of his secret malady. Everywhere he goes, to get close to another individual means to put their life in danger.
The story weaves back and forth from the present (Tom is working in London as, no surprise, a history teacher) to the past, full of intersections with important figures. His life has been long and colorful. In ordinary circumstances, he might even have grown tired of living, but Tom's circumstances are not normal. He is on an endless search for the daughter he had to abandon for her own safety before he learned she too lives long. Now, determined to find his daughter Marion, he aligns with the Albatross Society, whose primary rule is "never fall in love." That rule seems impossible and might even be more dangerous than helpful.
Tom, standing outside time, has the perfect opportunity to reflect on time. Many passages discuss how humans repeat history, how the past affects the present, how advancement comes with drawbacks, how little we control, and how music is an anchor. Tom asserts the modern adage, "no matter where you go, there you are." He says you will always live "within the parameters of your personality. No expanse of time or place could change that. You could never escape yourself." He, like those of us with normal lifespans, is searching for life's meaning and purpose. But he is handicapped. As he says, "I have been so many different people.... I am a crowd in one body." My biggest complaint was that it took him so long to find meaning or purpose and he whines constantly about his affliction. In the end, the most telling idea the book raises is this: If time were not a factor, how would you live?
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